So i go in to have some blood drawn today...

**Times Roman** · 08-17-2012, 06:21 PM

for my Hep C test. I'm asking the lady what gauge needle is that? Looks a little small to be an 18ga.

Now, no disrespect to Phillipinos. Not my intent. But this phillipino lady says, NO it is the "regular size".

I say... Regular size? What size is that?

Then she AGREES with me, by saying, yeah, that size.

At this point, I feel like Scooby Doo doing a double take.

Now, please understand, this is supposed to be a college educated individual. Maybe not a 4 year degree, maybe only a tech school grad, not sure. But definately much more than a simple HS grad diploma, ya know?

I let it go at this point for two reasons....

1) she has a very sharp needle in my arm, and if i make her flustered, then it's all on me
2) see #1 above

I understand the communication gap. but it was a technical question about something she does very routinely, every day.

Or am I being... "obtuse"?

**Ares101** · 08-17-2012, 06:24 PM

Yea that's Messed up, I would have been like here you know what I'll just do this myself with the "regular" size needle... Wtf is the regular size?

**Times Roman** · 08-17-2012, 06:29 PM

well, i asked since bass and i have been talking about self bleeding. i was going to go that route until i found a viable alternative. but i was still curious about the needle size if i ever had to go that route and do it myself.

I remember interviewing accountants and asking, during the interview, a very simple question, like... what is the definition of a debit. when someone really doesn't know, they give you all kinds of examples and stories of what debits do, and take much time doing it. a bullseye would be a debit is an entry in the journal on the left side. duh! she seems the type that is the former, not the latter, which kind of makes me wonder how she got hired over at kaiser?

**gixxerboy1** · 08-17-2012, 06:31 PM

duh regular size is bigger then the smalls and smaller then the large ones

**AXx** · 08-17-2012, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

for my Hep C test. I'm asking the lady what gauge needle is that? Looks a little small to be an 18ga.

Now, no disrespect to Phillipinos. Not my intent. But this phillipino lady says, NO it is the "regular size".

I say... Regular size? What size is that?

Then she AGREES with me, by saying, yeah, that size.

At this point, I feel like Scooby Doo doing a double take.

Now, please understand, this is supposed to be a college educated individual. Maybe not a 4 year degree, maybe only a tech school grad, not sure. But definately much more than a simple HS grad diploma, ya know?

I let it go at this point for two reasons....

1) she has a very sharp needle in my arm, and if i make her flustered, then it's all on me
2) see #1 above

I understand the communication gap. but it was a technical question about something she does very routinely, every day.

Or am I being... "obtuse"?

Wow, we use 10ga needles for chest decompressions, there is nothing regular size about that needle. So no I wouldn't say you were being "obtuse".

Rut ro raggy!!!!

**Shol'va** · 08-17-2012, 06:36 PM

Yeah it's like Bill Clinton on his deposition..Well it all depends on what is is....and lol at TR I hadn't heard the word obteuse since Shawshank Remption.

**Times Roman** · 08-17-2012, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by gixxerboy1

duh regular size is bigger then the smalls and smaller then the large ones

well, like i said, she obviously has a college education in this area, so thanks for the technical interpretation! =)

**AXx** · 08-17-2012, 06:37 PM

Honestly TR from a blood draw standpoint she uses the same vaccutainer style needle everyday. She should know

**gixxerboy1** · 08-17-2012, 06:42 PM

but when i get mine drawn its a small pin usually 23-25 gauge by the looks

**Times Roman** · 08-17-2012, 06:44 PM

^^ i prefer the garden hose size as I'm in and out fast.

...now if only they would put a drive through window in at Kaiser????

**Rwy** · 08-17-2012, 07:03 PM

sounds like a senior citizen who is starting to get set in there ways lol

just kidding!!

**Times Roman** · 08-17-2012, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Rwy

sounds like a senior citizen who is starting to get set in there ways lol

just kidding!!

no, i'm probably older than her. she looked mid 40's.

hey waitaminute, R U refering to me?

ahem....

...don't make me run over yer gawdam toes with my wheel chair!

**lovbyts** · 08-17-2012, 07:43 PM

LOL trust me, she understood you perfectly. She was blowing you off thinking you don't know shit or she didn't care. I am with one remember? I haveneet many who ate that way who are local living in the US.

Even when I mention I have been there it means nothing until I rattle off a few of the local market places and provinces I have been then its a whole different story.

Yeah many ate very anti social or just rude but it seems to be some auto defense system they have. I still have not gotdten use to it either.

The places I go are not the typically tourism spots so when I meantion them their eyes light up. Most will even comment saying NO! even many locals wont go there because its a rough place or not nice. Yeah I know but I like the people and this or that and everything changes.

I did this with a lady dealer in Reno not long ago who was obviously having a bad night and pretty dry to the guys trying to hit on her or make conversation until I cut in with my line. She was my best friend after that. LOL

**mockery** · 08-17-2012, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

no, i'm probably older than her. she looked mid 40's.

hey waitaminute, R U refering to me?

ahem....

...don't make me run over yer gawdam toes with my wheel chair!

is your waxing place in the same medical building? *chuckles* ha!

**Vettester** · 08-17-2012, 08:03 PM

TR, sounds about right, very few of these people seem to know what they're really doing. "Regular" is the standby answer to get patients to shut up. Way back when (Kaiser days, you know about them ...), I had a nurse actually pull test cyp with an 18g, then want to shoot it in the glutes. She tried to convince me that the needles were permanent and could not be changed out to a finer gauge. Had another one pin me at the bottom of my ass cheek, and I swear I've had sciatic problems ever since.

**SEOINAGE** · 08-17-2012, 08:11 PM

You know that sounds a bit scary, and I am constantly worried about this kind of thing, I never assume the person knows what they are doing and half the nurses I run into taking care of my wife when we go in just are scary because they don't sound like they know what they are talking about.

So I had an appointment today for a follow up, and couldn't get my normal nurse, it turned out to be kind of a waste of an appointment, my old nurse would be a 10 out of 10 on knowledge of trt, and doing her homework and making sure she was prepared for me before I came in, this one was a 1 out of 10 on that same assessment.

I also hate to be rude, but half these nurses obsess over Dr Oz, and my mother in law who is in process of taking her test to become an RN, which she failed the first time, and has no clue about anything, I know rude, but she will be another one of these people that don't sound like they know what they are talking about and scare the crap out of anyone that has a clue.