Take my blood... PLEASE!

I decided this morning to donate blood. I logged online to my account to set up a good appointment time. (10am) Then, I trotted my happy ass to the blood center. Which, thankfully, is only 3 miles away.

They check my ID at the door and I'm immediately whisked away for history taking and iron measurement. Iron passes, no problem. After all the pre-requesit, "have you had sex with anyone who has had sex with a donkey in the last 12 months", etc. etc. ad nauseum. They get to the big one... "have you been out of the US or Canada in the last three years". Yes, multiple times.

Okay where ? Paris and Rome last year for a week each. (girl checks list... that's not a problem).

What else ? Um... Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (checks list again) Where in Mexico?
Playa del Carmen. (checks list again) Oh! There it is. (glares at me) You can't donate for a full year.

WHAT?! I've been to cancun before and they said I could donate... AND I visited the Mayan Ruins on my trip. This time all I did was ride in a van to a resort and drink pina coladas and watch a friend get married.

Sorry... you can't donate for a year.

*sigh*

Five minutes (and no cookies) later I'm back in my car. I'm off the list until next year. Which, is really too bad. The blood centers here are on critical for Type O blood. And, they just rejected a type O patient.

At least I tried, eh ?