Donated for the first time and now I'm being told I can’t donate again for at least 3 years
So, I had a really strong reaction after donating today. From the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out, everything was just fine. The nurse told me I had “pretty good” veins in both arms, which was appreciated, and then I filled the bag in five minutes. They brought me something to eat and drink and then I had to wait a couple of minutes until I could go.
After waiting, they told me to walk to the bathroom and back and tell them if I felt bad. I didn’t so they let me walk out. Big mistake, as the moment I left the I started to feel my heart was beating too fast and I started to lose my vision and hearing. As I am dumb, I didn’t think much of it and tried to tough it out but as I started walking again I could feel myself getting weaker by the second. I tried to cross the street and next thing I know I'm on the floor shaking violently, not being able to hear or see properly. I cross the street, as I was laying in the middle of it, and try to find somewhere to seat and I lose consciousness again.
Open my eyes again, somebody is trying to make me lay flat on the floor but I'm still shaking and I can’t understand what is happening, I'm hearing voices but I don't know what they’re asking. I'm in and out of consciousness for a couple of minutes. When I open my eyes again it has been a couple of minutes and a nice stranger is helping me sit down and passing me a bottle of water, another one is on the phone with the emergency services, they asked me if I just donated blood and I'm able to say yes. Somebody else passes me a a bottle of coke and I drink it, and as soon as I do I start to feel better.
The kind strangers stay with me until I'm looking better and I call to the number the clinic gave me in case I felt bad after donating. They tell me a nurse is going to call me back in couple of minutes. I make my way home, I'm still nauseous and my heart is still pounding too fast but I'm able to walk. As I'm on the bus the nurse calls me and as I explained what happened, she tells me its better for me to wait a couple of years before I try again.
I'm just a bit curious, is this a normal reaction? Or I'm just weak. I'm from the UK.
So, this was me trying to do something good. Thank you for reading all that.
