What can't I believe? That Christmas is over! That has got to be the quickest December in history....I don't know where it went. So, after a few not-so-subtle hints from my darling brother and a couple of friends, here is my latest update!
The lead-up to Christmas was pretty uneventful...mostly just work, walking outside, and getting things done around the apartment. One Saturday afternoon (I think it was Dec. 12) we went out to watch the parade through town, and ended up being IN it and judging the floats! We were asked to judge because we have no bias and would be fair. It was SOOOO cold, but a lot of fun. The parade basically consisted of 10 vans and trucks that were decorated for Christmas, and driven by different members of the community. There was a truck with some of the Elementary School kids in it that sang Christmas songs for us, and a truck with some of the High School students. And there was one van with a guy dressed up as the Grinch on top...he was just standing on the top of a moving van dancing and shouting at the kids on the streets (all in fun, of course!). We (the Nurses) were sitting in the box of the lead truck, so we got to watch the whole thing...we drove through the streets of Kash in probably colder than -20 C weather in a truck going about 10 km/h...it was SO fun!
Christmas Day was actually pretty nice here too. Both Wes' parents and my parents sent us packages with gifts to put under the tree, so Wes and I spent Christmas morning unwrapping gifts with each other, and talking on the phone with our parents. Then we laid low for the afternoon, and went to the OPP trailer for supper with Police and the other Nurses. One of the Police cooked the turkey, and everyone brought something...there were mashed potatoes, coleslaw, another salad...Wes and I took a turnip casserole and a broccoli casserole. And there was EGG NOG!!! It was the yummiest thing I have had to drink since we got here...I didn't realize how much I missed it until I took that first sip. So we all got together, had a nice meal, and socialized the evening away.
We are COMING HOME!! Our flight leaves Kashechewan at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday Jan. 7, and goes to Timmins. Then the plan is to have dinner and stay overnight in a hotel in Timmins, and get on the train from Timmins to Toronto on Friday morning. The train ride is 12 hours long, but it's much cheaper than the flight from Timmins to Toronto, and it will be more scenic anyways! We'll be home until Jan. 23, then taking the train all day Jan. 24, and flying from Timmins back to Kash on the 25th. I can't wait for vacation!!!
Anyways, it is getting late again, and I should go to bed. I'm 2nd on call tonight, so I should be trying to get some sleep while I can, in case I get called in!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Happy Holidays Begin!
Hello everyone!
Well, here we are almost two weeks later again, even when I vowed to write more often. I'm trying, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ever going to get any better at this!!
I've still been pretty busy with work, but I'm definitely finding it more manageable. I think part of it is that now I'm used to the clinic space, which makes things less overwhelming. I know where to find (most) things, and I'm just comfortable in the space. I'm also getting more and more comfortable with the work that I do here. Everything is coming together very nicely, and I'm still learning everyday. I've come so far when I look at how much I know now compared to what I knew when I first got here. It's very encouraging! I still have a long way to go though...
Things have also been very busy socially around here lately! We've got a great group of Nurses here right now...I know I mentioned earlier that we have a good bunch of new full-time and part-time Nurses. They've all been here for about a month now, and we've really been getting along very well. We had a spaghetti supper at our (Wes and my) apartment on Saturday night, and we go out for walks almost everyday. I'm really appreciating the consistency of the people (not having a whole new group of people to adjust to every week), and it makes it much better that they're all wonderful people to work and spend time with. We've been doing some fun things, that I will talk about in the next couple of paragraphs!
My friend/colleague Meagin and I went out last Wednesday night to play volleyball with some local community members at the high school, and it was a GREAT time! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not especially athletic, but the group of people who were playing weren't really competitive, and it seemed that we weren't out of place at all. It was a really good time out, and it gave me a chance to meet some of the young people in the community who don't come into the clinic. Being a Nurse here, I tend to see the people who are sick or have health issues more often, so I get a different picture of the community. Getting out with active, healthy people outside of the Nursing Station was very refreshing. I'm really planning to look into doing a fitness class over at the school one night a week...I think there are lots of women who would have a lot of fun with something like that!
We went for a big long walk to a place called "Half-Kash" on Saturday afternoon. It's the original site that Kashechewan was supposed to be settled on, but for some reason they ended up settling here instead. Half-Kash is a beautiful place, about 1.5 hour walk from Kash. It's very peaceful and serene...there are WAY more trees and wildlife there, and it's right along the Albany River. The river was still flowing fairly quickly when we were there, but it was completely full of ice floats. (As a side note, the river is now completely frozen over...the ice floats all jammed together and backed up over the past couple of days. I even saw two silly people walking on it on Sunday!). To top it all off, Saturday was a beautiful day...sunny with the perfect amount of snow on the ground, not too windy and not horribly cold (about -5 to -8 C). It made for a very nice adventure!
It's beginning to look like Christmas around here too! Our lab organizer/cleaner Annie got a ton of sparkly decorations out last week, and they're now hanging all around the clinic. Happily, our apartment is starting to get decorated too. Our friend/colleague/next door neighbour Scott went out and cut down a WONDERFUL little Christmas tree for us on the weekend. He even saved a few of the metal lids from frozen juice cans and put strings through them to make decorations for it!! We've been using the colourful foil wrappers from Christmas chocolate balls to cover the metal lids, and they actually look like real decorations. I've also ordered a couple of little wee toques (a lady here crochets them) with Wes and my name on them that we can use for decorations (SHH, I haven't told Wes yet, it's a surprise!). I need to get out to the store to get a few candy canes, and get some popcorn stringed...then maybe some tinsel. A friend here says she has some oranges in her fridge that make good decorations when they're dried too. It's going to be a great Christmas project for the next couple of weeks! I will take lots of pictures so I can share it with everyone. Oh, speaking of that, I'm trying to set up a place online to post all the pictures I have...I'll keep everyone posted about that.
