Working in a small town is great! You become familiar with patients, and eventually start calling each other on a first name basis. The drawback? They become over familiar with you and start making peculiar requests.
It’s usually busier on a Monday morning than any other mornings during the week. I’ll call my next patient “Jane” to keep it private.
Jane is a nice elderly lady with pure white hair and a cheerful smile. She has always been pleasant. One day as I was drawing her blood, she made a really odd request.
To give it a little background. I live across the street from the hospital I work in which happens to be on main street facing the highway. Jane lives behind me in a community housing/apartments separated by a row of really tall evergreen trees. She asked if I can cut my row of trees so she can see main street. I understand she doesn’t have much of a view through her apartment windows. I politely declined her absurd request. Then she insisted that all she needs is a hole so she can peek through and watch the road.
I told her that she really can’t see much because my house is in the way, plus I like to mow in the nude (jokingly of course to hopefully discourage her). She just calmly said “That’s okay. There is really anything I haven’t seen before.”
I always wonder if anyone else ever had a peculiar request from patients. Small town charm, but I can’t ever see myself asking anyone to cut down trees so I can see cars or whatever she wants to see.
Submitted by:
Rodney Lopez
Laboratory Technician
Florida, USA
