The annual bloodlet

I'm up early. I have an appointment for my annual bloodletting at the surgery at 8.10 this morning. As I can only drink water for 8 or so hours before, I'm relieved it's so early. As I've mentioned before, starting the day without the caffeine kick of some tea I find hard going.

We get there a little early. We don't have to wait long before I'm called in.

First she decides to check my blood pressure. Between readings she decides to check my pulse. She can't find it.

"Perhaps it under your watch," she suggests.

I take my watch off. Still no pulse.

She tries my other wrist. No pulse. She's beginning to panic now.

I assure her I am still alive. She's not the first nurse not to be able to find my pulse. I'm more amazed if they can find it. The nurse reassures herself that the machine will have to take it. She generally has more confidence in her own counting but not on this occasion.

She then turns to the blood taking.

"I suppose now you're going to tell me it's difficult to take blood out of you," she comments. I agree.

The first time I had to give blood, after numerous efforts at the surgery they eventually decided I had to go to the hospital. There, after several attempts & advising me that I had nervous veins that take flight the moment a needle comes their direction, they managed to gather a few drops, a fraction of the amount they usually take for the tests. Ever since I've made it a policy of warning people they may have difficulty. Forewarned they usually do better.

Still on this occasion, after a lot of prodding around, the nurse did manage to find a vein & did manage to extract a reasonable quantity. She clearly felt quite chuffed with herself, having achieved what many can't.

I then go through some lifestyle questions, a check of height (I'm shrinking due to the osteoporosis), weight (I've lost some for once), waist measurements, smoking & alcohol consumption (I'm never sure how many units of alcohol there is in a bottle of wine so your guess is as good as mine!) & exercise (minimal. I feel I'm doing a lot just with the odd pottering I do around the house & hauling myself off a chair but I don't think that's what they consider as exercise).

Finally I ask her when the results will be through.

"Oh, you'll get a letter in a few days like the one you had to make this appointment," she blithely tells me.

"What letter?" I ask. "I just made the appointment this time every year as the doctor told me to. I didn't get a letter."

"Oh," she says, "you should have had a letter to remind you."

"I've never had one even though I've had this check for the last few years. So when will the results arrive?"

"If you don't get a letter, you'd best give us a ring later in the week," she suggests.

I expect I'll be ringing.