I must confess. Yesterday I gave blood. For the very first time.

As a nurse – an oncology nurse – it’s embarrassing to admit I’ve walked past gazillions of blood drives without donating.

I donated at the Boots vs. Badges Blood Drive yesterday simply because it was close to my office. (By the way, asking a nurse to choose between police and fire personnel is an ethical dilemma. Okay, not really; you know what I mean.) As I spoke with the phlebotomist, she asked what kept me from donating all these years. I have no good answer. I’m not afraid of blood or needles. I think donating blood is noble considering it saves lives every day. My only excuse is time. I never stopped to take the time to donate. And even though I am a nurse, I can’t remember anyone in my social circles personally encouraging me to donate. Until yesterday.

As I was getting ready to leave for a meeting, my colleague reminded me about the blood drive and said I had time to donate before the meeting. I thought, She’s right. So I walked over, answered all the questions, donated, and “recovered” chatting it up with some of Austin’s finest public servants. Considering the room was filled with Badges, I got a good, friendly ribbing for my difficulty choosing Boots or Badges.

The entire process lasted about 35 minutes. What have I been thinking all these years?! I must say, also, my phlebotomist, Kristen, did an outstanding job with my needle stick. Stop by and say hey to her. There’s still time to donate. If you’re not in Austin, stop by your local blood bank and donate.

Thanks to my friend, I am now a life-long blood donor. So now I am going to pay it forward. As a nurse, how often do you give blood? I know I’m not the only healthy, capable nurse hanging on to my blood. What keeps you from donating?