I've also been keeping busy with a course that I signed up for about a week or so ago. It's called "Pharmacotherapeutics"...all about prescribing medications and when to give certain ones, their effects, side effects, interactions, etc. It's a self-study course...there's required reading and then a quiz at the end of every section. There are 12 sections I think, so it'll keep me busy for awhile!
Anyways, I think that's all that is new right now. We're hopefully coming home for a visit in January....it's actually coming very quickly, so we'll have to start making plans to get together with everyone! Keep me posted!
Well, here we are almost two weeks later again, even when I vowed to write more often. I'm trying, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ever going to get any better at this!!
I've still been pretty busy with work, but I'm definitely finding it more manageable. I think part of it is that now I'm used to the clinic space, which makes things less overwhelming. I know where to find (most) things, and I'm just comfortable in the space. I'm also getting more and more comfortable with the work that I do here. Everything is coming together very nicely, and I'm still learning everyday. I've come so far when I look at how much I know now compared to what I knew when I first got here. It's very encouraging! I still have a long way to go though...
Things have also been very busy socially around here lately! We've got a great group of Nurses here right now...I know I mentioned earlier that we have a good bunch of new full-time and part-time Nurses. They've all been here for about a month now, and we've really been getting along very well. We had a spaghetti supper at our (Wes and my) apartment on Saturday night, and we go out for walks almost everyday. I'm really appreciating the consistency of the people (not having a whole new group of people to adjust to every week), and it makes it much better that they're all wonderful people to work and spend time with. We've been doing some fun things, that I will talk about in the next couple of paragraphs!
My friend/colleague Meagin and I went out last Wednesday night to play volleyball with some local community members at the high school, and it was a GREAT time! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not especially athletic, but the group of people who were playing weren't really competitive, and it seemed that we weren't out of place at all. It was a really good time out, and it gave me a chance to meet some of the young people in the community who don't come into the clinic. Being a Nurse here, I tend to see the people who are sick or have health issues more often, so I get a different picture of the community. Getting out with active, healthy people outside of the Nursing Station was very refreshing. I'm really planning to look into doing a fitness class over at the school one night a week...I think there are lots of women who would have a lot of fun with something like that!
We went for a big long walk to a place called "Half-Kash" on Saturday afternoon. It's the original site that Kashechewan was supposed to be settled on, but for some reason they ended up settling here instead. Half-Kash is a beautiful place, about 1.5 hour walk from Kash. It's very peaceful and serene...there are WAY more trees and wildlife there, and it's right along the Albany River. The river was still flowing fairly quickly when we were there, but it was completely full of ice floats. (As a side note, the river is now completely frozen over...the ice floats all jammed together and backed up over the past couple of days. I even saw two silly people walking on it on Sunday!). To top it all off, Saturday was a beautiful day...sunny with the perfect amount of snow on the ground, not too windy and not horribly cold (about -5 to -8 C). It made for a very nice adventure!
It's beginning to look like Christmas around here too! Our lab organizer/cleaner Annie got a ton of sparkly decorations out last week, and they're now hanging all around the clinic. Happily, our apartment is starting to get decorated too. Our friend/colleague/next door neighbour Scott went out and cut down a WONDERFUL little Christmas tree for us on the weekend. He even saved a few of the metal lids from frozen juice cans and put strings through them to make decorations for it!! We've been using the colourful foil wrappers from Christmas chocolate balls to cover the metal lids, and they actually look like real decorations. I've also ordered a couple of little wee toques (a lady here crochets them) with Wes and my name on them that we can use for decorations (SHH, I haven't told Wes yet, it's a surprise!). I need to get out to the store to get a few candy canes, and get some popcorn stringed...then maybe some tinsel. A friend here says she has some oranges in her fridge that make good decorations when they're dried too. It's going to be a great Christmas project for the next couple of weeks! I will take lots of pictures so I can share it with everyone. Oh, speaking of that, I'm trying to set up a place online to post all the pictures I have...I'll keep everyone posted about that.
I've also been keeping busy with a course that I signed up for about a week or so ago. It's called "Pharmacotherapeutics"...all about prescribing medications and when to give certain ones, their effects, side effects, interactions, etc. It's a self-study course...there's required reading and then a quiz at the end of every section. There are 12 sections I think, so it'll keep me busy for awhile!
Anyways, I think that's all that is new right now. We're hopefully coming home for a visit in January....it's actually coming very quickly, so we'll have to start making plans to get together with everyone! Keep me posted!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
So, it's Been Forever!
Hello everyone!!
I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I posted my last message! Time seems to have flown by. Honestly I can't even explain why I haven't had time to write - it just seems that between working, doing a little bit of reading and learning after work, and eating, the day is done before I can get to writing. I suppose I would have time if I kept my postings shorter and just wrote more of them! Maybe I will have to try that...the way I'm doing it now is daunting, because I feel like I have so much to write and I have to put it all into one message.
This week I have learned a little bit about how the weather can affect how we care for patients here. On Tuesday morning we had a man come in who had overdosed on some pills, to the point that he needed to be cared for in the Intensive Care Unit (if we had been down South, he would have been transferred to the ICU right away for observation). Normally, we would call the air ambulance and have the patient transferred down to the Timmins hospital, or to Kingston if he was in need of more specialized care. Unfortunately, a fairly deep fog had set in over the coast of James Bay early Tuesday morning, and no airplanes were able to land here in Kash. So, the patient is currently STILL in our Emerge department on a stretcher being observed by us. Luckily the patient has been fairly stable all the way along, so it hasn't been too bad, but it still hasn't worked exactly how it would ideally. I think this kind of situation probably happens fairly often here...we are so dependent on the weather! Between fog, snow, ice, and other weather phenomenon (I don't know exactly what types of weather pilots can't fly in), there are lots of things that can affect our ability to get people out. It really makes me appreciate the nice weather more though!
