It's Murphy and his stupid laws.

So yesterday I had the chance to do my part and donate blood to the American Red Cross. It's always for a good cause, but this time it was especially fotrtuitous because it was being held by my apartment complex. Those who were able to donate would be able to enter their name in drawing for one month of paid rent. What's that? One month paid rent? Sign me up!
Also, I'm a loyal blood donor. I actually enjoy donating my blood. I even have my little red card that has my name on it and blood type and all the other bits of information on it that is required when you go to donate for the American Red Cross. It's something I am quite proud of actualy. I am able to donate and so therefore I do so with honor. And by golly they like me at the donation sites. They take one look at my arm with the tourniquet wrapped tightly around it and they all say the same thing.
"WOW!"
Yep, I have GIANT veins. Giant! With the tourniquet on my arm, I've heard you can see my veins from space! Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but seriously they are huge. I'm a phlebotomist, and when in class for phlebotomy, I was everybody's favorite pin cushion. You simply can't miss hitting my great big, ol' blue veins.

Not to mention that I have never been turned away. Ever. I am a good donor. I meet all the requirments and pass all the tests. I've never lived in a foreign country for more than four months, I've never lived with anybody from a third world country and I've never had malaria, I've never had a tattoo...blah, blah, blah...

So when I found out we could earn the chance to win a month of free rent, I jumped at the chance. I was as sure of my donating as I am sure the day is long. So when I was turned away yesterday for low iron, I was more than a little surprised. How can that be? My iron can't be low! I just had it checked at the doctor's office! Didn't they just test my blood for iron, Vitamin D, and thyroid problems?

Oh I forgot to mention that all those tests came back completely normal. Even my vitamin D came back normal and that's not typical. 9 times out of 10, vitamin D tests come back low. Most people walk around everyday with defficiant vitamin D levels. I'm not saying I'm special or anything! It's just unusual.

Anyway back to the story, So my iron was low and they turned me away for the first time ever. They checked it twice, and yep! It's too low. So the lady who was checking my blood asked me if I was getting enough sleep at night? Has there been any changes in my diet? I'm thinking, "wait a minuet. All these questions are the same questions my doctor just asked me last week. I said no then and I still say no. No changes. I sleep fine, my stress levels have actually gotten better and I eat well everyday. I even take a Flintstone vitamin everyday. Okay, they belong to the kids but hey, they taste good and why not? I know, I know. I need to get my own.

Well when I left there all bummed out, I was wondering. What WAS my blood test results? What were the actual numbers on those blood tests? So I flipped open the phone and called the doctor's office right then. I asked the medical assistant what were the actual numbers of each blood test that was taken just last week?
She gave me the numbers, and she was right. I registered normal for each blood test that was run but wait...what's this? They didn't run Iron?
"No iron test?" I asked.
"No, iron wasn't tested." she replied
Okay, I went in to see the doctor for body aches and chills and fatigue, and of all the tests that were ran, my  iron level wasn't one of them? How can that be? Could I be anemic and not know it? Could I have been fighting off some random cold when I went to the doctor, and I was dehydrated, and maybe even anemic? Do I need to go back to the doctor's office yet again for more blood tests? Should I even bother? I asked the medical assistant what would happen if a person is reported to have low iron results and she replied that the patient just needs to take an over the counter iron suppliment.
Super. That's easy. That's not too hard. Maybe I shouldn't bother wasting hours from my day and open another big ol giant blue vein just to have my iron tested. Adding an iron suppliment to my daily pill planner is as easy as farting in the wind. No big deal.
I just wish I had known this about my iron a few days ago. Maybe then I wouldn't have lost out on free rent for a month. That money, right now, would seriously have come in handy! I have a lot of stuff going on right now that is about to cost me big bucks. The van broke down and I need to either get it fixed or get a new one. I'm probably going to spend a giant chunck of money because I need to find an attorney in Kansas City  that specialises in real estate. Sheesh!

When it rains, it pours, don't you know? This was Murphy's Law in play, that's what this was. This was the God's of Fate smirking, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at me. They must have seen that it was going too smoothly over here for me and decided to send in good old Murphy and his big bunch of stupid laws because now everything is messed up.
Next time I'm gonna.....oh who am I kidding? You never know when Murphy is coming over. He just pops in UNinvited. Nobody can ever plan ahead when it comes to that dick head.

Stupid iron.