I may never have mentioned this before, but I was in a bit of a car crash about five years ago.
I bring this up because after the crash, I felt like I should give something back to the medical community after taking so, so much.
I started donating blood. After seeing articles about the need for donors this spring, I thought about the last time I gave blood. I vaguely remembered a blood donation outside MedStar.
“When was that?” I asked myself.
Carter BloodCare was eavesdropping and sent an email explaining, “It has now been more than a year since your last blood donation. Here’s a link where you could totally make an appointment, like, right now, man.” [It’s possible those were not Carter BloodCare’s exact words]
Just before I left for Houston, Carter BloodCare event sent a second email: “Listen, man,” obviously these are Carter BloodCare’s exact words. “We’ll even park the bus right there in your neighborhood.”
When I went for the donation, they asked if I wanted to give blood or would participate in some sort of “double red cell donation.”
When you donate, they check for a fever, so I can proudly declare I’m COVID-19 negative while wearing this shirt, which also advertises how brave I am. But I did test positive for a great start to the weekend. See what I did there, Gang? pic.twitter.com/BV8NDo8bv9
— Alan Scaia (@scaia) June 5, 2020
They explained it might take longer. Since I work mornings, I wasn’t on my lunch break, my workday had just ended, so I’m sittin’ there, all, “Sign me up!”
That gave me time to live-tweet my blood donation. When you do the double secret red cell donation, you have to keep your arm more still. For part of the donation, the thing turns clear and it’pumps plasma back into me.
While I was live-tweeting, I also decided to include a reference to why I started.
“I’ll just google myself to find an article about the crash,” I explained to myself.
The Fort Worth Star Telegram article featured my reassuring picture from the WBAP website to let everyone know it didn’t look good at the time, but if we waited, everything was going to be all right. But Downer McDownerson, the publisher of the Wise County Messenger, had a photographer at the scene and took one of the least majestic pictures I’ve ever appeared in.
I discussed my move to start giving blood with Mama Scaia.
She said she’d been involved in giving blood before. She didn’t say whose blood she was giving, just that she had been involved in giving someone’s blood.
In conclusion, I may start working, “But I’m feeling much better now” into my remarks whenever I start blathering on about the crash.
For instance, right now, I’m texting with a group of associates about the concern over President Trump’s “shaky walk” this weekend. I recommend the president work in that same line, courtesy an episode of Night Court from approximately 30 years ago. That’s how you show the kids you’re “hip” and “with it,” if you will.
