Do you know the saying “YOLO,” you only live once? Things in life can be hard to do because you do not know what it is like. 

On March 3, Lakeland High School had its annual blood drive. Many people volunteered to help donate blood and keep the process moving smoothly. 

“This was my first time donating blood, I did not know what to expect,” Rylee Dragon said. 

The people working there tried to make it fee comfortable, and it helped to calm down and think about how they knew what they were doing.

“I did not feel like anything was going to go wrong, nothing went wrong, and I will definitely do it again,” Dragon said.   

Personally, this was my first time donating blood ever. Before this, I had never had a blood draw and was nervous. 

I had no idea what to expect. Many friends and family had given blood and shared various stories. 

I talked to Mr. Viera about the process and signing up the week before the blood drive. I was very hesitant at first. What was it going to be like? Does the needle hurt? What if I passed out? 

I put those questions aside and decided I would do it. My mom is a nurse and she assured me that it would not be as bad as I was thinking. 

Fast forward to a few days before the blood drive, I was getting nervous, but stayed focused on making sure I was eating the right food and my iron levels were good. 

When it came to the day I was heavily considering bailing. I heard people talking about the needle being massive and how it was not pleasant. 

I had signed up to help students sign in and get ready for when they went to donate blood. Watching them get ready and seeing most of the process really calmed my nerves. The students that were currently donating were very calm and I thought to myself that maybe I am overthinking this. 

The day went by very quickly, and before I knew it, my appointment was right around the corner. When I arrived at the gym, my heart started beating faster. After I signed in I relaxed and tried to calm my heart down, although when they called my name my heart sank. 

It was time, they were checking my iron levels and if I was eligible to donate blood. 

Sure enough, I was more than capable of donating blood. At this point, I was calmed down and ready to do this. 

The process went by slowly but quickly. Before I knew it, I was hooked up and I was donating blood. While sitting there, I realized how much I overthought this; the process was way calmer than I thought. 

My job was to relax my arm and make sure I was squeezing a stress ball every five seconds to help the process go faster. 

Within an hour, I had finished the process and it was done. I did not expect the blood donation to be like that. 

The people who worked there were very nice. They were attentive and made sure that you felt comfortable. You had to stay around 15 minutes after the donation to make sure that you were in good condition.

I was glad that I made the decision to donate my blood because it was going toward a great cause. I did not know what it was like, but I do know and I would happily do it again.