Paid Experiment II

So as mentioned before, I stumbled out of the room and went down the stairs in search of a nearest source of food (not human or birds) Got a chicken pie and hot chocolate which tasted not nice at all.

After all that I had been through, I was even more determined to get the money so I went back to that dreadful place for a second round T__T

The queue was as long as ever and while contemplating if I should go straight back to have my blood taken or join the queue, a girl who was having her blood drawn left the chair and sat on the ground, hugging her knees O_O the helper and phebotomist fussed over her, offering her ferrero rocher. I guess that would have been me if I had spoken up hahaha so embarassing cos everyone was looking! Kinda glad I chose to bear with it. But then, no chocolate for me! =(

Anyway to cut a long story short, she poked me once again at the right arm but to no avail.. I was told that they just needed abit more to fill up the purple tube (blue and pink ones already filled from the 1st drawing) so I was encouraged to 'try my luck' with another phebotomist which arrived shortly before I left the room to eat. A friendly china guy hahaha I couldn't help laughing when I heard him interacting with the girl before me cos he said 'shit' when the needle was in the girl's arm and she complained before she left that it scared her alot. LOL

Despite his friendliness and confidence, it was still a failed attempt to get any blood out =( his helper was very sympathetic after seeing the numerous holes on my arms and kept saying that it was ok, that we should stop trying. So I went to get my money and left for good.

Mood: PHEW =D

Time spent: 4 hours

Money collected: $68 -__-

Took a long nap after reaching home and left in the evening to have dinner with J. Only felt better after having a heavy dinner.

I was quite lucky that the bruise only showed up after AFA if not I would have looked abused if the photo happened to capture my right arm. It was a very ugly and big bruise, only at the site where blood was successfully drawn.

Thus I have reached a decision that I will not try to donate blood anymore. Well...... maybe just once more > _<> cos after this experience, I have come up with a few tricks which might make my veins pop up more. Ahh well but my major worry is that I might not be able to receive blood easily if I happen to need a blood transfusion in the future.

Paid Experiment Experience

Warning: Long ranting post coming up! With disturbing(?) images!! LOL

Out of sheer curiosity and enticed by the high payment, I registered for an experiment which I saw on ivle. Don't jump to conclusion arh, it wasn't to be a hamster for some crazy torturous experiment... In fact, I didn't anticipate any form of pain/ horror. But the 3rd and final stage of the experiment really gave me the worst experience I had in years.

We were warned before hand that a little amount of blood will be taken at the end and I honestly thought it was so cool (having never donated blood before but strangely enthusiastic about it) I was worried, not about the process being painful but whether I would still be paid if they are unable to get the blood hahaha XD see $$$ eyes open

After completing 2 stages of the experiment (just filling in stuff and abit of math X_X) we were told to choose the time slots for the 3rd stage and I chose a slot the next day around 10.30am after my physics test. Now this is where I think the 1st problem came in. I remember checking the website to see what I would be expected to do in the 3rd stage but there was no information whatsoever.

T_____T so imagine my discomfort when I stepped into the venue and saw a group of ppl queuing to have their blood taken.

There were 2 qualified pros taking blood, one was a nurse in her fifties or sixties and the other was a young phlebotomist -- a very pretty lady wahaha. I was like ....... when it was my turn and the nurse was the one who took me. But she took a look at my arms and said 'My eyesight is not that good, I don't want to take risks.' and passed me on to the phlebotomist LOL

I was there feeling squirmish because there was this guy a few turns before mine who couldn't get his blood out and he was looking kinda impatient and upset. Ok cutting to the chase, the lady turned my arm here and there and literally explored the whole of my arm from the wrist to the elbow XD but she was very gentle when pressing to feel for the vein. After quite some time, she finally chose a point and took out the alcohol wipe.

Mood at that time: =DD!!!!

It wasn't painful when the needle went in, neither was it painful when she poked the needle left and right when it was already under my skin. Just painful to look at haha! I was relieved when the blood began to flow into the syringe because that meant success =D Was clenching my fist very tightly even before she inserted the needle cos she said that it would increase blood flow.. and I was rather desperate for the blood to flow XD But after awhile, the blood stopped filling the syringe no matter how she drew =((((((( and I could see that the quota had not been reached yet, oh noesss =( She decided to try the other arm.

The worst thing came when she took out the needle and released the arm band thingy.

The moment the pressure from the band was gone, my vision went hazy around the edges and there was this horrible ringing in my ears. It felt as if sound was being sucked out from my ears because the background noise faded away until I could only hear the guy in charge who was giving instructions to the rest of the ppl behind me.. It was a horrible feeling and I was helplessly scared T___T So frightened that I was going to lose my hearing forever or that I would fall from the chair... That was the extent of how weak I felt

I'm not kidding about how nasty it felt... had an urge to just lie down and sleep off the ringing in my ears.