The past two weeks have been very exciting for me, because I have been working with 4 new colleagues up here! I know that doesn't sound very exciting, because as I explained in earlier messages, there are always new people coming and going. The difference is that these 4 people are more full time Nurses like me! Usually people come up for 1 or 2 or 3 weeks at a time and then leave. Sometimes they never come back to Kash, or they don't come back for months. Now it seems that I am going to have a more consistent team to work with for awhile. Diane and Scott have signed up to stay for a year like I have, and Beth and Meagin are doing 1 month in and 1 month out. They are all really nice people, and I think we will work very well together. Everyone comes with their own strengths and experiences, so I think we will all be able to help each other.
I've been seriously thinking of starting a distance education course to do while I'm up here. I've been researching online, and I've found a few really interesting courses that would teach me lots of really valuable information for working up here. The thing is, I'd really like to find one that will count towards the Nurse Practitioner certificate...since I'm planning on doing the NP course eventually when I get home anyways, I might as well work towards it if I can. So far it's kind of difficult to get the information I'm looking for though. I can't seem to find out if there are any courses that I can take that would count towards the NP program. Oh well, I'm going to keep looking, and I plan to start something soon!
Well, I think that is long enough for tonight. I have more to write about, so watch for something new in a couple of days. The weekend is coming up (WOOHOO!!), so I should have some time to write another message. As of the schedule that's posted right now, I'm on call Saturday night from 8:00 p.m. to Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m.
I love you all...once again, thanks for stopping by! :)
I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I posted my last message! Time seems to have flown by. Honestly I can't even explain why I haven't had time to write - it just seems that between working, doing a little bit of reading and learning after work, and eating, the day is done before I can get to writing. I suppose I would have time if I kept my postings shorter and just wrote more of them! Maybe I will have to try that...the way I'm doing it now is daunting, because I feel like I have so much to write and I have to put it all into one message.
This week I have learned a little bit about how the weather can affect how we care for patients here. On Tuesday morning we had a man come in who had overdosed on some pills, to the point that he needed to be cared for in the Intensive Care Unit (if we had been down South, he would have been transferred to the ICU right away for observation). Normally, we would call the air ambulance and have the patient transferred down to the Timmins hospital, or to Kingston if he was in need of more specialized care. Unfortunately, a fairly deep fog had set in over the coast of James Bay early Tuesday morning, and no airplanes were able to land here in Kash. So, the patient is currently STILL in our Emerge department on a stretcher being observed by us. Luckily the patient has been fairly stable all the way along, so it hasn't been too bad, but it still hasn't worked exactly how it would ideally. I think this kind of situation probably happens fairly often here...we are so dependent on the weather! Between fog, snow, ice, and other weather phenomenon (I don't know exactly what types of weather pilots can't fly in), there are lots of things that can affect our ability to get people out. It really makes me appreciate the nice weather more though!
The past two weeks have been very exciting for me, because I have been working with 4 new colleagues up here! I know that doesn't sound very exciting, because as I explained in earlier messages, there are always new people coming and going. The difference is that these 4 people are more full time Nurses like me! Usually people come up for 1 or 2 or 3 weeks at a time and then leave. Sometimes they never come back to Kash, or they don't come back for months. Now it seems that I am going to have a more consistent team to work with for awhile. Diane and Scott have signed up to stay for a year like I have, and Beth and Meagin are doing 1 month in and 1 month out. They are all really nice people, and I think we will work very well together. Everyone comes with their own strengths and experiences, so I think we will all be able to help each other.
I've been seriously thinking of starting a distance education course to do while I'm up here. I've been researching online, and I've found a few really interesting courses that would teach me lots of really valuable information for working up here. The thing is, I'd really like to find one that will count towards the Nurse Practitioner certificate...since I'm planning on doing the NP course eventually when I get home anyways, I might as well work towards it if I can. So far it's kind of difficult to get the information I'm looking for though. I can't seem to find out if there are any courses that I can take that would count towards the NP program. Oh well, I'm going to keep looking, and I plan to start something soon!
Well, I think that is long enough for tonight. I have more to write about, so watch for something new in a couple of days. The weekend is coming up (WOOHOO!!), so I should have some time to write another message. As of the schedule that's posted right now, I'm on call Saturday night from 8:00 p.m. to Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m.
I love you all...once again, thanks for stopping by! :)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Online!
Hello everyone! Just a quick (happy) note to let you know we had our satellite internet installed this afternoon, so we're online for the rest of the year. Hooray!! So drop me a line anytime, I will try my best to keep in touch with everyone.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Northern Nursing
Well, I think things have finally (thankfully!) settled down up here. Last week was probably the busiest week I've ever experienced in my life. There was a lot going on between giving H1N1 vaccines and treating people with influenza-like illnesses. We had about 60% of the community show up for immunization, which is awesome because that is a large percentage of people that won't be coming in later with the flu! But because of the great turnout, lots of our Nursing resources were going toward immunizations. Unfortunately, like myself, there were a bunch of people who got the shot too late, and ended up (probably) getting the flu. So another big portion of our resources went to assessing/treating people with influenza-like illnesses. Then, on top of all of that there were all the regular clinic issues and emergency issues too keep up with, as well as a Doctor clinic to manage. Busy, busy, busy! But I think we're through the majority of the flu stuff (hopefully!), so things will be back to normal now.
