12) The Early Morning Edition

Thursday

El Milagro: When I got here this morning at 5:40 am, the place was already jumping. I got hooked up in chair #17 by Rosie and almost immediately went back to sleep. (I¹m on first shift today so I could present at a TCFV conference this afternoon.) When I woke up at 9:15 Rosie was checking my machine and I ventured, "This would be perfect if there was coffee and breakfast served now". She laughingly replied, "You slept through the taco man. He comes every morning." Darn!

Upon observation (after waking up), I notice there are lots of men here on this first morning shift; and at least 7 of them could be workers. I only see a few women. Every chair is occupied. Phyllis stops by and, when I ask about her being here early, she tells me she gets here before 5:30 am and works until 5:30 pm. three days a week. Rosie was my tech today and she stuck me further up my arm than I¹ve ever been stuck: it was painless (without numbing medicine) even now, 3 hours later.

At the end of my session, as Rosie was de-cannulating me and I was tightly holding the gauze over my punctures, she mentioned that this chair (on first shift) is open and it could be mine if I want it. She continued that if I like it here early I should tell them I want this chair. I asked her hesitantly, "What happened to the person who left this chair? Did they die?". She replied with a chuckle, "So, you don¹t want a chair with bad mojo, huh? Well, the woman who sat here transferred to another shift... and we¹re happy she¹s gone cause she was trouble. You¹re no trouble so we¹d like to have you sitting here." Aha! She has her own agenda: getting easy old me into her section. I replied I would check it with work and Liz and get back to them. By the time I left, they had told Phyllis and she had stopped by to say it is okay with her if I change shifts. So, something new to consider after I've only been here 5 weeks. Originally staff had said that first session chairs hardly ever open up unless someone dies.

Data Notes: In @ 72.7 Kg and out @ 70.5 Kg.