Ask Amy: Blood-pressure check results in awkward brush with tech’s body

Dear Amy: I’m a man and getting mixed responses from the women in my life over a recent visit to my doctor for a medical exam.

It is not the first time this has happened, but it continues to be an awkward situation for me.

My visit starts, as usual, with the heart rate and blood pressure check. I’m asked to put my arm on the table toward the person doing the exam.

In my latest exam, my hand bumped up against the lady’s bosom as she positioned the cuff for the blood pressure check.

I asked some of the women in my life how to respond when this happens.

Do I leave my arm where she positioned it or move it away subtly and politely to spare us embarrassment? Then again, is it just me?

My wife said the woman taking my blood pressure probably couldn’t feel it.

My daughter-in-law thinks I should move it.

Anything I do would seem awkward.

Point me in the right direction, Amy.

– A Bit Shy in Montana

Dear Shy: The person measuring your blood pressure is placing your arm for the optimal position for this part of the exam. My instinct is that she/he does this many times a day and doesn’t necessarily notice occasional body-brushes.

However – this makes you uncomfortable, and so you should either instinctively move your arm slightly or say, “Excuse me, can I shift my arm a little bit?”

Dear Amy: I agree wholeheartedly with your response to “Baffled in Boston,” the younger brother who had been bullied by his big brother.

I had a “perfect” older sister who took full advantage of my more-emotional personality, often ending with me getting into trouble.

My mom and I were with her at the end of her life, and one time when Mom was out of the room she shared some memories of her youth and how she’d resented me for being “the child our parents had wanted.”

She was conceived before they were married, and she had always felt she couldn’t possibly live up to their expectations.

That half-hour conversation gave me closure on years of resentment, along with a ton of love and compassion for her.

– Wishing She Were Still Here

Dear Wishing: I’m feeling it, too. Thank you.

You can email Amy Dickinson at [email protected] or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068.