On January 20, 2005, I was admitted to a local general hospital for an orthopedic "day surgery" procedure. A little nervous when I was escorted into the operating room, I glanced around and saw three nurses busying themselves in preparation for the arrival of the anesthetist and the surgeon.

"Take off your dressing gown and undo your hospital shirt," said one nurse, glancing casually at me. I immediately complied and undid the short, little green gown and untied my "johnny shirt" (you all know the type -- the backless one) and placed them neatly on the OR table. it was cold in the OR as I stood there, in my natural state.

To my great surprise, all three nurses suddenly turned around, with broad smiles and closely engaged my eyes only (I thought). The head nurse said: "No, no, you can keep the hospital shirt; I meant just untie it!"

The three nurses struggled to keep their composure as I slipped the hospital shirt back on and sheepishly looked around, trying to look "cool." (ha)

"Chilly in here, isn't it?" said one nurse as she came up beside me to attach sticky things to my chest and place the blood-pressure monitor cuff on my right arm.

I managed a wan smile, I think, and was soon rendered unconscious although I do believe I put a smile on a trio of nurses' faces that afternoon.