we can relate

In other precious VA news, there was a day when I was walking through the hallways and a little old vet in a wheelchair I was passing by says to me, "Hey, may I see your hand?" And I said, "Sure, but why?" And he says, "Just let me see it." So I gave it to him and he kissed it. That just has to make you smile.

Then the nurses walked me through starting some IV catheters. The first guy I did it on I totally succeeded! He LOVED me. Maybe a little too much. He wanted me to hold his hand during his cataract surgery, but I told him I had other patients to attend to. Then he talked to me about 20 minutes afterward. I enjoyed that, but he hugged me twice and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He had a wife and all, but it almost didn't seem quite right. Almost. Like when you can't tell if someone's intentions are completely innocent, but because they're so old you only want to believe they are. It was fine until he said "When I get my next eye done, maybe you can lie next me during the surgery so I know it'll be ok." That sounded a little over the line. Yeah...sure thing... But he honestly was a sweet old guy.

For the most part the vets are awesome. Tough little old guys who'd have a lot of stories for me if I didn't have to run around after my team all the time. One man had ulcers all up and down his legs. He was so cute; somehow as we were changing his dressings the topic came to music. "I went to Woodstock you know." I said "Now THAT is amazing!" After music chat came alcohol chat. I'm holdin his leg up as my resident is winding an ACE bandage around it and the vet says, "You know what's really good is vodka and watermelon." "Yes sir, it is! Back in college we used to inject the watermelons with vodka!" "Mmmmmm!!!!"

You can't break the vodka-melon bond.