Friday, April 10, 2009

close call with plasma

Every monday and friday afternoon I spend 2 to 3 hours and sell myself. It's ok, I don't have anything better to do those afternoons, and it pays for my rent. Plus it's pretty fun. most of the time.

This last week tho, things were a little different. I was just sitting there, pumping my fist, donating my plasma, watching Hancock, and pretty much just minding my own business when my life was changed forever.

A girl had just finished selling her plasma and was walking towards the west end of the room where you get paid. She was almost there when she suddenly stopped and swayed for a second before falling forward. She she landed on the tile floor by slapping it with her face. The sound of impact was like that of a big, 32 oz., uncooked steak getting slapped on the kitchen counter.

Blood started gushing from her broken nose and began covering the floor as she lay there unconscious. With a gasp of breath and a sudden jerk of movement, she came to and began to vomit all over. People waiting began to stand up and scramble away from the mess as employees began to do their best to control the situation.

But there was little they could do as all hell broke loose. Three more people soon fainted causing employees and "patients" alike to begin running and screaming. It was utter mayhem and I couldn't believe what was happening.

I looked around me and other people who were donating were yanking needles out of their arms and running for the doors as blood spurted from their un-bandaged arms.

I didn't understand what was happening, but the panic was contagious and I felt the urge to follow the example of my peers. I tried to stay calm, but the situation soon deteriorated. The lights went out and people started attacking each other, and I saw a kid go down as a girl bit him on the neck. I feared for my life, so I grabbed some gauze, tape, 2 sticks of dynamite, and a large roll of duct-tape and did my best to find a way to an exit.

I'll never be the same, but I love donating plasma, it saves lives.

5 comments:

Riana Grace said...

Are you H'in me!!!!

Hayley said...

you sound a little like jo...makin up stories.

i still have yet to hear anything good about plasma.

McKayJoice said...

Oh man, I wish i could have been there. . . i would have started rubbing sternums, And attacking that one girl who i felt was always out to get me with her painful sticks.

Yeah, i got to start going back to plasma.

Juje said...

Ha ha. Ya, didn't they think to try the sternum rub? Good thing I wasn't there. I already know I'm a sympathetic crier AND puker....so I'm probably a sympathetic fainter too. I don't have the best track record.

Jo Olsen said...

First I would like to congratulate Riana on the correct usage of the word H'en me. Well done. Second I want to express my concern with Hayley's comment about brett sounding like me. I may have embelished a story here and there but I take offense at that comment nonetheless. That's all. Good story brett.