I'm totally petrified of needles, but being the kind of person I am, I decided to stop being such a chicken and go give blood (I'm all for facing fears!).
The first time I went, I'd explained my extreme fear (sweaty plams sitting here talking about it) so they said that a nurse would sit and talk to me all through it to keep my mind off it. About 5 mins in, the nurse looks at the bag and calls another nurse over. They start asking me how I feel - I'm fine thanks, I reply. 'Ok' says the nurse 'if you start to feel funny at all, tell us straight away'. About 5 mins later, my elbow starts to tingle. Before I could even ask if that was normal, they'd whipped the needle out and bandaged me up. I had to lay there for 45 mins before I'd got up. They collected enough blood for a kitten. I was so disappointed. The next day, I wake up and my arm is black from my wrist to past my elbow. The nurse had gone through my vein and blood had leaked into my elbow. I had to wear a sling for 3 days.
BUT, I wasn't going to let that put me off. A year later, I went back, determined to have another go. I explained what happened last year, so they are extra careful with me. I get through it and a whole bag is collected! Hooray!! I have my 2 biscuits and cup of tea after and start heading back for work. As I walk up the stairs to my 2nd floor desk, I start to feel really out of breath. Man, I need to get back to the gym, I think to myself. I get to my desk, have a drink and start to feel a bit funny. At this time, Stephen and I didn't work together, but his desk was very near mine. He came over to say I didn't look so well. All of a sudden, I had the overwhelming urge to be sick, so I ran out of the office. As I reached to doors out to the corridor, it all went black.
When I came round, there were about 10 people all standing over me. I had passed out in the lift lobby outside my company's reception desk. My boss was there with visitors I was due to be meeting in 5 mins and introduced them to me whilst I was lying on the floor! Thank god Stephen had run after me because he caught me as I fainted, so I'd probably have had a nice bump on the head as well.
After a check up from the blood people, they told me maybe I shouldn't give blood anymore.