List Item #28 is a No-Go

One of my more attainable list items, #28 (hit the 25 blood donations mark) is pretty near and dear to my heart. Donating blood was something I meant to do for a very long time - probably 15 years - before I actually got around to doing it. I knew it was important and can help a lot of people. It just never seemed to make it to the top of my list of things to do, or when presented with an opportunity, I didn't have my ID with me. Excuses excuses, I know. But i eventually started and it became a regular, every 56ish days weekend activity for me - aside from the slight hiatus of a year or so I had to take to when I was being tested to donate the kidney.

My dad had been one of those lucky people to benefit from blood donation when he was going through cancer chemo and radiation in the mid 90's. I know the generous donations from a lot of people meant that he could get the treatments he needed to not only feel better, but spend more time with us (we knew his time with us was limited which made it all that more important). Fast forward 18 or so years and my mom received blood during cancer related surgery. While I would do it anyway because its good to help people when you can, it becomes all that more meaningful when someone you love needs blood, and you can help repay the favour.

Canadian Blood Services gives you a donor card when you start donating. Mine is kinda basic, not too attractive. But when you hit 25 donations, they send you a new, pretty card with "25" incorporated into the design. I've admired this card for at least the last 12 of my now 21 donations (they have a display at the donation centre) and was really looking forward to earning it this year. I know, its not about the card. But I was working towards it the way a Girl Guide works towards badges or you strive for a certain badge in a social media app. It was so close I could practically feel the shiny plastic in my hand. But alas, its not going to happen.

Over the weekend I was diagnosed with a superficial leg blood clot. No big deal, unless you are the girl who was diagnosed with a random, unexplained pulmonary embolism (lung blood clot) in 2013. What this means is that there is a 99% chance that I will be on blood thinners for the rest of my life. Which excludes me from being a blood donor. And I am super sad about it.

Don't get me wrong. I am happy I am realtively healthy and not in any imminent danger of a pulmonary embolism - because those are bad, bad things. I appreciate my health is more important than giving blood. And yes, I also was able to donate a kidney which not everyone gets to do either (it would be really awesome in Canadian Blood Services gave blood donation credits for kidney donations but sadly they don't). I'm just disappointed I can't continue to do this because its important to me for a million reasons, beyond the magic card and the fact its on "the list".

I haven't decided yet if I'll replace this list item or just leave it as is just to remind people donating blood is a good thing to do, if they haven't in awhile, or ever (try it kids! they have cookies!). As for the blood clots, being a medical mutant has it privileges and there is an internal medicine doctor at my closest hospital who heard about my situation and would like to see if she can figure out why I'm getting clots with no obvious clotting disorder, health problems or risk factors. Here's hoping!