Calm in the Vein


Dr. Hargrave glanced over the chart. "Laser treatment for varicose veins," he murmured, adjusting his glasses. He looked up at his patient—a woman in her late forties with a serene smile and posture so relaxed she might have been at a spa.


"All right, Mrs. Winfield," he began. "We'll get you prepped for local anesthesia—"


She raised a hand. "I don't need anesthesia. I'll use meditation instead."


He blinked. "Are you sure?"


"Yes," she said simply, as though she'd just announced she was going to wear her favorite sweater. "I've been practicing mindfulness meditation for twenty years. Pain is… negotiable."


The nurse gave a sideways glance to the doctor, who shrugged, then warned her again about potential discomfort. Mrs. Winfield merely closed her eyes.


The treatment began—laser pulses flashing, fibers sliding delicately into place. Dr. Hargrave waited for her to flinch, grit her teeth, something. But instead she breathed slowly, her chest rising and falling like the tide. The muscles in her face didn't even twitch.


"You're… not feeling this?" he asked halfway through.


"Oh, I feel it," she replied softly, eyes still closed. "I just decided it's not pain. It's warmth. A little tingle. The body talks, and I listen… but I don't always have to agree."

The rest of the procedure went quickly, almost too quickly for the doctor's liking—he was distracted by his own thoughts. If she could do this, what else had he underestimated about the human mind?


When it was over, Mrs. Winfield opened her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Doctor. That was quite relaxing."


Dr. Hargrave watched her leave, her steps light and unhurried.


For the first time in years, he considered that maybe medicine wasn't the only medicine.


(This short is donated to the public domain.)




--
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Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
https://pairsmathgame.com
https://philshapirochatgptexplorations.blogspot.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/philshapiro.bsky.social

He/Him/His

"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens thru gentleness."
"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options."  David Suzuki

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