A big thank you to all blood donors

In January 2009, I was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery followed with chemotherapy. Life was uncertain and scary for my husband, our family and me. I was determined to make the best of a difficult situation and submit my body to the harsh drugs that have many side effects but gave me a promise of hope for a future.

Extreme fatigue starts to set in as cancer cells are destroyed along with a lot of my healthy cells that the body needs to function to its top performance. The CBC (complete blood count) consists of WBCs (white blood count) that help us fight infection, and RBCs (red blood cells) carry oxygen to all of our cells that gives us our energy and the platelets allow our blood to clot. These were getting depleted even though I was receiving a lot of injections to keep my WBCs and RBCs up and make me feel better.

After my third round of "chemo," the blood counts went even lower, with the doctor suggesting that I needed platelets and two units of blood. I was unprepared to hear that but didn't want to run into major problems, so off I went to the hospital to be typed and cross matched (to make sure the blood that I would receive was compatible with mine) for blood transfusions.

While I was receiving a unit of platelets, I started to wonder about the person who took the time to donate this blood product. The next day I went back to the hospital, and there were two other people there with cancer who were also waiting to receive blood to help them feel better while fighting cancer.

As I started to watch the blood of a stranger work its way up the tubing and enter my body and the bodies of the people sitting next to me, once again, I started to think about who were these strangers so willing to give to others and thanked them out loud for their "Gift of Life."

The next day was an unbelievable day for me. I was feeling so much better and looked so much better, as my skin had a new "pink glow" to it. Once again, I thanked the strangers for their "gifts." Feeling so much better and having a newfound source of energy, my husband and I decided to pack up our motor home and head to the beach for a few days of much needed and deserved R&R before starting my next and hopefully last rounds of chemo.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you that donate your blood to help others. You truly make a difference with your precious gift.

God bless you all.

Carol Trayer

Brooksville