You’re sitting in the blood donation center, about to give blood. As the nurse turns on the needle, you think back to all the reasons you didn’t weigh the same as you do now in the first place. Was it the healthier lifestyle you followed? Were you exercising more? Did you use diet products to lose weight?
The nurse probably asked you all these questions, but you didn’t have the strength to answer. All you could think about was the pain. It had been years since you gave blood, and every time the needle pierced your skin, you swore it would be your last time. So when the nurse called your name, you ran out of the building without looking back.
You haven’t donated blood since then, and you almost didn’t make it this time either. While you were on your evening walk, you felt faint and collapsed. You had to be brought home by paramedics, who warned you that if you didn’t start donating blood again soon, you could end up in the hospital. For a heart-healthy individual like you, that was something you didn’t want to risk. So you made a vow to yourself that if you recovered, you’d go back to the hospital the following week and give blood again.
When you returned home and took your afternoon stroll, you were feeling determined. You knew that you were in for a fight this time, but you weren’t going to let anything get in the way of you helping your community. As you passed by the blood donation center, you noticed a “Needed Now” sign on the door. You quickly scanned the room for any available donors, but it was already past the time when volunteers were allowed to give blood. So you picked up pace and tried to find a vein in your arm to connect to the needle. As you searched, you noticed a woman in the corner, watching you anxiously. She hadn’t eaten in days and needed blood to stay alive. You felt bad for her, but you had also been awake for too long and the pain was becoming increasingly difficult to handle. So you decided to leave and find a different way to help. Besides, you still owed the hospital some money from your previous visit.
As you walked away, the woman called out, “Wait, don’t go! I just need one more unit!” You turned back and she pleaded with you, “You’re The One I Need. You have the strength to give me what I need. Please don’t walk away! I need you!”
To your surprise, the last words you heard before you passed out were, “I’m so happy you found me. Donating blood just once isn’t enough; I need to do it again.”
You had done all you could on your own and the hospital had released you. When you came to, you were lying in bed and the woman you had helped was sitting by your side, dressed in your clothes. She explained how she had found you unconscious on the street and called 911. You had never felt better. It was as if a burden had been lifted from your shoulders. You owed the woman your life, and she had convinced you to donate blood one last time before you went on your walk.
Was it all just a dream? You still can’t believe that you had the strength to give blood three times in one day. You’ve never felt better. The last time you felt this good was when you were a child and played with your doctor son, who is now a doctor himself. Since then, you’ve been trying to keep up with your good deeds. You went to work diligently, sacrificing your personal time so you could help others with their health needs. You’ve been determined to live a long life, and the only way you know how is by giving as much as you can to your community. So when the nurse called your name and you walked towards her, you felt confident that you were finally going to live up to your potential. Your body had finally healed, and all that remained was for you to keep your promise to yourself. You made a vow that you would live a long life and make your community and country proud of you.
You’ve been feeling better than good ever since. You’ve been walking around with a spring in your step, looking for ways to make the world a better place. You’ve been so focused on helping others that you didn’t notice how many calories you were eating or how your clothes were fitting. Every day, you look in the mirror and you realize that you’re not the same person you were five years ago. You’ve changed, but you can’t put your finger on exactly how. You feel like a new person, and it scares you a little.
Now, as you approach your six-month anniversary of donating blood, you wonder how much weight you’ve actually lost. It had been a while since you weighed yourself and you weren’t sure what your current weight was. But you knew you had lost some weight, even if you didn’t notice any difference. When the nurse called your name at the blood donation center, you didn’t run out this time. You walked slowly, feeling a little dizzy, but there was no pain. The good deeds you had been doing seemed to have invigorated you, giving you a burst of energy that lasted all through the donation process. Afterward, you looked back on the day and realized how much better you felt when compared to your previous visits. It was as if all the years of hard living had finally paid off. Now, as you start to believe that your life can truly be different, you wonder whether or not donating blood actually helps you lose weight. Could it be that the pure life-giving spirit that bled out of you gave you the boost of energy you needed to finally make a change in your life? Could it be that giving blood was the missing piece of the puzzle?
Do You Lose Weight When You Donate Plasma?
You’re sitting in the blood donation center, about to give blood. As the nurse turns on the needle, you think back to all the reasons you didn’t weigh the same as you do now in the first place. Was it the healthier lifestyle you followed? Were you exercising more? Did you use diet products to lose weight?
The nurse probably asked you all these questions, but you didn’t have the strength to answer. All you could think about was the pain. It had been years since you gave blood, and every time the needle pierced your skin, you swore it would be your last time. So when the nurse called your name, you ran out of the building without looking back.
You haven’t donated blood since then, and you almost didn’t make it this time either. While you were on your evening walk, you felt faint and collapsed. You had to be brought home by paramedics, who warned you that if you didn’t start donating blood again soon, you could end up in the hospital. For a heart-healthy individual like you, that was something you didn’t want to risk. So you made a vow to yourself that if you recovered, you’d go back to the hospital the following week and give blood again.
When you returned home and took your afternoon stroll, you were feeling determined. You knew that you were in for a fight this time, but you weren’t going to let anything get in the way of you helping your community. As you passed by the blood donation center, you noticed a “Needed Now” sign on the door. You quickly scanned the room for any available donors, but it was already past the time when volunteers were allowed to give blood. So you picked up pace and tried to find a vein in your arm to connect to the needle. As you searched, you noticed a woman in the corner, watching you anxiously. She hadn’t eaten in days and needed blood to stay alive. You felt bad for her, but you had also been awake for too long and the pain was becoming increasingly difficult to handle. So you decided to leave and find a different way to help. Besides, you still owed the hospital some money from your previous visit.
As you walked away, the woman called out, “Wait, don’t go! I just need one more unit!” You turned back and she pleaded with you, “You’re The One I Need. You have the strength to give me what I need. Please don’t walk away! I need you!”
To your surprise, the last words you heard before you passed out were, “I’m so happy you found me. Donating blood just once isn’t enough; I need to do it again.”
You had done all you could on your own and the hospital had released you. When you came to, you were lying in bed and the woman you had helped was sitting by your side, dressed in your clothes. She explained how she had found you unconscious on the street and called 911. You had never felt better. It was as if a burden had been lifted from your shoulders. You owed the woman your life, and she had convinced you to donate blood one last time before you went on your walk.