So last week I was the Nurse taking care of the Doctor's clinic, which is very hectic because it seems that everyone wants to see the Doc when they're in town. Because people are so excited when a Doctor comes, I thought there was only supposed to be a Doc here one week each month...but apparently I was mistaken. Apparently there is really supposed to be a Doctor here 4 weeks a month! The Docs have been working short lately, so there have been a decreased number of clinics, but apparently we're supposed to have them here the majority of the time. Although we Nurses have an expanded scope of practice, we still don't have prescribing rights, and there are lots of things that still need to be seen by a Dr. I'm still learning my role as a Nurse up here. We definitely take care of all the on-call emergency stuff...basically our role is to stabilize emergency patients until an airplane/helicopter can get up here to medevac the person to the hospital in Moose Factory. When you think about it, it's a very huge responsibility! Anything can walk through the door, so I really have to be prepared for any kind of situation (basically like any emerge department!). I think the most worrisome thing (in my mind) is when the weather gets bad and airplanes have decreased ability to fly. Well, we'll deal with that when it happens.
The Nurses' scope of practice up here also involved dealing with regular, day-to-day clinic issues. I think I've mentioned this in one of my other posts...things like strep throat, UTI's, prenatal assessments...basically things that a Nurse Practitioner can do. Granted, an NP has prescribing rights that I still don't have up here, and they can also order x-rays, ultrasounds, bloodwork...things that I still need a Doctor's order for. But we still have more abilities here then down South.
As far as things I've seen so far...I know people are interested in hearing crazy stories!
I can't say too too much, because of confidentiality, but I'll give you an idea. There's been a dehydrated 2 month old, a few kids with breathing troubles, a Tylenol OD, a couple of really high blood sugars (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), someone with sepsis (a blood infection), someone who stepped on a nail, a heart attack, a few people with chest pain...those are really the most intense things I've been a part of since I've been here. I'm very, very thankful that I haven't been around for anything worse than that (although the heart attack is about as bad as you can get), but especially that I haven't been alone for most of it. I'm kind of terrified for the night that I'm on call and at home in bed when I get the call at 4:00 a.m. that someone like...I dunno, that something terrible has happened. Well, I keep reminding myself that I'm not alone...I always have another Nurse I can call, and there is a Doctor to consult with 24/7.
We had a really nice weekend here. I heard it was beautiful at home in Owen Sound too...up to 18 degrees?!?! Well, we had sun and 8 degree weather both days this weekend. It was
very uplifting to see the sun!! I consider each nice day a bonus at this point, it's just a matter of time before we are forced into hibernation!
OH, I JUST remembered that Elsie (a reception staff member at the Nursing Station) told me that a barge came in on the river today. I will have to go out tomorrow after work to see if it's still there. I doubt it will still be there, I got the impression that they come and go fairly quickly. DARN, I meant to go out after work today to take a look. Oh well, I guess it will come again sometime in the year that we're here.
Guess what...we're finally getting internet in our apartment!!! HOORAY!!!!!!!! I was told that the equipment for the satellite would get up here to Kash around mid-week this week, and then there is someone here that works at the Band Office who installs the equipment. It's expensive to get everything set up, but it will be so worth it when we have access to the world!! I can't wait to be able to go online whenever I want. I can't wait to write back to all of you that have been so great about writing to me...I really WANT to write back to you all, but in order to be online at this point I have to be over in the Nursing Station...at work...where I don't particularly want to be when I'm not working! Hehe, I promise I will be better about writing back when we have our satellite.
Oh, by the way...I am REALLY missing shopping!!! For those of you that recall, I pretty much went to the grocery store every single day back home. I LOVE grocery shopping. Honestly I just love being out in a store and surrounded by people. I promise I will never take access to fresh fruits and vegetables for granted, ever again! There are several problems with the store here. The produce is very limited, and the things we do have access to are fairly expensive, and not the greatest quality. AND, even if the produce was fresh and varied and inexpensive, the store hours are still very limited. It's open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. As you will know from my earlier posts, my regular workdays are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. You will also know that, until now, I have worked several Saturdays. That has made it pretty hard to get to the store. But Wes isn't crazy about grocery shopping, plus I LOVE going to any store that's available to me, so I still find the time to get there at least once a week, usually twice. Even though I complain, we really have everything we need here...we're not suffering, that's for sure.
Hmm...well I think I've run out of topics AND brain power for writing tonight. As usually, I will sign off by saying thank you for caring about me enough to read my blog, and that I love you all. Talk to you soon!
So last week I was the Nurse taking care of the Doctor's clinic, which is very hectic because it seems that everyone wants to see the Doc when they're in town. Because people are so excited when a Doctor comes, I thought there was only supposed to be a Doc here one week each month...but apparently I was mistaken. Apparently there is really supposed to be a Doctor here 4 weeks a month! The Docs have been working short lately, so there have been a decreased number of clinics, but apparently we're supposed to have them here the majority of the time. Although we Nurses have an expanded scope of practice, we still don't have prescribing rights, and there are lots of things that still need to be seen by a Dr. I'm still learning my role as a Nurse up here. We definitely take care of all the on-call emergency stuff...basically our role is to stabilize emergency patients until an airplane/helicopter can get up here to medevac the person to the hospital in Moose Factory. When you think about it, it's a very huge responsibility! Anything can walk through the door, so I really have to be prepared for any kind of situation (basically like any emerge department!). I think the most worrisome thing (in my mind) is when the weather gets bad and airplanes have decreased ability to fly. Well, we'll deal with that when it happens.
