Save a life: Practically painless

Today I donated blood for the very first time. It was not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. If you have never done it, let me tell you how it went.

1. I made an appointment online.
2. I showed up for my appointment at 9:30. I walked into a blood services building. The donor room was very large and open. From the doorway you could see the receptionist's desk. To the left was a waiting area, directly behind her was the donation area (you can see all of the people donating), and to the right the snack area. After signing in, they gave me a booklet to read about who can and cannot give blood. I sat down and read it. Then I gave it back to the receptionist.
3. Someone in a white coat was watching me to see when I was ready and then took me back to a little room. She asked me for my picture ID, and asked for my SSN, full name, birth date, address, etc. Then she pricked my finger to make sure I had enough... well, I forget what it was... white blood cells, maybe... anyway she put it in a little machine and counted them. She also took my blood pressure, pulse and temp. Then she had me answer some questions on the computer (about my personal habits: sex, diseases, travel, medications, etc.). I notified her when I was done. Then she asked for my name and SSN again. Then she asked me to verify that all of my personal info was correct on her paper. Then, that part was finished and she brought me back out to sit in a chair to wait for a bed to open up. That whole process took about 10 minutes and I waited in the chair for about 2.
4. A woman called me over to a bed. She verified my name and info again. Then she put a blood pressure cuff on me, marked my vein with a marker, washed the area with iodine (you can tell them if you are allergic to it). She had me hold a ball, she poked me, it hurt for a few seconds. I relaxed and was suppose to squeeze the ball gently every 5 seconds. I forgot to do that after a minute. Then 7 minutes and 19 seconds later (apparently, people like to know how long it took them to fill the bag - maybe so they can beat their time next time! - Is that possible?), I was finished. She clamped off the tube, and pulled out the needle (it hurt for 1/2 a second). Then I held gauze to it and held my arm in the air. She wrapped the gauze on with my choice of wrap color (blue), told me what to look for and/or do within the next five hours of the day, and sent me off to the snack area. All during the part where I laid on the bed (which was upright and more like a dentist-type chair), she never left me. She busied herself with things, chatted, and asked me if I was all right.
5. The snack area was a grouping of tables and chairs. there was a counter full of pre-packaged treats: fig newtons, pretzels, trail mix, chocolate chip cookies, Lorna Doone, etc. There was also a fridge full of cans of juice (I had Welch's peach/grape juice) and waters. I sat at a table read over my after-care instruction and ate fig newtons and trail mix and drank my juice. You can have as many treats as you want!
6. That was it! I feel fine, I was never nauseous or dizzy. I can donate again in 56 days.

I donated whole blood. In a month or two I should get a donor card in the mail that has my blood type on it. If I am A or AB (I think those are the two- don't quote me on it) I can give platelets next time. Giving platelets takes much longer (a few hours) and you can do it every 3 days (max: 24 times a year). The platelet donors were set up with movies and headphones.