I suffered a horrendous wrong the other day……it’s almost to painful to talk about, but I feel in sharing with you all maybe, just maybe this prejudice can be brought to light.

It all started as I was going through the routine screening process before donating blood:

….finger pricked to check iron level: Check
….self- read questions and answers: Check
….read through very boring blood pamphlete: Check
….go to screening nurse for more ahemmmm personal questioning: Check

it was at that final step, before the actual drawing of blood, that I experence a case of reverse beauty prejudice. We had made it through the premilinary questions and were now checking my blood pressure and body temp. Then in the middle of the process the nurse said (to my horror)…”I’m sorry but your to hot to give blood today”!!!!

To hot? TO HOT!!!!

What kind of messed up world do we live in when people can be so cruel to those who happen to be blessed with more visually pleasing proportions then most?? I was so stunned that I couldn’t even speak in my defense! It wasn’t my fault I looked this way…I had nothing whatsoever to do with creating my specfic combinatioin of features. And what right does she have to say my blood is no good because of them???

I slowly made my way to the sitting area…..still trying to absorb what had just happened…. I called a close personal friend and described what I had just been through. She advised me to wait it out….”if your hot, your hot!” she said “the nurse will soon get over her prejudice and let u donate.

And so I waited……5 min……10 min…..15 min……. finally the nurse called me back and resumed the screening process. Neither on of us mentioned what had happened earlier, I can only assume that as she sent me away the first time she was consumed with a strong sense of guilt and that guilt is what forced her to bring me back in.

After the screening I quickly went to donate (I’d had enough of the cruelty….the judging). But unfortunately my body and blood were more sensitive to the harshness of the critisim then i expected, and refused to behave. Both arms recieved cruel jabs with needles and when it was finally time to drain the blood…..nothing came out

Hanging my head I left the clinic….unable to look back…unable to offer even the smallest encouraging smile to the lady waiting by the screening nurse…I knew with her features she to would feel the stinging blade of this cold reality.

. . . . . . . . .but . . . .I guess. .. when your hot you just hot…nothing to do about it.

Disclaimer: the above story is based on reality, however facts may have been altered, and dare I say stretched as is the authors right. Also it may just so happen that the nurse was speaking about the internal temperature of my body not the external……but that doesn’t make a good story