The Nurses' scope of practice up here also involved dealing with regular, day-to-day clinic issues. I think I've mentioned this in one of my other posts...things like strep throat, UTI's, prenatal assessments...basically things that a Nurse Practitioner can do. Granted, an NP has prescribing rights that I still don't have up here, and they can also order x-rays, ultrasounds, bloodwork...things that I still need a Doctor's order for. But we still have more abilities here then down South.
As far as things I've seen so far...I know people are interested in hearing crazy stories!
I can't say too too much, because of confidentiality, but I'll give you an idea. There's been a dehydrated 2 month old, a few kids with breathing troubles, a Tylenol OD, a couple of really high blood sugars (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), someone with sepsis (a blood infection), someone who stepped on a nail, a heart attack, a few people with chest pain...those are really the most intense things I've been a part of since I've been here. I'm very, very thankful that I haven't been around for anything worse than that (although the heart attack is about as bad as you can get), but especially that I haven't been alone for most of it. I'm kind of terrified for the night that I'm on call and at home in bed when I get the call at 4:00 a.m. that someone like...I dunno, that something terrible has happened. Well, I keep reminding myself that I'm not alone...I always have another Nurse I can call, and there is a Doctor to consult with 24/7.
We had a really nice weekend here. I heard it was beautiful at home in Owen Sound too...up to 18 degrees?!?! Well, we had sun and 8 degree weather both days this weekend. It was
very uplifting to see the sun!! I consider each nice day a bonus at this point, it's just a matter of time before we are forced into hibernation!
OH, I JUST remembered that Elsie (a reception staff member at the Nursing Station) told me that a barge came in on the river today. I will have to go out tomorrow after work to see if it's still there. I doubt it will still be there, I got the impression that they come and go fairly quickly. DARN, I meant to go out after work today to take a look. Oh well, I guess it will come again sometime in the year that we're here.
Guess what...we're finally getting internet in our apartment!!! HOORAY!!!!!!!! I was told that the equipment for the satellite would get up here to Kash around mid-week this week, and then there is someone here that works at the Band Office who installs the equipment. It's expensive to get everything set up, but it will be so worth it when we have access to the world!! I can't wait to be able to go online whenever I want. I can't wait to write back to all of you that have been so great about writing to me...I really WANT to write back to you all, but in order to be online at this point I have to be over in the Nursing Station...at work...where I don't particularly want to be when I'm not working! Hehe, I promise I will be better about writing back when we have our satellite.
Oh, by the way...I am REALLY missing shopping!!! For those of you that recall, I pretty much went to the grocery store every single day back home. I LOVE grocery shopping. Honestly I just love being out in a store and surrounded by people. I promise I will never take access to fresh fruits and vegetables for granted, ever again! There are several problems with the store here. The produce is very limited, and the things we do have access to are fairly expensive, and not the greatest quality. AND, even if the produce was fresh and varied and inexpensive, the store hours are still very limited. It's open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. As you will know from my earlier posts, my regular workdays are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. You will also know that, until now, I have worked several Saturdays. That has made it pretty hard to get to the store. But Wes isn't crazy about grocery shopping, plus I LOVE going to any store that's available to me, so I still find the time to get there at least once a week, usually twice. Even though I complain, we really have everything we need here...we're not suffering, that's for sure.
Hmm...well I think I've run out of topics AND brain power for writing tonight. As usually, I will sign off by saying thank you for caring about me enough to read my blog, and that I love you all. Talk to you soon!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Swine Time
Here we are at the beginning of week #5. The past 4 weeks have been a flash and an eternity at the same time. The longer we're here, the more I am encouraged that I've stuck it out as long as I have, and I feel like I can do it. On the other hand, it DOES seem like it's been a long time, and I start to wonder how I'll make it through 11 times what I've been through already. But Wes is such a good supporter, so don't worry - he's keeping me together! And don't worry, I'm not really as jaded as this paragraph is making me sound. I'm just reflecting as I go.
So, I think it actually happened...I think we caught the flu. I got my flu shot on Wednesday (Oct. 28), but it was too little too late - I saw about 3 patients last Sunday and Monday (Oct. 25 and 26) who I thought might have strep throat, or a bad cold. This was before we knew there was any H1N1 in the community...so I wasn't wearing a mask. Turns out, the people I saw actually had the flu. So Friday (Oct. 30) I started developing the classic symptoms - cough, fever, headache/muscle aches, stuffy nose, sore throat...I pretty much covered them all! Working 12 hour days this past Saturday and Sunday probably didn't help my recovery much, so I'm still a little tired and weak. But unfortunately, as I'm on a slow mend, Wes has gotten pretty sick too. He doesn't think it's the flu, but considering both of our symptoms fit the definition, AND I know I've been exposed to people with it, I'm almost positive that we can officially say we got the dreaded H1N1. Thankfully we'll be ok though! All the cases we've seen up here have been pretty mild, so I'm sure we'll both be back to normal in no time.
The snow that we got about a week and a half ago melted completely. Hooray!! We had another little ground covering this morning, but it's gone too. Overall it's actually been fairly mild here the past couple of days. I think it got up to about +9 Celcius on Saturday. We have a thermometer that I'm looking at right now...it's 10:48 p.m. and +1.3 C. Not too shabby for November 2nd, and not too much different than it is at home, right? I'm sure we'll start seeing the difference sooner than we'd like, but I'll take all the "warm" weather I can get! :)
So I was thinking, I bet the Christmas decorations/merchandise have started to come out (hopefully still in SMALL quantities!) in the stores. I think I will miss that this year! Well, I'm finding that I'm missing a lot of what's going on in the "mainstream". It's amazing how big an impact surroundings and social interractions have on my mood/feelings/outlook, and how much I took for granted at home. I knew I would learn a lot about myself and about all of this during my time here, but it's still interesting to actually sit and think about it.
