Loose Parts by Dave Blazek for July 01, 2020

Count me in…

I’ll have to get a blood test next week. I wonder how much those vampires are going to take ?

she knows that drawing blood can sometimes be a real drac…

Um, no. Just give me my cookie and apple juice, and I’m outta here.

Phlebotomists are often jokingly referred to, by each other, and the medical staff, as “vampires.”

Not usually in front of patients… but my friend who went through EMT training called them that.

Now I’m friendly with the lab director at the medical center where I go, and she does too.

Not all phlebotomists are the same….watch out for the fanged and caped ones….

Not much point to a mask that doesn’t cover the schnozz.

The needle shouldn’t be in the puppet’s hand, but rather protruding from its mouth.

Zykolc, the Greater New York Blood Program generally doesn’t give out doughnuts when you donate (or doughnate). It’s packaged chips, pretzels, Oreos and Lorna Doones. On the upside, they seldom object to your taking a couple of extra packets with you when you leave.

I usually come in and say, in my best Henny Youngman, “Take my blood…please.”

Except those little suckers don’t know when to stop!

That’s no phlebotomist. That’s my lawyer.

As a blood donor, let me say: that image is about 4 decades out of date. That tourniquet is more appropriate when drawing blood for a test, not a blood donation, you always recline while donating (at least partially), there’s an extra mini-bag on the donation kit so blood can be draw for on-the-spot tests ….

Also, in 2020 we all know that surgical masks are always worn over the nose. Today, the donor would also have one, and up until this year the phlebotomist would not generally have worn one at all.

I can’t see that as an improvement. Maybe more truthful.