Have A Sense Of Humour

Today I went for a brain scan.  Not my first, it is my fourth or fifth.  I suppose they are making sure the wheel is still moving, or at least the hamster is still breathing.

It is a very simple process, you go in they inject you with the radioactive material (you don't get any special powers from it, I wish I could at least fly), wait 45 minutes, and then they lay you down, pop your head into a machine while it circles and takes pictures for about 15mins.  Very simple.

My theory is whether you are in a horrible mood, if you are going into the doctors or know you are going to get a needle, or have a medical procedure you do not piss anyone off.  Go in with a good attitude and remember your manners and it seems to work.  However, today it seems that I ran into everyone that was lacking a sense of humour.

I had my mother with me, and nothing worked.  The jokes went right over these nurses heads, a good attitude, smiles, everything seemed to skip over them.  I had a total of three nurses, or lab technicians, and none of them could joke around.  I even made a joke when it took three attempts and two nurses to get a needle into my vein.  But for some reason nothing.  Normally I would say maybe it is because I am not funny, but no, not today, I was having fun, my mom was having fun, and the people in the waiting room were having fun along with us, just not the medical staff.

There were cancer patients, heart patients, chronic pain patients, and the last thing we need is a moody or unhappy person sticking us with a needle, or performing tests on us.  A smile, a laugh, a nice word, goes a long way. 

For all the medical staff out there, I understand you have bad days, but put yourself in your patients place.  A smile, doesn't take much, heck it will even lessen the wrinkles, a kind word, a little dialogue goes a long way.  It will put the person at ease, and make your day go alot smoother, and trust me a kind word goes a long way when you are digging a needle into the arm of a person.

A sense of humour, is it possible?  Is it too much to ask for?