I know everyone is curious about the things I'm seeing in the clinic, and I promise that will be my next posting! For now, I think it's bedtime again. Ciao, for now!
So, I think it actually happened...I think we caught the flu. I got my flu shot on Wednesday (Oct. 28), but it was too little too late - I saw about 3 patients last Sunday and Monday (Oct. 25 and 26) who I thought might have strep throat, or a bad cold. This was before we knew there was any H1N1 in the community...so I wasn't wearing a mask. Turns out, the people I saw actually had the flu. So Friday (Oct. 30) I started developing the classic symptoms - cough, fever, headache/muscle aches, stuffy nose, sore throat...I pretty much covered them all! Working 12 hour days this past Saturday and Sunday probably didn't help my recovery much, so I'm still a little tired and weak. But unfortunately, as I'm on a slow mend, Wes has gotten pretty sick too. He doesn't think it's the flu, but considering both of our symptoms fit the definition, AND I know I've been exposed to people with it, I'm almost positive that we can officially say we got the dreaded H1N1. Thankfully we'll be ok though! All the cases we've seen up here have been pretty mild, so I'm sure we'll both be back to normal in no time.
The snow that we got about a week and a half ago melted completely. Hooray!! We had another little ground covering this morning, but it's gone too. Overall it's actually been fairly mild here the past couple of days. I think it got up to about +9 Celcius on Saturday. We have a thermometer that I'm looking at right now...it's 10:48 p.m. and +1.3 C. Not too shabby for November 2nd, and not too much different than it is at home, right? I'm sure we'll start seeing the difference sooner than we'd like, but I'll take all the "warm" weather I can get! :)
So I was thinking, I bet the Christmas decorations/merchandise have started to come out (hopefully still in SMALL quantities!) in the stores. I think I will miss that this year! Well, I'm finding that I'm missing a lot of what's going on in the "mainstream". It's amazing how big an impact surroundings and social interractions have on my mood/feelings/outlook, and how much I took for granted at home. I knew I would learn a lot about myself and about all of this during my time here, but it's still interesting to actually sit and think about it.
I know everyone is curious about the things I'm seeing in the clinic, and I promise that will be my next posting! For now, I think it's bedtime again. Ciao, for now!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
First Month Almost In
Hi! Sorry I haven't posted a message in awhile...we've lost the internet connection that we were picking up, so I'm not able to spend nearly as much time online. We are still looking into getting our own satellite though, and there might actually be a way for us to connect to the Nursing Station's connection after all. Either way, we will have internet again soon...hopefully! I know Wes is going a little crazy without it!
I finally got a chance to meet my Manager on Monday. Her name is Cheryl...I had talked to her several times on the phone before I got here, but hadn't had a chance to meet her in person. She's very nice! She came up for a couple of days for meetings and stuff, and left this afternoon (she lives in Ottawa). I got a chance to sit down and talk to her a little bit about my experience so far, and about my learning plan for work. Even though I still feel very far behind and pretty dense half the time, I keep being told that I'm doing really well and that I'm right on track...so I guess that's good news! It's really great to get that feedback and know that I'm not failing!
The clinic is very busy, but I love it! I get to see lots of really nice people, for lots of different things. It's a really great atmosphere. It makes me know for sure that I would love to be a Nurse Practitioner in a clinic someday. The Emergency and on-call shifts, on the other hand, are way more outside of my comfort zone. I get so nervous when I'm on call at night by myself...even though I know that the other Nurses are just moments away from the clinic and the Doctor in Moose Factory is just a phone call away. I just hope that as I keep learning my confidence will increase...I know it will. I think I know more than I realize, it's just a matter of having the confidence to know that what I'm thinking and what I'm doing are right!
So, I haven't heard much about what's going on with H1N1 in the South, but we're starting to treat for it here. I've seen quite a few people with flu-like symptoms over the past couple of days...I just hope I don't get it! I got the vaccine today...actually my arm is REALLY sore tonight! But don't let that stop you from getting the shot. It's worth a sore arm to avoid the fever, aches, sore throat, etc. that come with the flu. Our H1N1 vaccine clinic is next week, so I'm sure I will be busy giving lots of needles!
I can't believe Halloween is on Saturday! I don't even have any ideas for costumes for Wes and I...maybe we'll just have to wear each other's clothes and go as each other! Haha, at any rate, we'll just have to get very creative. Or I could be very uncreative and I could go as a Nurse...but that's just no fun at all. Any ideas???
We're still getting along well with everyone here. We had a movie night on Saturday night with the Teachers and some Nurses. And we've still been walking...although not so much since it snowed on Saturday. Actually I don't think we've been for a walk since Friday...blah. I need to get on the treatmill...especially since I'm now on my 2nd 4L container of ice cream!! Anyways, Wes is apparently having a "guy's night" tomorrow night with Andy (Paramedic) and Steve (Teacher), and I'll probably go hang out with the girls. And then we're going to be judges for the Halloween costume contest on Saturday night. Lots of fun, and lots to keep us busy!
Well, I guess that's all I have to update right now. Thanks for the suggestions of what to write about! Haha Teresa, I'm still trying to come up with some answers to your very philosophical questions! And I know Dad said he was going to post some discussion topics, although I'm writing this before I've checked my blog. I will check it tomorrow morning when I post this, and then my next posting will be about whatever you've asked.
