First Blood Donation at HSA

Ivia Hui
Nov 4, 2015
3 min read

Throwback post to my first blood donation. I'm really happy that I have finally done something good and can strike it off my wishlist. But I will make it regular. Anyway it's only every 16weeks then we can donate once.

Ok first let me clarified this. Actually bloodtest isn't that scary at all. What terrible swell, obvious blue black. NO! As long you follow the after care instruction there isn't much to worry about.

There's many places which you can choose to go at your convenience.

Where Can I Donate?

Bloodbank@HSA
Bloodbank@Dhoby Ghaut
Bloodbank@Woodlands
Bloodbank@Westgate TowerMobile Blood Drive

I chose the Bloodbank@HSA as it's really near my work location (Outram) and pretty easy to recognize and there's even free parking for donor.

When you step into the building, you have to turn right into this door.

You have to proceed to counter 2 for registration. It's better to booked an appointment as there's an health questionare to filled out online.

Happy Halloween!! They say~~

Friendly staff that I asked if I can take her photo to blog :)

After registration, I'm given a number to wait outside this area. It's for some first round of important health screening to determine whether you are able to do the donation. Yes first round because there is another one later on.

This test is actually your pressure reading.

There's 3 reading in total.

First: Systolic which cannot be >100 (The blood pressure when the heart is contracting. It is specifically the maximum arterial pressure during contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. The time at which ventricular contraction occurs is called systole)

Second: Pulse reading must be >100 <50

Third: Diastolic must be <60 (Diastole /daɪˈæstəliː/ is the part of the cardiac cycle when the heart refills with blood following systole (contraction). Ventricular diastole is the period during which the ventricles are filling and relaxing, while atrialdiastole is the period during which the atria are relaxing.)

I did this test for 4times and I keep falling below 60. At this point I'm getting really disappointed. But the screening officer ask me to have more water to hydrate myself. So I head out and drinking almot 10 cups (those cone paper cups)

After about 10mins she asked me back again and my heart is pumping so fast because I REALLY wanted to do the donation so much. and datah!! just nice it's 60. Yeah!! I cheer so happily...

Next station. Blood Test. This is a station to test my Haemoglobin level. It has to be minimium 12.5g/dl

(Haemoglobin is an iron-containing protein in red blood cells.Haemoglobin carries oxygen around the body and without enough of it your muscles and organs don't get all the oxygen they need.) I'm so lucky that I just pass the mark! :))))

I proceeded into the donation room and the nurse putting some anesthetic by cleaning and injecting. The Injection part is abit painful. But all for the donation is worth it!

Started.....

I'm curious of the machine which keeps moving up and down underneath my chair and I peek. I'm shocked that just pass 5mins and there's so much blood.........!!!