Wasn't even aware of what was going on in front of me already.. It appeared that she had already moved on to my left hand and was going to insert the needle. I had no strength to clench my fist this time and she had to remind me X_X The pain kinda brought me back.. which was strange cos it didn't hurt at all for my right hand. A bit of internal poking and she took out the needle completely, only to insert it 2mm below the 1st hole O_o that hurt too =XX

Quite funny as I think back now, I was beyond care at that point, would very much prefer that she cut my arm and collect the dripping blood-- faster too. Just wanted to leave the place asap and return home to zzz

Now peeps, don't be like me k. If anything feels wrong during this kind of situation must tell the doctor at once. I didn't speak up cos i felt too sick to even speak and it would be kinda embarrassing if they made a fuss.

Anyway i must have looked really bad cos the phlebotomist stopped whatever she was doing and asked if i wanted to take a break and she said that I look blue -__- I think i simply agreed to whatever they suggested, took my bag and left the room.

The 2 extremely close pokes on my left hand which hurt

The 2nd phlebotomist (when he saw my right arm) 'WAH twilight arh!' XDXD

My 5th and last poke on the left hand

2nd part of experience in part II HAHAHA I have too much to say.. bear with my long winded descriptions k XD

Thankyou, Mr neo, for replying my eom email

And it seems pretty ok, just need to add in more examples and cut down on the quotes. I'm being influenced too much by the secondary school source based skills. Quote quote and quote. The history teachers kept emphasising on quoting full sentences too. So yep, i was quite unwilling to cut complete sentences.

Today... The blood donation drive was held in the hall and i was so excited! =D Kept looking around for a consent form and finally got it from yang sheng. I did the 'F' thing.... forge signature haha and proceeded to donate my wonderful A+ blood. Everything went well, i passed the weight check! Barely though, 46kg in my uniform =X I had enough iron in my blood too. There was a blood test before the actual donation. This nice nurse pricked my middle finger and used this straw like thingy to suck up the blood. She kept squeezing my poor finger to get more blood. I think there's a slight bruise there now and it still hurts when i type. Prepared myself mentally and was already seated confortably on the long blue chair. Another nurse came to give me that squishy thing to squeeze during the process to speed up blood flow. She tightened that... thing around my arm to make my vessals dilate. She tried it on my right arm. Then my left. I think i had a sheepish grin on my face ahaha. T________T The nurse told me that i can't donate cos she cant locate the blood vessel. AHHHHHHH WTH.

2nd WTH incident today occured on 156. Erm.. to be more exact, while i was getting down. No, i did not fall off the bus, thankfully. I was rather exhausted after all that has happened in school. (played volleyball under the horrible sun) so i fell asleep after getting on 156. It wasnt a deep sleep, i could guess which stops the bus was at. But i kinda miscalculated for my stop and only opened my eyes a few seconds after the bus door opened. The shock of my life man, i was going 'AHHHHH' in my head. Rushed down the bus without even putting my bag on properly, i was supporting the bag and file flat against my thighs. Sad to say, a soft but distraught 'Ahh' escaped while i was get out of the bus T__T It was so embarrassing lah, i think i scared some of the passengers. Found it hard to walk with my bag and file against my legs and they were dropping so i hopped to the bus stop seat. There was a lady at the bus stop and i caught a glimpse of her O_O face. I put on my best indifferent face, carried my bag + file properly and brisk walked off =l

So many GP lessons next week

Thursday will be following monday's time table.. cos we've missed too many monday lessons. Thankfully i end at the same time on both days and not earlier on thursday, or i'll pon on thursday =X

Didn't do well for my common tests this time.. could have done better for bio, math and GP especially. Oh well. I will try to start mugging asap for promos. Mr Ho gave a whole stack of new songs and i'm sooo excited! Haha Now that the seniors have stepped down, priscilla and i are the only 2 altosaxes. So we must play loudly =D

Oh yes, i finally went for a blood test yesterday before band. Since i had to rush off to school, i was the 1st to have my blood drawn. Unfortunately for me, i inherited mum's kind of blood vessels =super thin and hard to locate. The doctor was supposed to take blood from arm but couldnt find the vessel so in the end we had to make do with the vein at the back of my palm. It didn't hurt at all despite her warning. Ahaha i have a high threshold for pain. The doctor was literally poking around under my skin cos the vein kept 'running'. She placed a plaster over the wound and i rushed off to school. There was no bruise, the vein just looked a little swollen yesterday. YAY i'll finally know my blood type