"A Community"

The new year has continued with illnesses and infections. Our littlest daughter takes the brunt of absolutely everything that continues to last more then it's cycle. She's been very congested, coughing and then the fever started. Once our daughter is sick, she stops eating and drinking which makes our lives and hers difficult to maintain the acquired intake she needs. I brought her into a medical clinic. It's designed for triage. Worst case scenarios are first. As we remained in the lobby, our daughter hacked, snotted and was hyperventilating. There must of been thirty other people sitting around, some wearing masks. People were turned sideways away from us. One lady proceeded to state that I should have a mask on my daughter. As calm as I can be I replied, "She's already hyperventilating and she will not tolerate wearing a mask" As the eyes rolled and the snickers were made finally a nurse came to put us in our own room. This was around 2:30pm and by 6:30pm we were seen by a doctor. Honestly....the waiting was testing my patience. I understand our medical system and on how we lack doctors, staff and I completely understand how triage works because I've worked it. Although when it involves special needs and the elderly who are fragile, individuals that don't understand the waiting process, there should be some consideration. Besides being dehydrated, the hours of hyperventilating wasn't helping. After the four hour wait we managed to see a good doctor. He was thorough. Thorough enough for us to know she doesn't have pneumonia, her lungs were clear but the fever was stemmed by a raging ear infection in her left ear. The other ear he couldn't determine. He said, "There's something green in there!" I thought, "Oh no.....the broccoli didn't make its way out!" So I proceeded to explain that last month we seen our daughters pediatrician and she also found the broccoli but because our daughter flails it's too dangerous to take it out physically, too wait for it to come out naturally. The doctor's eyebrows went squishy as if he was confused.....then he said again, "It's really really bright green" Then asked, "It's been in there for a month!?" I as the comedian said jokingly, "Hopefully it's not growing in there!?" "We were going to try the vacuum cleaner with our homemade straw attachment but we can't even see the broccoli ourselves and our daughter probably wouldn't like that very much", I proceeded to explain. The doctor looks at me again.....semi-puzzled, then starts to laugh. "A straw attachment", he questions with a chuckle. "Genius" While writing up the prescription he says, "After she's done her medication, try olive oil from your kitchen first" "Ok, I will" I responded. That DARN BROCCOLI! That broccoli is going to be an ongoing issue! Leaving the clinic there was a wind and pouring rain storm. I pushed my daughters wheelchair as fast as I could, getting her into the van promptly while she's screaming from the wind. It was bad enough she was fevered, not feeling good and her equilibrium was way out, the wind and rain was coming at us sideways. While opening the back doors to put the wheelchair in my van, the doors were slamming into me. A man came running to help. The wind was amazing. I really needed to get her medication, and while living fifteen minutes out of town I didn't want to bring her home, then go back into town after being away for now five hours. I also didn't want to subject my daughter to the wind and rain again getting in and out of the van to purchase her prescription. SO I asked for help. I went on face book with my phone and asked if anyone (a friend) was in the area that could watch my daughter in my van so I could purchase her medication. Within moments I had three people offering to help. I was so relieved. A First Nations Liaison worker in our area that has worked with our children came and sat in my van. We had to wait twenty minutes for the prescription so we reminisced and had a great visit. I was pushing into the sixth hour, my daughter was so sick and I was just besides myself with appreciation and gratitude for how quickly help arrived. Face book can be a great resource used appropriately. I was amazed on how fast and willingly a community can work together for each other. Making this short story longer, our medical system like anything has hiccups but at least we have one. There was a time years and years ago I didn't think there was many individuals that outwardly cared for others, and/or strangers. Weird as it sounds, there was a time I thought humanity was lacking. People care. I've learned on how to experience peoples hearts, it's to simply trust and let people into your life. To ask for help when you need it. To be humble. My New Years message for myself was/is to continue to find out who I am, and what I believe. Today I believe in Community love and support. I believe humanity will always exist, we just need to reach out for it. The only other fact I know for sure, if the broccoli remains; I will need to ask for a referral to a ear, nose and throat specialist to remove this bright green object before it grows into a tree!