Hospital

I took Shosei to the hospital, one block away from our home and got him checked by a pediatrician who also specializes in allergies.  Shosei developed some sort of red rashes and spots on his tummy and arms some weeks ago and I have been applying him with some prescribed creams to reduce the redness and dryness as well.  It's cleared up pretty good.  The doctor suggested I get his blood taken to see if he has any food allergies before I start him up on his baby food. 

After the nurse called our name, the nurse came out and told me she would have to take Shosei in, without me.  I was thinking, "What? Why?" She explained while the baby is getting their blood drawn, it's possible that the baby will move away from the needle and stretch towards mom and that could be dangerous for the baby.  But I insisted I watch and they let me in.  Like I was the expert, I explained to her that Shosei doesn't yet have that awareness which Mommy is a safe haven.  He let himself be bundled up tightly in a towel, and one nurse got on the bed with him and secured him with her arms and upper body weight.  The other nurse securely fastened the tourniquet around his upper arm and tapped his blood vein to get it to pop up a bit under the skin.  Now, I've worked briefly as phlebotomist(blood drawer) and I was practically brainwashed over and over on the importance of wearing latex gloves before working on a patient.  Doctors and nurses, whoever that draws your blood do not habitually wear latex gloves or any kind of protection in most Japanese hospitals.  I was taken aback when I got my blood drawn for the first time in Japan several years ago.  I was practically grossed out.  If your skin on your hands or fingers is cracked or injured and has some sort of opening in your skin, and then you make contact with the opening on the patient's arm or hand, well, duh, blood is exchanged, right?  That's the end of the story. 
I watched my son writhe and cry and scream and sweat profusely as the doctors and nurses surrounded him with their somewhat soothing voices(but a little annoying to me) and heavy arms and that tiny needle.  Oh, but the worst was when the nurse would take the needle out half way and just like a 'saw', she would saw it out, in and out, in and out, trying to pinpoint the vein under the skin.  Shosei's arm is chubby and his vein is so small and it bounces around under the skin, making it so difficult for the needle to tap into the vein.  I swear the 'in and out' seemed to be so painful for Shosei.  It would be for any adult, too!  'In and out'. 'In and out' The poor skin cells in Shosei's arm is getting sawed up!  'Stop, for crying out loud!' I wanted to say!  'This isn't how I learned to draw blood!' 'Wear your gloves, at least!'

But I kept my mouth shut and let them do the work.  They had let me in to watch them anyway.  I felt like I had to stay out of the way.  After 6 pokes total, 2 times in both arms and once in both hands, and a sweat drenched baby, they gave up and said to come back next week.  

'Not!' 'No way!', was what I immediately thought.  But I really wanted to know if he had any food allergies and this seemed to be the only way, so I went one week later and they got the blood on the 3rd try.  I also have to add another note.  I thought I learned not to poke your arm at the same time for the second try.  Shosei was poked twice in both arms!  He had a purple spot in one arm for one week, not for one day, which the doctor initially said he would have.  Oh, the pain he had to endure!  I held him a lot and cooed him and soothed him as much as I could that day.