164: 7.3 Hello, goodbye

It was a busy on-call shift a few days ago. I was in ED trying to fight the fires. It was one of those days where patient were lined up in the corridor as were the fleets of ambulances outside. There were various sights and sounds as well as all types of smells. I had one patient to take care of before I had to go the ward. Poor guy, he seemed fine - but as part of the workup, I had to take blood from him in three separate occasions.

Thankfully, he was well hydrated and had prominent veins in his arm. Beside him, holding his hand was his wife. "We have been married 50 years!" they said when I asked. Every time I had to go to his cubicle with my venepuncture kit I feel remorse. "So sorry sir, but I have to take another blood test." He didn't mind it at all, and took all the sharp pokes like a champion, complete with a smile.

As I was finishing his last set of bloods, his wife turned to me and said, "You have been the best."
A little bit confused, I asked, "What do you mean?"

"He says he doesn't feel a thing when you poke needles into him. He usually feels it. You must be very good. Thank you so much."

"Thank you for the compliment but really it is thanks to his veins rather than my abilities."

I waved goodbye and set off to the ward. Enroute I thought, all those practice sessions with plastic arms in medical school did pay off afterall!