11.3

11.3 was my hemoglobin level last night.

in order to give blood a woman must have at least a level of 12.5.
i am usually quite close to this cut off, but have always passed. at skidmore they sometimes had to put my blood through a second, more accurate test [the 'watch the blood sink to the bottom of the tube' trick didn't always work] in which they would put the small vial through some sort of centrifuge to separate the blood and then get the iron levels.

the first time i was below 12.5 out here in california i asked if they could put my blood in 'that spinny thing' to try again. technology has moved forward since then and now my blood sample is placed on a small disk and inserted into a machine. after a few moments the machine gives out a digital reading with my hemoglobin level. if you fail to pass the hemoglobin test, you must be re-checked, and here, re-checking entails being pricked a second time by a second nurse. the last time this happened to me, i passed the 2nd time. sometimes the levels on different hands are different [weird and inexplicable] and sometimes if the prick is made deeper, or the nurse wipes off quite a bit of the surface blood and takes a sample from blood deeper in your finger the level will be different than your initial one [makes a bit more sense]. anyway. last time this worked. this time, no dice.

"you do know that if you don't pass after the second time that you will have to go home"
"i know.."

this adorably cute middle-aged asian woman was so sweet and kind and gave me so much advice as to how to get my iron levels up before coming in next time [a combination of iron AND vitamin-c rich foods in the same meal] that it took a few minutes before i was really upset about not being able to donate. i know that i tried - there's really nothing i need to be upset about. it was fairly out of my control. and maybe yesterday's blood-giving was just really not meant to be for some reason. now that i think about it, the combination of traffic + me being a grade-a moron and missing turns and turning down one-way streets in an attempt to get there quicker [what?] may have been a sign that i wasn't supposed to give yesterday. i was 25 minutes late, after all.

anyway. i was still really upset for a little while. i was excited to give near christmas because i felt as though i were giving someone a christmas gift. and that made me feel good.

but not to worry! there is another drive next tuesday, the day before i go home, and even closer to christmas. red meat and leafy greens until then! :)