As a free person

I have been asked by my wife to help her to draw blood from a few patients twice a month. It was the very first day today. As promised, I arrived at her office at 9:30 in the morning. It has been almost 20 years since she started her own practice in a building close to a railway station as well as to the med school hospital where we served our residency. Checking the syringes etc for venipuncture, I was looking around the small clinic. It has become a neat and comfortable place. In a few years since I started my own at different place, I told her to get hers started there. We have designed the layout and the interior etc by ourselves. She has added a lot of things to the original since then.

She used to employ a nurse some time ago, who was very good at drawing blood. Since she quit her job at her clinic, my wife asked the other clinic to do the lab test necessary for her patients. But it has been much inconvenience to the patients. That's why she decided to do the lab test at her clinic. The arrow of honorable blood drawer position shot me.  

In some 20 minutes, the first patient was called in. Venipuncture was successful. However, I have failed with the 2nd one. Though his blood vessel was large enough, I could not puncture it. I don't know why. My wife has comforted me saying his vessel wall was a bit hard to be penetrated. Yes, she has done it successfully later. I was supposed to do the procedure to another patient. I have, however, given it up and quit there. It seemed it had been a pretty tough procedure for my wife. But I was sure she would do better than me. I have fired myself for this honorable position.

It was a peaceful mildly overcast day. Warm and peaceful. I remembered it had been over 15 years since I often did blood drawing at the own clinic. I have lost the technbique of the procedure. Blood drawing is a kind of pediatrician's speciality. I used to do the procedure for VLBW infant when I was working at a med school hospital. The vessels were much smaller in caliber than those of grown ups . Again, I realized my days of being a doctor had been over. Without any depressing feeling, I understood that evident fact again. I have stepped out to a new phase of life.

At an electrical item shop, I have ordered a new stereo which my wife had wanted for some time. She deserves that for her busy work. It is a high tech audio system with digital amplifier. My wife may listen to good flute music with that audio system.

On the way back home, I drove beside the ancient tomb named Bentenzuka, which I posted about in this blog earlier. It still stood quietly in the same way as before surrounded with watered rice paddies. It is the way I commuted to my own office as a busy doctor. Now, I was driving the same way as a free person. Or as a free house husband.