Archive Part 2

        I tell this nurse that no--the surgeon had meant not to use the right arm for bloodwork, iv's, blood pressure readings.  Even if the chances may be less after time has passed, why take a chance on the likelihood of developing edema. There is discussion among them as to how to procced, but no one wants to get involved it seems. Elizabeth attributes the failure to the fact I was lying down, thereby making it hard to insert the line. Someone else added dehydration for the pre-procedure. Another mentioned getting a vein finder, but no one moved. It's now getting close to procedure time .

     Somewhere midst this scenario, a man in green scrubs enters the room and says he will be the anesthesiologist. He is talking, back turned, addressing the computer. Sorry, I can't hear what you're telling me, I say. His answer is "That doesn't matter, it's not important anyway."  He later says he was joking, his expression having been hidden by his mask. The  audience of nurses is  present. I also didn't respond , not knowing who he was talking to, when he said "Open jaw."  After his meaning was  established, I said I wasn't used to hearing "jaw." It's usually open your "mouth" so they can see if there's room to shove something in there if necessary. 

    The consensus seems to be this is too difficult, all the reasons why my arm is not a good candidate for an i.v. I say last time a nurse, Christian, inserted the i.v. with no difficulty. Christian was not in today.  No "vein finder"equipment.  What to do!!!

    Enter Dr. Viterbo, as the surgery time was overdue.  A nurse said, "If he can't do it, nobody can." I would disagree, I know others who have and no doubt can. But anyway, Dr. V., surrounded by a troupe of apparent groupies, aims a needle at the inside of my  wrist, where are the veins not usually explored. Blood spurts out, all atop the sheet and down my arm; somebody takes the sheet away, and somebody swabs off my wrist, later washing off my id band.  After he has succeeded , I comment to the  group of at least 4 nurses gathered at the front of the room that they should have observed him so they'd know how. Surprisingly they all laughed. 

     But as far as I know, all went as well as possible with recommended surveillance repeat in one year.