Let me back up and explain why it too so long for me to do it.
When I was a child, I had hepatitis. I was sick and I honestly don't even remember having it as I was that ill. If someone hadn't told me that I had had it, I wouldn't even know.
As far as I understood, I was sick enough for my brain to block it all out. To this day I don't remember the 'bad' parts. I do remember when I was on the mend and I was allowed to go outside for the first time in FOREVER. I went over to the neighbours house and she and another neighbour friend were making a snowman. I went over to play and join them.
They yelled that I had cooties and ran away and wouldn't play with me. It was traumatic. THAT is my memory of having hepatitis.
But I digress...
I was always led to believe that I couldn't donate blood. I never really investigated it. A few years ago I made a call to Canadian B1ood Services and asked a few questions and they said that no I couldn't donate. However, if I wanted to go through a battery of test and documents and paperwork then they would investigate it for me. I left it at that.
However, on Wednesday our work had it's quarterly blood donor drive and I went up to talk to a nurse. She pulled out this HUGE book and looked through it and informed me that if I had had hepatitis before I was 11 then I eligible to donate!
YAY!! I was in grade 4 when I was sick and was about 8 or 9 - certainly not 11.
I filled out all the paperwork required and took the plunge! Really how can you not when you can do it during you work day and all I had to do was walk up a flight of stairs!
I felt so good and lucky that I was healthy enough to donate to someone who was in need.
What a great day! I even got a sticker, cookies and juice!!
