I’m feeling  a bit giddy this afternoon. No, I haven’t been on the booze… I went to the vampires this morning. Not the ones with pointy teeth that only come out at night, the ones from the Welsh Blood Service, who give you biscuits and tea in exchange for the red stuff.

Having failed to manage to bleed fast enough the last time I went, I was determined to improve my chances of success this time. So, when I got up this morning, I started drinking water and got through a couple of litres over and above my usual tea and coffee consumption by the time I went along. I was, therefore, quite surprised to be given another pint of water to drink on my arrival (it’s a new approach, apparently).

It all did the trick and I was able to manage a full donation today, although I have been left with quite a headache… I think my electrolytes are a bit out of balance!

It has got me thinking, however, about how important it is for me to give blood successfully. I was really upset when I failed last time, despite the fact that it had no negative consequences for me There was quite a wait to donate, but even so, when I checked, I found that blood stock levels for my blood type are low.

Anyway, I came away feeling quite hopeful – clearly there are lots of people out there who are altruistic and want to do something good without receiving a direct benefit. Perhaps there is hope for us human beings after all.