Doctors, Doctors, Everywhere And Not A One To See You

Hallowe'en certainly didn't turn out at all the way I expected. I went to bed on Sunday with the beginnings of a UTI. By 2 a.m. I really wasn't sure how I was going to get through the rest of the night. Yesterday, was spent in Emergency (since we don't have a full time doctor here in HH anymore), clinics and pharmacies. I really wasn't one of my more thrilling Hallowe'en days. Teapot and the Daughters went to the annual fireworks without me since I could barely keep my head up once the painkillers and antibiotics kicked in. I feel much better today!

One of the things that encouraged Teapot and I to move here to HH was the fact that there was a full time doctor and a fully working clinic. With two small children at the time of our move here, we felt that we really wanted a doctor in case of emergencies.  I do have to say that we are not the type of parents who will call out a doctor for just any old thing.  The only time I have called out a doctor was when Daughter #1 was having issues with her heath in grade one (so many years ago) and she ended up in the hospital twice. Teapot called out the doctor after hours when he had appendicitis. So we are certainly not ones to call the doctor for every ache pain and high temperature. So moving here seemed like a good choice since we had a doctor.

With the slowly declining population of our community, we have noticed that our medical services are on the decline.  About four years ago we lost our full time doctor and though our community advertised for a full time doctor we have not been able to find one. Instead, one of the clinics in FSJ (a nearby community) were willing to send a doctor out here to the boonies four days a week.  It meant that 1. there was a different doctor here each day and you never knew who you were going to see. 2. There was no one here at night.... ever. 3.You were at the whim of the weather or other unseen factors that would pull the doctor away from coming to our clinic... and do you know how in demand doctors can be? It was a very short period of time before we realized just how lousy a situation we were in.   That was the first year they were controlling the clinic.... four years ago. Slowly our medical services have declined to the point that we are lucky when the weeks go by and we have coverage by a doctor more than one day a week.  It is dreadful!

I'm one of those people who believes that nurse practitioners are the way of the future. We have to I think if we are going to be able to expect high quality medical services. It is not a step down....

Last week when Daughter #2 was diagnosed with Shingles.... well we already were 80% sure that she had shingles... our visit to the doctor was just to confirm and to get a prescription of anti-viral medication. Then yesterday I knew (98% sure) I had a UTI (I've had lots of them before) all I needed was to have it confirmed and have a prescription of antibiotics given to me.  Both of these things could have been taken care of by a nurse practitioner. I can't understand what the negativity towards nurse practitioners is.

After I got to the clinic yesterday (in the other community) I discovered that the doctor that I was supposed to see was called out to the emergency and I was going to have to come back later in the day for an appointment with a different doctor. As long as I got to see someone I was OK, though I didn't really know how I was going to pass the several hours in between waiting to see the doctor, but I managed and was really happy to receive the prescription that I knew I needed.

Anyway, part of living in a small community is putting up with strange situations when it comes to medical services, dental services... etc. I do know that if I ever have a heart attack then it is highly unlikely that I will live. The chances of having it on a day when there are medical services here in town is about 2%.  I also know that if I ever get cancer I will have to leave this community to get treatment. Pray God that my appendix don't burst. And if I have a stroke then I'm hooped.  For all those young ladies who have birthing issues I hope they have long dragged out labours because they will at least have time to get to the hospital.

A few years ago there was a really bad accident here in town.  A young man lost his life because he was driving (drunk) and hit a telephone/light pole. He died at the scene of the accident, but the passenger he was carrying lived.... only because the doctor who lived at the time in residence here in HH was called out to the medical clinic late at night and was able to stabilise him before he was transported to the hospital.

What will happen with our medical situation here in this wee small community is anyone's guess...  I hate to think about it honestly.

Another day... is passing by and I need to go get some work done. A little spinning on that level 5 homework which I have fallen behind on in the last week of cleaning.