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Bill Harrier: Blood Donor & Recipient
After organizing several annual Celebration of Life blood drives
for The Joy FM each January and donating blood, it’s different being
on the other side of the bag.
"I was at my computer typing and sneezed real hard … and then went to
the bathroom, looked in the toilet and it was all blood. I told my wife,
Cheryl, that I had a problem. When she saw all the blood, she told me we were
leaving for the ER immediately. At the hospital they diagnosed me with
internal bleeding. For the next 18 hours I continued to pass a large amount of
blood. My blood count got down to 9.3. My doctor had ordered blood if my
level dropped below 9.5. I, who had been a donor of blood, became that day a
recipient of a unit of blood. My blood count did get back above 10, but was
at 9.7 when they released me after several days of tests. I did not realize the
weakness and lightheadedness that could come – but I did lose quite a bit, and
they were prepared for a 2nd unit I was told."
"It’s different being on the other side of the bag...and to be home.
Thank you donors for making sure blood was there when I needed it most."
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