The Blood Center

I really enjoy every visit when it’s time to donate! The Pasadena location has an AWESOME staff! I always feel welcome and HAPPY! COMMIT FOR LIFE!

If your able, you should… Donate blood to save a life! When I entered everyone was very welcoming and friendly. The process is actually not as time consuming as one may think, on average your out of there in 20min. They sit you down in a room to do a questionare on computer. Next they prick your finger to check your blood iron to see if your eligible for donation, sometimes you may not have a rich iron diet and your Hct maybe too low to donate so if your planning on donating anytime soon, you should eat iron rich foods for the week and make sure to wash it down with OJ as vitamin C assists absorption of iron ;) Also if your a tea drinker its suggested not to that week as tea blocks iron from absorbing. After the vital signs, the paperwork is done, its time! The phlebotomist was reassuring as she preps your arm and your comfortably lying down… I recommend just not looking the entire time so it doesnt hit you! I was texting the entire time I was hooked up, and taking pictures! Its not too bad at all, just get up slowly, you may experience a little vertigo or hypotension. The give you juice and cookies there after and your outta there! The blood drives that are hosted around town may give you t shirts, gift certificates or discounts. The most important thing you get out of this is KNOWING YOU SAVED A LIFE or several… depending how your blood is dispensed, whole or divided into platelets or plasma, so see your doing a good thing! You dont even need an appointment, I just happened to drive by and saw the fairly new location on the way home… Locations all over too!