I want to give my blood.........

Really I do want to give blood. Tonight saw my second attempt, my second failed attempt. To be fair I did get further this time. They actually had my details on the system and I made it all the way to the couch where they take the blood but there was a hitch. Before I get to that let me tell you what it was like. I arrived in plenty of time, got registered and was given some information to read. I sat in the waiting area and dutifully read all the information. A guy came and sat next to me and began chatting away about his blood giving history, please tell me I'm not that bad, although I have a feeling I am. I'm called through for a health check and offered a choice of drinks as I'm led to a makeshift cubicle. Everything is thoroughly explained and my health is given the thumbs up. I'm on my way to completing another of my tasks. While sat waiting I look around and all sorts of weird analogies are going through my head. The couches are in rows, neat symmetrical rows. People are laid out on these couches hooked up to bags slowly turning from clear to red. It's like something out of sci-fi horror movie, the only thing that made it seem more like real life were the staff wearing nurses uniforms and not clinical whites from head to toe. I'm called forward and sat on one of those couches. A nurse checked my right arm for a vein, oh this is where the problems began. He asked if he could check the veins in my left arm, sure no problem. The cuff is placed on my arm and he decides to use that one. Ok, in goes the needle, ouch that stung. It's not right and the nurse says he needs to move it slightly and if it hurts I'm to tell him. OUCH that hurt, well he asked to tell him if it hurt. The needle has to come out and he says he needs to get a colleague to check the right arm again for him to see if we can use that one. His colleague comes over and checks but unfortunately my vein will not stay large when the pressure from the cuff is lowered. They are worried my vein will collapse around the needle in my arm so guess what second attempt to give blood failed! I am reassured that when my arm heals I can make another appointment and try again. So that's the story of my donating blood so far. Sorry there's no pictures but it's a bit hard to take them when your on your own and some-one is stabbing you with a sharp needle. Well they may not have got my blood but I got the cuppa an