GIVING LIFE

OK - fair warning - for any of you who get squeemish about needles and blood - just skip to the third to last paragraph - which is what the whole story is about anyway....

OK, so most of you out there know I don't do needles. You would think that after an entire lifetime of getting poked because of illness, surgery, or babies I would be used to it by now....just one hitch in that thought - my veins dont cooperate, usually making for a difficult or miserable experience.

I can probably count on less than 2 hands the number of times I have had blood drawn and a nurse or technician get me on a first try. Usually I end up a very bruised pin cushion, even using the peds butterfly (the smallest there is). This last surgery, I just told the nurse to get the lidicaine (numbing agent) and dig all she wanted, knowing we had to get bigger needles in - she did, but I can still see the hole where she drew blood and put the IV in....the bruise she left lasted a good couple of weeks.

So, with my loverly history with needles why do I heed the personal phone call I get every couple of months to give blood? Because I have a universal blood type and because of days like today.

I was busily helping multiple kiddos with school work when I happened to glance at the clock - "oh, crap" (yes, we are working on NOT using this word in the house - not there yet) - "is today Thursday? I am supposed to give blood!" Thinking I was a lunatic for even going since I had had about 24oz of water and 1 pile of cheesy noodles all day, I quickly called Preston to get his thoughts and then flew out the door yelling to the kids that I would be back in an hour as I literally ran to the car (I was now left with 15 minutes to get to the building with a 20min plus drive), sure that they would just be sending me back home. As I started driving my cell phone was chirping "oh, crap (I know, I know) my cell is dying?" Lovely. I kept driving, thinking I knew where I was going, except that I apparently didnt and with the last ounce of cell battery hurried and called preston to help me get where I needed to be. He gave the one cross street I missed just before it died completely.

To my own frustration (and the fact that EVERY inch of the West Salem hills look identical) I missed the turn off again and ended up back where I started. After driving the "scenic route" for about 20 min, I finally ended up at the church building.

OK, here is where I get to insert my continued digression into complete irreverent behavior for the day. Literally out loud I pretty much laid things on the line with Heavenly Father "If they need my blood that bad, if someone else needs it, you are going to have to take care of it. I am NOT prepared for this at all, I cannot do this on my own. You are going to have to do it all." And so the one sided conversation went all the way from the car to the church doors.
Just an FYI - I have very rarely been able to go to give blood and make it all the way through the process - iron too low, dont bleed, whatever - I have been sent away more than I have been able to give.

So - with all of my weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, and a stomach bloated with 2 water bottles of fluid and 4 mini snickers bars I downed on the way there - I left everything to Heavenly Father, and prepared for them to send me home.

I sat, I waited, I read the required gobbledy-gook, I sat and waited some more. I had sat for about 1/2 hr by the time they got to me. I had a nice little chat with the assistant, whose name also happened to be Kailee, and told her I had waited a long time for them to just send me home. She gave me a nifty hand warmer and nicked my finger and ran the iron test. To my utter astonishment, it was 2.5 points HIGHER than what the max was they usually need. Whoa! OK, now what?

Next, more waiting, now in a panic as I looked at the clock knowing even if I left then I would not make it back in time to get ceana to her concert. A very kind technician let me borrow his phone to call preston, to call ceana (why not just call ceana? because kiddos have learned to not pick up the phone for #'s they dont recog on the caller ID), to get a ride to the concert. That taken care of I sat there in the chair, still waiting, and shaking like crazy that I was actually going through with things.

They finally got me settled, sort of. The guy next to me was having issues that took my technician and 2 others to take care of him - poor guy. It was finally my turn. "Squeeze the ball, hold another hand warmer, squeeze this other ball, try the other arm..." The technician hunted for awhile and even asked for a second opinion before flipping me around to get to my right arm. The cute little assistant had come over by then too - "they still havent gotten you started?" Nope - guy next to me was still having issues - OUCH. The assistant was very kind, and actually her standing there next to me distracted me by chatting while the tech stuck in the monster needle. (for me it is like comparing the tiny needle I usually get - picture a straight pin - to the monster one they use which is what they call a 12 gauge - picture a short knitting needle - big OUCH)

Anyway - he actually got it in, on a first try - which is all they get when you give blood. I tried to relax (my toes were curled inside my shoes and I was trying not to pass out) while we continued to chat. Oops - too good to be true "your line is getting cold, need to see what is going on" (this is where I got sent home last time) The tech literally turned the needle inside my arm - never have had that done before - and then I was a gusher. He walked away and then literally came back minutes later to tell me I was almost done! I was blown away.
As I sat there and chatted with the tech, I shared my wonder at being there and to have things go better than smoothly. I told him it was because I was supposed to be there, someone else needed it more than I did. We had a very interesting conversation about the spiritual side of this life giving gift. Not many people outside the church would be open to that kind of conversation, but he really was. Not too long after that I was really done, plus some. Usually, if all goes well, they barely get what they need and I have to work to give it to them. Tonight I gushed, and gave them what they needed plus 6 extra test vials. I NEVER have enough for those....

Soooooo, after making this very short story way too long... I was given the special blessings and gift to give, so someone else could be blessed and live. Really that is a HUGE thing to think about. Because of my heartfelt, though irreverent, plea, someone somewhere is going to be able to have what they need when they need it most. Because Heavenly Father is mindful of my needs, and also of someone I will probably never know or meet, a gift will be shared that could bless more lives than can be counted. The tender mercies were poured out upon me today.

I got an extra gift as I drove home (I did manage to get the right turn off, barely) The skies were an amazing, softened shade of lilac. It is impossible to describe unless you saw it. Again, my irreverence kicked in - loud and verbal "HOW do you do it? Where is the sun, how thick are the clouds, etc?" These are some of the things I hope I get to learn how to do someday....
The photographer in me tried to make some sense in what I was seeing. Where was the sun, how could the WHOLE sky be that color, how is the light being diffused to give off that color? It really was amazing and breathtaking, considering that clouds that color in another part of the country would mean tornadoes or hurricanes....it really was the most incredible thing to look at and the feeling was really indescribable.

I did make it home, again on the fly and hollering at kiddos to get in the car, just in time to drop off my little people to a DEAR friend - THANK YOU M! - pick up extra big kiddos and still make it to the concert with 15 minutes to spare. Got some fab shots of ceana and her best friend before and in between the concert (both the girls sit in the center, almost back row, impossible for picts or video) - watch for those to be posted to the photo blog soon - enjoyed another night of wonderful music, and enjoyed a group of teenagers as they enjoyed their after concert treats at McD's (a good story for another time). Everyone -except me - is sound asleep in their beds. Overall, it has been a productive day, and one truly FULL to overflowing with tender mercies that I am very grateful for.