ahhh, Gazelle... sounds like you had a crony of the idjit that did my daughter's spinal tap.

she had hurt her lower back on school playground equipment at age 12.

later, at age 16, she was running a VERY high fever, and was having trouble moving her neck.

I take her to the ER, and they decide to test for Meningitis (a few cases locally at that time)

the doc has her lie on her side, knees to chest, and does the puncture.

he misses.

he does it again.

I'm holding her hand, and she's being very brave, but tears are leaking.

he misses again.

she's clutching my hand and moaning softly now.

he does it AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN!

I start to object, as I remember reading somewhere that if a nurse can't draw BLOOD in X number of tries (somebody remind me how many?) then they HAVE to get someone ELSE to do the draw!

they ask me to LEAVE the ER stall, and draw the CURTAINS tight.

I'm standing in the hall, and I'M crying by then!

the idjit doc manages to miss FIVE more times, before I RIP the curtains apart, GRAB my daughter, and start stuffing her into her coat, groggy and feverish though she is, poor beautiful girl!

I'm so angry by now I can barely BREATHE.

on my way out, I mention getting an attorney to sue for MALPRACTICE !!

"I'll take her to another hospital, thankyouverymuch... now GTF outta my WAY!"

his excuse was that she had scar tissue from her old school injury, and he just couldn't get the needle in.

fine, but isn't there some OTHER way to test? something NON-invasive?

and what ABOUT that rule that they have to get someone ELSE?

and what about parental consent?

I had RETRACTED my consent when I saw how much HARM they were doing to my child... I TOLD him to stop, and he DIDN'T.

*dead silence*