Early Morning Reverie

I am a morning person in the sense that I relish the morning quiet that allows a person to hear the birds singing even though one lives in the city. I love the soft pinks and blues in the sky as the sun makes its ascent to the peak of the firmament. The only problem is that I loathe getting out of bed while still in the throes of an undisturbed sleep.

This morning I had to be at Quest Laboratories by eight o’clock in order to have some blood drawn for testing. The combination of the crispness in the air and the ebb and flow of the traffic around me as fellow motorist hustled off to work reminded me of my working days, and, for a moment, I actually missed them. Only for a moment.

I arrived at precisely the right time and did not have to wait before being escorted to the room where I would be stuck with the needle. The reason for my early morning visit was two-fold. On top of my routine lab work my physician also wanted to have some further testing done because I have been fatigued more than usual lately.

So there I am, it’s early, I’m tired and the phlebotomist is having some trouble with me because I’m finding it difficult to keep my arm straight instead of resting my elbow on the table. She’s asking me if I’m okay since it’s generally an easy thing to do, sitting there with one’s arm stretched out, the inside of the elbow taught in preparation for the needle’s penetration. The fact is that today I’m there because I’m fatigued, it says so right at the bottom of the script- Dx. fatigue; it is surprising how difficult it is to keep an elbow lifted up off of a table when tired. After being asked to “stop flopping” my arm around “like that” I gritted my teeth in concentration and managed to be of no further trouble while the two vials of blood were drawn.

Ah, well. I shall just add her to the list of people who think I’m odd for one reason or another. After I left I thought it would be a good idea to stop by Dunkin’ Donuts and pick up some sugary treats to eat with our morning coffee. I generally stay away from doughnuts because that much sugar early in the morning tends to make me feel ill; but I thought that maybe the grouping of sugar and caffeine would, at least temporarily, relieve my fatigue. I was wrong. I’m still tired, and all of that sugar coursing through my veins is making my tummy feel a little warbly.