Giving of Myself on Christmas Eve, Fortunately

BEING A BLOOD DONATOR, and having a rare blood type, is a grand adventure. I became a blood donor forty years ago, but for some reason, only a few years ago did anybody notice that my blood is "anti CMV negative", meaning that it is virus free. Thus my blood is suitable for transfusion into infants. The same is true of my platelets. A person can donate platelets every two weeks, and they have a short shelf life. My Christmas Eve consisted of lying on my back for two hours, while my blood was circulated in and out of my body, through a machine, through a long transparent tube right in front of me, watching my own blood, and platelets were scooped up and removed, later to be injected into somebody else. In this case, an infant in another state. The thirty mile drive over there, knowing what I was going to do, what I had to do, must've been a bit stressful, because my BP was up a bit, but, who cares. And yes the needle hurts going in, everytime, and its weird looking at a long plastic tube full of my own blood, thinking how much of my blood is outside my body. I had had no intention of spending my Christmas eve this way, but it turns out to be the best Christmas eve of my life, and there've been many a good one. One year I was sick with a flu like illness Christmas eve while American astronauts arbited the moon (1968?), and miraculously, on christmas morning, I was perfectly well! I thought it was amazing at the time, and I think so now. Usually when I donate platelets I feel a little sluggish afterward, and I have no endurance exercising for a day or two. This time, I noticed no such effects. It went smooth as silk, and was a totally pleasant experience. Perhaps that's the lord's reward for going in on Christmas eve. Whatever little kid gets my platelets is going to get a lot better, real fast. I'll be back there in two weeks to spew out more. Of that I am certain. I have high powered, antibody rich blood platelets, and it (my stuff) will kick some butt in bringing anergy and health to their recipient. What a crazy feeling. Simultaneously, how fortunate, for me.