Ang's reasons NOT to give plasma...

I feel like writing, though I'm not sure what I want to write about.
I'll tell you about my strange day on Friday.
With thoughts of moving out and moving to a new state, I seem to be overwhelmed with thoughts of how to make money, not only when I move but before I go too.
So this lady that is living with us told me about giving plasma, and that you get paid to do it; sounds perfect for me (a person who hates hospitals, needles, blood, etc.)! I decide why not give it a shot... I'll just pump myself up for it and it won't even phase me. Friday was my first appointment. I go in, and there is all sorts of paperwork and testing crap that I have to go through... no big deal, though it does take quite some time to get through and I'm not a patient person to begin with. Whatever...
So finally they get me into my little 'bed' thing... this guy comes and explains what he is going to do, how it works and what I need to do while it's doing what it does. Basically, I have to pump my fist while the cuff is tight on my arm and I can relax when it is not. After doing this for about 20 or so minutes (and being told this process lasts about an hour total), my arm is starting to get sore and uncomfortable... whatever though, it will be over soon, I thought to myself. The next thing I know, my hand is starting to fall asleep... or so I thought. My eyes are starting to feel strange and heavy, my body gets warm, and my hearing is starting to diminish... I call for the worker and tell him I'm not feeling very good. After he came over I felt comfortable closing my eyes for a second... which turned out to be longer than just a second.
I was having some amazing dream, which for the life of me I cannot remember anything about; I was there though... in the dream... it was so real and so clear.
The next thing I know someone is tapping me on the leg telling me to keep my eyes open. The guy I called over is now holding my arm straight and talking to me, but I still couldn't hear normal, so I probably just looked at him like he was crazy. Once my hearing came back, I asked him "did I pass out?", and he told me that I did. I asked some other questions and I guess had a conversation that I don't recall... I do remember asking if I could finish giving, and he, very nicely, laughed and told me "No!"
When I asked him why he was sitting there and holding my arm down, he told me that when people faint, they naturally want to bend their arms, and while he was calling for help I started to do that and he couldn't get to me in time. Keep in mind that I had a needle stuck in my arm when I bent it!! He told me I might have a bruise there because of it (and boy do I!).
I had to sit there for another 15 or so minutes while they ran this saline solution into my arm, and they were trying to make me eat and drink.. I'm cold as winter, I feel like I'm going to vomit, I'm confused beyond belief, there are tons of people around me along with the other donors staring at me. Finally, after they took the needle out, they took me into this other room so they could monitor me and while my vitals (blood pressure, pulse, etc.) got back to normal. The lady with me told me that I was green when I woke up... might be my favorite color, but it's certainly not a color I want my skin to be, and not something I want to hear when I already feel like I'm going to vomit! About 1-1/2 hours later, I finally don't feel dizzy anymore and my vitals have reached a point where they feel comfortable letting me drive myself home. I'm still cold though, which they said is normal, and to just go home and lay down... try to sleep it off.
I drove home, in a complete daze, changed into my warmest clothes and curled up in my warmest blanket and slept like crap for the next 1-1/2 hours. My head has felt strange all weekend, I've been cold all weekend (maybe because it's been cold and rainy/snowy here?), and my arm is still killing me.
I did get paid for the one time attempt to donate though... but I doubt I'll be going back for more; just doesn't seem worth it to me for the extra money!
Lesson learned.
ugh.