Last week a friend/colleague at work asked me if I would be interested in joining her for interval training for runners at a nearby fitness center. Since I have not been running or even exercising very regularly I was not quite sure if I was up for such a challenging session on a regular basis. However, as I have been thinking that I really need to get back on the wheel again, I decided that I should at least give it a try.
However, this week I had planned to try giving blood, see a doctor and do a free health check-up (the first and last at campus).
So, on Monday I gave blood. This is only the second time ever that I have given blood. After the first time I pretty much swore I would not do it again as it took me about 1.5 hours to fill the second half of the bag and I was exhausted from it. Still, my friend here has told me stories about how helpful donated blood is and others have said the same. So, I figured I should buck up and give it another try. It went fairly well at first. The bag filled up rather quickly and I was nearly finished within about 10 minutes. The real fun began after the needle was taken out of my arm. I felt the world start to spin and the blood drain from my head as the sound of the world started to disappear. They quickly laid me down and raised up my legs telling me to breathe deeply ten times. I felt better and sat up having some horrible juice. The nurse said I still looked really pale and told me to rest longer. After trying to drink some water, I started to feel faint again and back down horizontal I went. Finally, after another 10 minutes or so I felt mostly normal, but a bit queasy and tired. Luckily, I was able to go home early. Once I got home I still did not feel well and was dizzy every time I stood up. I tried napping, but that did not help. I ate some sweet things as people recommended and that still did not help. I thought there must be a better solution because people give blood all the time and cannot possibly have to waste a day feeling badly afterwards. So, I did a bit of research. The culprit for dizzyness in most cases is low blood pressure, not low blood sugar. Therefore, to increase blood pressure you should eat salty things, not sugary ones. So, I scarfed down a bag of chips and wah-la, I felt great after about 20 minutes. Thus – note to self and anyone else reading this – if you feel dizzy after giving blood, maybe you should have both a cookie and a bag of chips! ๐
Then, yesterday, we went to the Emirates Hospital to see about getting tested for a stomach bacteria called Hย Pylori. It’s a pretty nasty little bacteria that we apparently always have, but a huge number of people have more than they should and do not even realize it. A colleague had it and a number of people he knows have it or had it as well. I had been putting it off to get tested as I felt ‘ok’, but lately I’ve developed a burning sensation when I have spicy food and I feel bloated or gaseous most of the time. The doctor was very nice (best I think I’ve seen here) and so we will go back on Sunday to get the proper testing done.
Finally, today I got a free health checkup to test my BMI, blood sugar level and risk for Type 2 Diabetes. It seems that I am quite healthy. I could shed a few pounds and get my muscle level back up a bit, but it seems I am doing okay, which is a relief. ๐
So, with all this health awareness lately, I have decided that I should get myself back into some kind of shape. Yesterday I went back to the treadmill, this time at work, and walked/ran for 30 minutes. Today was a 30 minute swim. If I start with 30 minutes a day, then I can probably be fitter in the month. ;D
Anyway, I will consider trying to give blood again in three months when it is said to be okay (maybe then I will remember to ask for my blood type) since I got feedback about how good it is to do. If it isn’t better then I may quit, but until then I’ll think positively. ๐
-T ๐
