Some people see the word blood and think, “OK, I like donating blood,” while the rest of you are indifferent or fall into the categories of, “Maybe” or, “Put a needle near me, and I am going to kick you.” With the following first-hand descriptions, myth debunking and overall knowledge provisions, I hope those of you riding the fence, or those barely over the fence, will become blood donors. Donations are always needed, but the summer is exceptionally critical. People are less likely to want to do anything but sit in a pool thanks to heat or they are away on travel. What people unfortunately do not realize is that by the time disaster strikes, be it man made or of mother nature’s desire, it’s too late. The blood needed to quickly aid the needy should have been on the shelf three days ago. Let my input be your guidance to just how quickly you can positively influence someone's life. The following three categories should cover what I think you really should know:

Where to donate.

For starters, my favorite organization to donate is with the American Red Cross. The Red Cross does not pay you for your blood, which I think is awesome because If you’re going to actually donate something, I don’t think you should expect an award. What they don’t pay you they put towards disaster services, such as helping out after floods, teaching first aid classes and showing little kids in your area what to do in case of emergency with things such as the Pillow Case Project.

Blood donations help everyone, not just the recipients themselves, but the families as well. You help save lives with every donation you give, be it whole units, platelets, or double red. Your blood contributions go to trauma victims, cancer patients, babies and so many more worthy individuals. The American Red Cross does not discriminate with who they give your blood to, and you can rest easy at night knowing that you did something wonderful. After you donate, count your blessings that you yourself are healthy enough to not need the donation yourself, and that if you ever did, be grateful for the fact that someone took the time to donate to someone like yourself without knowing anything about you.

Types and requirements.

For each type of donation there are certain requirements (check out the hyperlinks), but overall: be 16 (with parental consent) and in good overall health, (i.e. weight, drug free and not iron deficient).

Whole blood.

This is the easiest donation from a donor standpoint. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes, during which time frame a pint of your blood is extracted with a single need in one arm and then further processed in a lab to guarantee it is suitable for use in future recipients. Sometimes this makes you hungry or sleepy; these are normal “side effects,” but fear not, snacks are provided to donors afterwards. What a perfect guilt-free excuse to eat cookies…

Double reds.

It is in the name. You’ll be hooked up to a pretty cool machine that takes the blood out your arm, filters out the red blood cells and then places the rest of your, uh, blood matter, back into your arm with a bit of saline to help you bounce back quicker.

Platelets.

I absolutely love platelets. In what other context do I get to sit on my butt and help better someone else’s life? You recline in a chair in a donation center for anywhere from 70 to 90 minutes. People with lower platelet counts are going to be more towards the shorter time frame, those with higher will be asked if they’d like to sit longer and give more products. As someone with a really high platelet count, I like to do the maximum: three products. You have a needle for extraction of the life goodies from one arm and a needle with saline in the other arm. During this process, nurses check on you consistently, feed you soda/snacks if you feel weird, and you can watch a movie while nestled under a heated blanket. I’d be lying to you if I said the blanket was not the best part … aside from helping save lives of course!

Tips and tricks.

While the American Red Cross provides a pretty helpful list on their website, I have four suggestions of my own to make your donation process go even more smoothly.

1. The hydration part is key.

It makes the donation process quicker and easier. Hydrated veins are your friend. (Tiny bladder friends, do your hydrating the night before.)

2. Caffeine is NOT bae.

It constricts your veins and makes life a pain for you and the kind nurse not wanting to give you boo-boos.

3. Protein and sugar for breakfast equates to a happy tummy.

My go-to breakfast on a day I donate is a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit paired with something with a pretty decent natural/artificial sugar content.

4. If you start to feel hot, dizzy, spacey or discomfort: SPEAK UP.

I cannot stress this to you enough. The American Red Cross staff is trained in the art of “uh-oh, I don’t feel so good.” Some people react differently every time. It is normal and can be easily prevented if you mention your distress. You’re not weak, you’re intelligent and bodily aware.

Aside from these bodily tips, I can make your ENTIRE donation process so much simpler and more intriguing by providing you three sites the hip to the digital age American Red Cross has brought to the blood donation table:

1. The actual American Red Cross website.

it is always up to date with the latest Red Cross happenings, information, as well as a spot to schedule your next appointment.

2. RapidPass.

If you are short on time or hate clicking computer buttons, download this app to fill out your medical history on the day of your appointment before you show up. You can either print out the bar code or let them scan your phone. Perfect for those of you in a time crunch.

3. Blood app.

This beautiful app lets you do it all: from scheduling appointments, tracking your donations (for blood nerds like me, it is awesome to see which hospital takes my life goodies) and you can even earn rewards. Say whattt?

Please consider taking some time out of your busy life to go donate and save someone else's. If you have any questions, reach out to your local American Red Cross!