I'm happy to see some of you got a chance to vote on my poll about the worst thing about moving to an isolated island. The results show that most of you think having limited medical services available on-island is the worst. Hmmmm....sounds about right!
Things like giving up Tim Hortons or Walmart or MacDonalds may seem crappy but really, it's probably not a bad thing at all! Haha. They are things we think we may need but when it comes down to it the reality is, they need us more! Paying more for groceries sucks, but one can make smart choices and buy in season, etc etc. So, again, it's manageable. It's nice to live in a place where you can hop in your car and drive to a jazz club or movie theatre or shopping mall or amusement park...but there are plenty of ways to have fun without that stuff. It's alot cheaper too, probably! What are some fun things to do as a family (well, a couple...with a baby)? I'm thinking alot of beach days while it's warm!
I know one of the reasons I chose to come home to Nova Scotia to have Noora was because I didn't want to take the god-awful ferry (it's okay most days...but our trip in September was HORRID) to Prince Rupert and wait around until she decided to come out. Not my idea of a fun time. I wanted to be able to relax and do absolutely nothing right up until the very minute she popped out. The reason I would have to go to Prince Rupert? The doctor told me early on that there are no epidurals (yah...I wanted natural but I also wanted the OPTION to scream "EPIDURAL...NOW!" if needed) because there wasn't a full time anaestiologist on the island, and also, if anything went wrong we'd have to fly out via helicopter to the nearest big hospital. Another thing that may sound exciting.....but didn't strike me as something I wanted to do mid-labour. What happened to just going into the woods to have your baby....seriously!
So, I went home. In Nova Scotia, I was only 45 minutes from the nearest hospital, and yes the weather is unpredictable in February, but I figured that would be enough time, even in a snowstorm, to get where I needed to be! Well...I wasn't able to relax to the very last minute before she arrived (thank you stupid blood pressure and lame inductions...ugh) BUT I was able to enjoy my "last supper" at DQ with Willie and have all of my family AND my best friend with me for the birth. I had arrived in December and had my last "single" Christmas at home with my Momma, got to see alot of my friends before (and after) Noora came, and had all the support I needed to make it to where I am now...mother to a six-month old monkey, not locked up in the crazy house! (Being a mom is HARD...especially the first 3 weeks I think...I'm still shocked I made it, haha).
Other than baby-related medical services, I'm not really too sure about the quality or availability on Haida Gwaii. I know they recently built a big hospital in Masset and the hospital/medical clinic in Charlotte is pretty good from what I experienced. There were no problems getting the H1N1 vaccine (although I didn't think I needed it after having the actual flu while pregnant). I know Willie has to make appointments in advance when the eye doctor comes to town...I'm not sure how it is with dental stuff, which reminds me, I should make an appointment when we get back! So...all in all...it's not SCARY because there are ways to get off-island when you need to and there are some really good doctors and nurses around. I think the most isolated place I know about is the Australian Outback...they have to fly in a doctor for clinics around the area, but other than that...no medical services at all! Now, that's some scary stuff...especially when you have small children!
I guess the only other medical-related grievance I had while in Skidegate was the hours of operation for the pharmacy. I decided to let the H1N1 virus attack on a Saturday...how inconvienent! I tried calling the Nurse Helpline for BC but, surprise...they were busy (probably with all the other people dealing with that stupid flu). I wasn't sure who to call to see if I could take cough suppresent or ANYTHING to help me (yay for pregnancy), so I called the pharmacy...in Truro, Nova Scotia, haha. They were quite shocked to get the call from so far away..but they were able to tell me that, no, I wasn't allowed to take any of that and yes, I should go to Emergency. How resourceful am I? Haha.
So, I guess the point of this post, and the poll, is that no matter how crappy or scary something may appear at first, there are always ways around it. They may cost more or take more time to co-ordinate or more thought, but nothing is impossible. As we get ready to make our way back to the islands, I just have to remember to stay mindful of this and make the best out of the resources that are available to me!
Now....off to pack! Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment