From time to time, we at YesButNoButYes forgo the pictures of boobies, and fart jokes, and tales of monkeys, to get a bit serious and bring your attention to an important issue. (No, not that my 30th birthday is a few short months away and you only have about four months to shop for me, though you were right in assuming that's an important issue.) A few weeks ago, I found out a good friend of mine was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The disease is pretty nasty, and unfortunately my friend's situation has become dire. He needs a bone marrow transplant desperately to fight the cancer and stay alive. And so, I'm recommending that each of our readers check out the National Marrow Bone Donation Center and learn about the disease. Donate some cash to the cause, or sign-up to be an actual donor.
I'll be the first to admit, I hesitated to sign-up. I'm not exactly "good" with needles, and the thought of going through the procedure (which I'm told is virtually painless) was not exactly fun. But then I thought about saving my friend's life. And also all the tail I'd get telling chicks in bars that I saved a life. So I ordered my testing kit, which is nothing more than a quick swab of a q-tip on my inner cheek.
Consider this slight guilt trip over.
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I worked with a guy who was a donor. I'm registered. I think they registered me when I was giving blood at some point.
Good luck to your homie.
Rock on E. Thanks!
I'm registered too. Did it last year.
It's easy to do so, they just swab your cheek and the government takes you DNA and matches it with all known criminals and terrorists.
Wait, they just swab your cheek and you're done. If one day you're a match, the needle kicks in.
I'm registered. I would love to be a donor... you know, save somebody's life and then I can be all super heroish and crap. That would be cool.
I actually have slightly interesting blood, so I donate regularly. I used to be terrified of needles until I had to donate platelets about 20 years ago for my dad when he had cancer. They took blood out of one arm, ran it through a machine to separate the platelets, and then put it back in the other arm. It wasn't as bad as I though it would be, so I kind of got in the groove of giving blood. That, and they pester the hell out of me to donate.
Yeah. Giving blood is mostly painless, just don't watch when they put the needle in and your cool. It hurts about as much as being pinched at the point of insertion, after that you don't feel anything, even when they take it out. Giving blood has always been cool to me cause when the blood bank comes to your place of business, you get off work for a bit and chill out, help people, build karma, and you sleep a little harder that night, which if you are insomniac like me is nifty.