Something To Get Pumped About

There’s a machine at our drug store that measures blood pressure. Your drug store probably has one, too. You slip your arm through a cuff and push the button. Air pumps in and cuts off circulation for a while then releases and numbers pop up to tell you what your blood pressure is. There’s a chart on the machine to tell you what the numbers mean. I don’t remember what the categories were but it took me three tries to get to get to what the machine considered healthy. It’s an hour later and my arm’s still a little tingly. I think the blood’s finally finding its way back to my wrist and fingers.

I did much better that the lady who got on to the machine after me, though. I waited until the cuff had a firm grip on her arm then stood behind her and said, “Boo!” She jumped in the chair and a warning light flashed on the machine that said she should see a doctor immediately. I think she wanted to chase me down but the cuff still had her arm. It wouldn’t have mattered, though. We healthy people can run pretty fast.