This is here as much as a way of keeping this within memory as anything else. I donated blood today, as I do every eight weeks and one of the nurses noted that I was CMV Negative, or what they call a baby blood donor. I knew the baby blood part-they'd told me a few years ago-and even told me why, but since my usual habit is to gorge on BBQ, then sleep for three hours after donating, the technical explanation was always gone from my memory.
Today, I jotted down CMV- on some of the informational material and after a lunch of burnt ends from Arthur Bryant's, looked it up. It means I've never been infected with cytomegalovirus. For most people with healthy immune systems-like me-CMV is no big deal. For people without a normal immune system, it's a problem. This would include newborns and HIV+ individuals, among others.
If you're reading this and are eligible to donate, do so. And reward yourself with some burnt ends. The pic is actual burnt ends from Bryant's, just not the ones I ate. Comes with Wonder Bread and what seems to be a jar of pickles. I've learned to not get the fries, as much as I like 'em, because then I'm bloated for a week.
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