The cold reality

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The common cold or flu can stop us in our tracks from doing many things, some of which we may not mind, like not being able to work for a day or being too sick to go to the in-laws.

But this current cold I have has gone too far — it stopped me from doing a good deed.

This past Tuesday, I was all ready to give blood at the Morris John Martin Steele VFW post 6049 blood drive through the Grundy County American Red Cross. I even recruited my fellow co-worker Adam Nekola to join me (to his credit he jumped on the opportunity, but since I can’t get props for giving I’m stealing some of his thunder.)

Despite the sneezing and stuffy nose, I went to the drive anyway to let them know my blood was tainted and for moral support for Adam. Secretly I just wanted one of those “Be nice to me, I tried to give blood” stickers.

To my dismay, they did not give me one, but they did let me have one of the delicious snacks donors get once they’ve finished. It was a nice cancellation prize.

Despite the lack of my donation, the drive still produced 12 units of blood, said Ken Buck, executive director of the Grundy Red Cross. With three people being helped from every one unit of blood, that is 36 people who will be helped because of the VFW’s drive, and that is the important part.

It seems I wasn’t the only sick person who had to pass on the good deed Tuesday. Buck said numbers are down all around this month.

“The flu does tend to hurt us, but it’s not usually a major problem. It seems to be hurting us more locally this year,” Buck said. “November and December are usually slow too because of the holidays.”

I was especially eager to give blood this time since it had been a while. I usually try to give as often as possible, and have been that way since high school, but I have been slacking lately.

At least Adam was able to give and, trust me, he had no problem rubbing in his grand gesture.

“She said I have excellent veins and excellent iron count,” he so nicely pointed out to me as I pouted in a chair next to him.

Of course, the nurse had no problem getting into his vein, and he finished in 9 minutes flat. If it had been me, it would’ve been at least 15 minutes, and she probably would have had to switch arms at least once to get a good vein.

I wasn’t the only person disturbed by Adam’s speedy giving.

“He’s beating me!” said Deanute Niehoff, who was giving blood right next to Adam.

Niehoff and her husband, Ron, give blood regularly and have for the last decade.

“It’s good for me, but even better for other people,” Ron Niehoff said after he finished giving in 6 minutes. Take that Adam.

As the saying goes, there is always a need for blood, so as soon as I’m in tip-top shape I’m going to try again.

The next Morris blood drive is at the Grundy Red Cross office, 117 W. Washington St. in Morris, for their regular drive on the second Monday of the month.

To schedule an appointment for the Nov. 9 drive call 815-942-1046. Appointments are not required, but are recommended.

Hopefully I’ll see you there, otherwise I’m going to have to swindle another co-worker into taking my place.

Christina Chapman is a staff writer for the Morris Daily Herald. She can be contacted by calling (815) 942-3221, ext. 2049, or via e-mail at cchapman@morrisdailyherald.com.

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