I love you everyone! Once again, thank you all so much for all of your well wishes, love, and support. xoxoxoxo
I finally got a chance to meet my Manager on Monday. Her name is Cheryl...I had talked to her several times on the phone before I got here, but hadn't had a chance to meet her in person. She's very nice! She came up for a couple of days for meetings and stuff, and left this afternoon (she lives in Ottawa). I got a chance to sit down and talk to her a little bit about my experience so far, and about my learning plan for work. Even though I still feel very far behind and pretty dense half the time, I keep being told that I'm doing really well and that I'm right on track...so I guess that's good news! It's really great to get that feedback and know that I'm not failing!
The clinic is very busy, but I love it! I get to see lots of really nice people, for lots of different things. It's a really great atmosphere. It makes me know for sure that I would love to be a Nurse Practitioner in a clinic someday. The Emergency and on-call shifts, on the other hand, are way more outside of my comfort zone. I get so nervous when I'm on call at night by myself...even though I know that the other Nurses are just moments away from the clinic and the Doctor in Moose Factory is just a phone call away. I just hope that as I keep learning my confidence will increase...I know it will. I think I know more than I realize, it's just a matter of having the confidence to know that what I'm thinking and what I'm doing are right!
So, I haven't heard much about what's going on with H1N1 in the South, but we're starting to treat for it here. I've seen quite a few people with flu-like symptoms over the past couple of days...I just hope I don't get it! I got the vaccine today...actually my arm is REALLY sore tonight! But don't let that stop you from getting the shot. It's worth a sore arm to avoid the fever, aches, sore throat, etc. that come with the flu. Our H1N1 vaccine clinic is next week, so I'm sure I will be busy giving lots of needles!
I can't believe Halloween is on Saturday! I don't even have any ideas for costumes for Wes and I...maybe we'll just have to wear each other's clothes and go as each other! Haha, at any rate, we'll just have to get very creative. Or I could be very uncreative and I could go as a Nurse...but that's just no fun at all. Any ideas???
We're still getting along well with everyone here. We had a movie night on Saturday night with the Teachers and some Nurses. And we've still been walking...although not so much since it snowed on Saturday. Actually I don't think we've been for a walk since Friday...blah. I need to get on the treatmill...especially since I'm now on my 2nd 4L container of ice cream!! Anyways, Wes is apparently having a "guy's night" tomorrow night with Andy (Paramedic) and Steve (Teacher), and I'll probably go hang out with the girls. And then we're going to be judges for the Halloween costume contest on Saturday night. Lots of fun, and lots to keep us busy!
Well, I guess that's all I have to update right now. Thanks for the suggestions of what to write about! Haha Teresa, I'm still trying to come up with some answers to your very philosophical questions! And I know Dad said he was going to post some discussion topics, although I'm writing this before I've checked my blog. I will check it tomorrow morning when I post this, and then my next posting will be about whatever you've asked.
I love you everyone! Once again, thank you all so much for all of your well wishes, love, and support. xoxoxoxo
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Keeping My Chin Up
Well, here we are in our third week in Kash, and we're quite settled. All of our boxes arrived on Friday (Oct. 16), so Wes is happy as a clam with his Playstation. And I'm really happy to have a better selection of clothes, and my books/personal belongings. It's really nice to have things that remind me of home and make me feel more comfortable.
I've been really challenged with the work here so far. There is SO much to know...the human body is a complicated, complex thing. I'm learning more and more every day, and I hope that someday I will actually be confident in my judgment and decision making. But, considering I've only been here for 2.5 weeks, I've come a long way. I've done lots of daytime clinics, where we do lots of prenatal visits (I LOVE doing the doppler test to hear the baby's heartbeat), and see lots of sore throats, earaches, colds, etc. Then I've had some on-call time, which is basically Emerge. People come in with abdominal pain, chest pain...all kinds of stuff. This is the part that still makes me the most nervous. I've never though of myself as an "Emerge" kind of girl, so I have LOTS of learning to do in that department. I think it'll be a really good experience, but I can still see myself wanting to be a Nurse Practitioner in a clinic setting when I get home.
I've had my ups, and I've definitely had some downs, but I think all in all I'm having a good experience so far. Wes is being so supportive of me (especially when I feel really overwhelmed after a busy day at work), and I've met some really great people that I can talk to at work. It's a little difficult to see people coming and going so often...like I mentioned in an earlier post, there's lots of coming and going. Most Nurses don't stay for any more than 4 weeks at a time, and then they leave. It's hard because you build friendships with people and then they're gone...but mostly I've found it especially hard to watch people so excited to go home and see their families, knowing that I would feel the exact same way if I were able to go. I miss everyone so much!! It will be so, soooo great to see you all when I come home though, and that thought keeps me moving forward.
Thanks to any of you that are still reading this and thinking of me! Rest assured, I am thinking of each of you too.
Hopefully we'll have pictures to upload soon...well we have the pics, just need to get them on here!! I'll keep working on it. Also, make some comments on my page if there's anything you're curious about that I haven't written yet...it's hard to decide what to write about, and I could use some suggestions!
Well, off to bed. Love you!
xoxo
I've been really challenged with the work here so far. There is SO much to know...the human body is a complicated, complex thing. I'm learning more and more every day, and I hope that someday I will actually be confident in my judgment and decision making. But, considering I've only been here for 2.5 weeks, I've come a long way. I've done lots of daytime clinics, where we do lots of prenatal visits (I LOVE doing the doppler test to hear the baby's heartbeat), and see lots of sore throats, earaches, colds, etc. Then I've had some on-call time, which is basically Emerge. People come in with abdominal pain, chest pain...all kinds of stuff. This is the part that still makes me the most nervous. I've never though of myself as an "Emerge" kind of girl, so I have LOTS of learning to do in that department. I think it'll be a really good experience, but I can still see myself wanting to be a Nurse Practitioner in a clinic setting when I get home.
