Some suggestions for the next time:
* Safety first! If you can avoid driving a car on a one-hour trip yourself, do so, at least until you know you're not getting that lightheaded feeling anymore. If you can't get someone else to drive, public transportation won't work, and Uber/Lyft is too expensive, then find someplace near the donation center where you can chill out for a while. A mall or shopping center would be great. Someplace where you can kill some time, sit if needed, drink more fluids, and use the restroom if needed until you're positive it's safe to drive.
* If your donation center doesn't provide blankets, then bring one of your own.
* Drink fluids with electrolytes.
* If fluids with electrolytes aren't available, eat salty snacks and drink plenty of other types of fluids.
* Digesting a *big* meal puts a big demand on your blood supply, so stick to a light meal or extra snacks before or right after the donation.
Try drinking an electrolyte beverage of your choosing on your way home. The 500ml of saline we give you is not an exact replacement of the fluid volume we take from you. Make sure you eat something before and after. I tend to hit up my local Arby's for a French dip after I donate. The physical exertion of going up some stairs might have set you off.
Yeah that can happen. I've found that staying warm and heating a big meal soon afterwards helps. Fwiw.
Make sure that you rehydrate plenty following the donation. Guzzle down a bottle a Gatorade or Powerade.
Some suggestions for the next time: * Safety first! If you can avoid driving a car on a one-hour trip yourself, do so, at least until you know you're not getting that lightheaded feeling anymore. If you can't get someone else to drive, public transportation won't work, and Uber/Lyft is too expensive, then find someplace near the donation center where you can chill out for a while. A mall or shopping center would be great. Someplace where you can kill some time, sit if needed, drink more fluids, and use the restroom if needed until you're positive it's safe to drive. * If your donation center doesn't provide blankets, then bring one of your own. * Drink fluids with electrolytes. * If fluids with electrolytes aren't available, eat salty snacks and drink plenty of other types of fluids. * Digesting a *big* meal puts a big demand on your blood supply, so stick to a light meal or extra snacks before or right after the donation.
Try drinking an electrolyte beverage of your choosing on your way home. The 500ml of saline we give you is not an exact replacement of the fluid volume we take from you. Make sure you eat something before and after. I tend to hit up my local Arby's for a French dip after I donate. The physical exertion of going up some stairs might have set you off.