It's OK

I went for my bloodwork Thursday. I go to the same place every week, a medical center between Mt. Joy and Elizabethtown.

They are finally all getting to know me at the medical center. In the big picture that's probably not a good thing. But for someone in my position, it's a good thing.

Typically you hand over your doctor's orders to a receptionist who ask you to have a seat in the waiting room. The receptionist puts the order in the pile for the admissions folks. The admissions folks eventually call you over to review all your billing and insurance information. Then the admissions people escort you back to a second waiting room and place your orders in the pile for the nurses.

Eventually a nurse calls your name and it's back to the area where the blood is drawn.

But since I'm there every week. And since they've gotten to know me. They point me directly back to the second waiting room and hustle the doctor's order straight to the nurses.

The nurses, of course, know me too. And they've learned how to hit my crazy veins with one stick.

I was informed today that the small "butterfly" needles could not be used on me anymore. The nurses were ordered to cut costs. A regular needle, the nurse said, only costs five cents, while the butterly needle costs five dollars.

It's the economy, the nurse told me. "We were told to help cut costs or forget about raises," she said.

Now that's the reality of free enterprise in health care.

But it didn't matter. She still got me with one stick and I was on my way.

On my way out I noticed a very nervous looking little girl and her mother. Her mother called out to me, "Sir. Sir. She wants to know if it hurts. She has to do it next."

I stopped and smiled broadly at the little girl. Boy, she sure did look nervous, nervous and afraid. She looked at me for an answer.

I bent over and spoke to her softly.

"It will be OK. These nurses are really good at this. It didn't hurt me one bit. You'll be just fine. I promise you."

I didn't stick around to see how she made out. I hoped I assured her a little bit at least.