Paeds

A child first up on my list this morning, which always worries me in the days ahead. Children make me nervous, and I know that they can sense it, just like horses and other dumb animals. I try to hide it but I start sweating as soon as I make my preop visit. They watch me with their beady little eyes as the parents talk to me. “Her brother and sister have both had the same procedure, the boy was fine but the girl vomited for days afterwards. I think you were her anaesthetist, isn’t that right?” (“Yes” through clenched teeth) “They both went to sleep with the mask, the boy just went out like a light but my daughter took aaaaages to go off to sleep…” Alrighty, then, no pressure. The child looked like a little angel as well, which is always a warning sign – but actually, everything went fine. Fingers crossed there’ll be no puking on the way home; and if there isn’t, it’ll all be soon forgotten. When everything goes well, it’s all unmemorable; why is that?