Her First Time
"Whoa! Wait a minute," she said, and held up a hand. "You mean you're gonna stick it in? Now?"
I guess it was a fair question. We'd only met for the first time today, and that had been just five minutes before I had told her what we needed to do.
"But it's so long, and it looks really stiff!" she exclaimed. "Will it hurt?"
No, I told her, but it might be a bit uncomfortable going in. Plus I'd only be putting in the tip.
"How do you know it won't hurt? You haven't ever had one stuck into you, right?" No, I conceded, I hadn't. "And why is that front part, that little cap, gold?"
I didn't have a great answer for her, so I mumbled reassuringly. Something about gold being an inert metal and that people tolerated it in their bodies very well. She seemed to accept this answer. I won her over with a smile and a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
Then I promptly worried her with a question. "So which side do you want me to go in?"
"I definitely want the right side, of course!" she said. I could tell she wasn't kidding. I'd have preferred otherwise, since the other side looked more open, but I didn't want to push things. Literally. I shrugged and went in.
Or nearly did. She stopped me again and asked me how many times I had done this before. Several hundred, I told her, nearly a thousand. Then she wanted to know how long it took. In her case, I told her, it'd be a quickie. I left out the fact that sometimes, I was in and out for hours.
Finally, she let me in. She mouthed a quiet moan, then kept still. I was out the moment I finished, and gave her a tissue. She smiled and told me I was pretty good. Thanks, I said. I get a lot of practice.
Nasal endoscopy can be rather fun, in fact.
I guess it was a fair question. We'd only met for the first time today, and that had been just five minutes before I had told her what we needed to do.
"But it's so long, and it looks really stiff!" she exclaimed. "Will it hurt?"
No, I told her, but it might be a bit uncomfortable going in. Plus I'd only be putting in the tip.
"How do you know it won't hurt? You haven't ever had one stuck into you, right?" No, I conceded, I hadn't. "And why is that front part, that little cap, gold?"
I didn't have a great answer for her, so I mumbled reassuringly. Something about gold being an inert metal and that people tolerated it in their bodies very well. She seemed to accept this answer. I won her over with a smile and a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
Then I promptly worried her with a question. "So which side do you want me to go in?"
"I definitely want the right side, of course!" she said. I could tell she wasn't kidding. I'd have preferred otherwise, since the other side looked more open, but I didn't want to push things. Literally. I shrugged and went in.
Or nearly did. She stopped me again and asked me how many times I had done this before. Several hundred, I told her, nearly a thousand. Then she wanted to know how long it took. In her case, I told her, it'd be a quickie. I left out the fact that sometimes, I was in and out for hours.
Finally, she let me in. She mouthed a quiet moan, then kept still. I was out the moment I finished, and gave her a tissue. She smiled and told me I was pretty good. Thanks, I said. I get a lot of practice.
Nasal endoscopy can be rather fun, in fact.