Been to the blood bank yesterday to donate blood. Quick test showed I could not donate this time. Iron was at 134 but must be 135 or above to donate. It’s probably due to surgery I had last month, and now i’ve been advised to wait 6 months. Somehow It makes me feel a bit sad and guilty.
Don’t feel guilty! They’re just being extra careful because they want you and the people you donate to to be safe. Being unable to donate due to surgery recovery doesn’t surprise me at all - I once got turned away because I hadn’t gotten checked up at the doctor a few weeks after a nasty (but luckily very superficial) scooter accident. I felt fine but they just wanted my body to focus on repairing itself first.
In this case the saying is true: you (quite literally) cannot pour out of an empty cup.
Rest up, head back when you can, and hopefully they give you some snacks!
This summer was a good example. It was very hot outside, they refused everyone that not drank at lease one cup of water before donating.
There is plenty of snacks and drinks to choose from and you can take as much as you want/feel you need