Thankfulness Challenge - Day 14

At our office we have a blood drive every 6 months or so. The blood mobile comes to our office and we sign up, walk downstairs and spent about 30 minutes or so in the buss answering all these insane questions, get poked, lay around for a few minutes, then get a cookie a glass of juice and head back to work. It’s a wonderful opportunity to help our community. Typically they stay from 8:30-1, sometimes longer if there’s a stream of people trying to get in. There happened to be a blood drive on Sep. 11^th and the blood mobile ended up staying until well after 6pm.

Today was a blood drive day, or as I call it “Blood Sucking Day!” I got my submittal emailed to the other office (who was going to print/bind/and hand deliver it (see yesterday’s post if you have no idea what I’m talking about) and the receptionist called and said it was my turn. I grabbed my ID and took off downstairs. I read the paperwork and headed to the bus. I went into the room to answer the insane questions and the nurse went to take my blood pressure. She put the cuff on my arm and started squeezing. She jokingly asked, high or low? I said high … it’s always high. She was listening to my blood pressure and went huh…. Let’s try a different cuff. This one doesn’t always work right. She went out and got another cuff and came back. She started the process again. Upon finishing the task she said … that’s not … ok I’m going to get someone else to listen. She called one of the other ladies into the room and she completed the process again. After this time they both looked at me like I had a lobster on my head doing a dance and shouting profanities.  

It was determined that my blood pressure was too high for me to donate. As I said it’s always high, sometimes more than others but usually on the higher spectrum. They gave me a sheet of paper with the numbers on it and I was sent on my way with a big speech about getting it checked out. I told them I would. I made my way back to my desk and my boss saw me, he said that was quick. I told him what happened and now he’s all stressed out. It’s like everyone thinks I’m going to keel over dead at any moment.

I tried to tell him it’s been a super stressful week, from my friend’s surgery, to the last minute submittal and the long hours it’s just been a long week. I feel fine but I do have to admit it was nice of him to be concerned. So for today I’m thankful to have a boss that seems to appreciate what I do, appreciate who I am and who actually looked at me today and said “If something happens to you not only will it affect our work in a negative way but also I’ll miss you!” So I guess that means I’ll make a doctor’s appointment, something I truly hate to do. Good guilt trip Steven … well played sir!

-Marcy