Dee and I donate blood every three months. Dee prefers donating at Siriraj Hospital.

Almost every time we go, Dee's blood pressure ends up slightly above the donation limit. Usually it's because we've had to walk quite a distance, and she gets nervous about whether she'll be allowed to donate.

Because of that, we've occasionally bent the rules a little. I would have my blood pressure checked first and keep the result slip, then quietly hand it to Dee. After that, I would fill out the forms and have my own blood pressure measured again.

I know that this isn't the right thing to do, and I understand that the screening process exists for safety reasons.

That said, we always pay attention to Dee's overall health. If there were any real concerns or signs that her health wasn't in good condition, we wouldn't even consider doing something like that. Fortunately, her health has been good so far.

Still, looking back, it's one of those things that probably wasn't the smartest idea, even if it came from wanting to help her donate.