Interesting day, I fasted for 12 hours, no food or liquids.   Got to the General Hospital and had to wait as I got there early.   They all know me as many also work at the VA Hospital.   They questioned me and then proceeded to take 12, yes, 12 extra large vials of blood.  Six from the right arm and six from the left.   Then I got $25 for the research project.  Interesting, two vials were put on ice for freezing and later on genetic testing.

 

Then off to the same office where a week ago I had the heart test for blood pressure of the valves in the heart,  that was $50.00.

 

So they interviewed me and the lab technician took me into the room and had me lie down on the bed.   She took my blood pressure and said it was 120 over 78.   She waited for five minutes and took it again.  I said I was doing my yoga and Buddhism relaxation.  She took it again and it was 113 over 74, she took it again in a few minutes and it was the same.  She then did a scan on my right arm and I could see the main blood vessel in the arm.  She put a cuff on my lower arm and restricted the blood flow, like a tunicate, it was tight.  

Finally she let the cuff loosen and suddenly she said crap. she was suppose to let it on for five minutes and she left it on for only four and a half minutes.  She said she had to do it again and was worried and I said I was retired and also was getting $50 so not to worry.  So she let me lie there for 15 minutes and took my blood pressure and now it was 110 over 72.   So we did the test again and it was fine.   She did get me a turkey sandwich and a cranberry drink as I hadn't eaten or drunk anything for 12 hours.   Then I got my $50.00.  Not bad, $75 for less than three hours.

 

The secretaries are so nice and said they would setup another research project for me to take in March or so, a scan of my neck arteries.