I've had my ups, and I've definitely had some downs, but I think all in all I'm having a good experience so far. Wes is being so supportive of me (especially when I feel really overwhelmed after a busy day at work), and I've met some really great people that I can talk to at work. It's a little difficult to see people coming and going so often...like I mentioned in an earlier post, there's lots of coming and going. Most Nurses don't stay for any more than 4 weeks at a time, and then they leave. It's hard because you build friendships with people and then they're gone...but mostly I've found it especially hard to watch people so excited to go home and see their families, knowing that I would feel the exact same way if I were able to go. I miss everyone so much!! It will be so, soooo great to see you all when I come home though, and that thought keeps me moving forward.
Thanks to any of you that are still reading this and thinking of me! Rest assured, I am thinking of each of you too.
Hopefully we'll have pictures to upload soon...well we have the pics, just need to get them on here!! I'll keep working on it. Also, make some comments on my page if there's anything you're curious about that I haven't written yet...it's hard to decide what to write about, and I could use some suggestions!
Well, off to bed. Love you!
xoxo
Monday, October 12, 2009
FOOD!!
Hello! Things are still going well up here...nothing really new to report. We were out for a walk this afternoon and it started freezing raining/snowing! I guess we have to expect that eventually though. At least there's nothing staying on the ground yet...I talked to a woman in Winnipeg the other day who said they have 4 inches there already!! I'll definitely let you know when we get our first good snowfall.
So, one of the things I was most curious about when we were getting ready to come up here was the cost of food...soooo, I thought I should share that information with you now that I've done some grocery shopping! Just as a general idea...we payed $13.59 for a bag (4L) of milk, $11.19 for a 4L container of Chapman's ice cream (haha yes, I DID splurge on ice cream!), $3.59 for a loaf of the cheap no-name bread, $17.39 for a 2kg box of Minute Rice, $9.99 for a 3 lb bag of macintosh apples...you get the idea. We haven't splurged on pop or chips or Delissio pizzas or cheese yet...those things are expensive. But don't get me wrong, some things are not all that bad...we bought a pretty yummy no name frozen pizza for $5.65, which satisfied our pizza cravings. And eggs and meat are not that much more expensive than at home. Go figure, I would have thought those would be the worst things to ship! But we HAVE found our way around the food issue a little bit. There is a grocery store in Timmins that will ship food orders here, and even with shipping costs added on, the food is much cheaper to buy that way. We're expecting our first food order to come in
tomorrow (hopefully it does, we're running out of food again!). It's kind of exciting waiting for things to be shipped in...it's like Christmas all the time!! I think I'm definitely coming to appreciate everything more when it's not as easy as just driving across town to buy it.
Well, that's it for tonight. I will post something in the next few days with more details about what kinds of things I'm dealing with in the clinic so far. Goodnight!
So, one of the things I was most curious about when we were getting ready to come up here was the cost of food...soooo, I thought I should share that information with you now that I've done some grocery shopping! Just as a general idea...we payed $13.59 for a bag (4L) of milk, $11.19 for a 4L container of Chapman's ice cream (haha yes, I DID splurge on ice cream!), $3.59 for a loaf of the cheap no-name bread, $17.39 for a 2kg box of Minute Rice, $9.99 for a 3 lb bag of macintosh apples...you get the idea. We haven't splurged on pop or chips or Delissio pizzas or cheese yet...those things are expensive. But don't get me wrong, some things are not all that bad...we bought a pretty yummy no name frozen pizza for $5.65, which satisfied our pizza cravings. And eggs and meat are not that much more expensive than at home. Go figure, I would have thought those would be the worst things to ship! But we HAVE found our way around the food issue a little bit. There is a grocery store in Timmins that will ship food orders here, and even with shipping costs added on, the food is much cheaper to buy that way. We're expecting our first food order to come in
tomorrow (hopefully it does, we're running out of food again!). It's kind of exciting waiting for things to be shipped in...it's like Christmas all the time!! I think I'm definitely coming to appreciate everything more when it's not as easy as just driving across town to buy it.
Well, that's it for tonight. I will post something in the next few days with more details about what kinds of things I'm dealing with in the clinic so far. Goodnight!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
First Week In!
Wow, it's been a very eventful week! It feels like we've been here for longer on one hand, but I'm also surprised that a week has already flown by. I'm thinking that we'll be aiming for our first trip home sometime in mid-January, which is in 13 weeks. Considering how quickly the first week went, January will be here in no time!
We've gone out for walks around the dyke a few more times...today we went around twice! Apparently it's 5.1 km, so we're definitely still getting our exercise! Today has been a BEAUTIFUL day...well, it's a sunny, cloudless sky. It's pretty chilly though - the thermometer outside our apartment says it's 8, but it's very windy, probably close to freezing with the wind chill.
We've made some friends already. Stasia and Andy are a couple that have been here for about a year. Stasia is a Public Health Nurse, and Andy is the Paramedic for the community. Then there's Becky and Steve, who are teachers. We just met them today, but everyone here is very nice, and everyone is looking for friends and something to do during off time! We're all meeting over at Stasia and Andy's tonight to hang out and play some games. There's also a plan to have a potluck Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with all the Nurses and the Teachers that are still here (many of the Teachers went home because apparently next week is "goose week" - which I can only assume means goose hunting, and that the students get the week off to go hunting). We're definitely making the best of the isolation...it's amazing how much there still is to do. The experience really is what you make of it, and there's always something fun or productive to do!
The clinic is still very busy. I can't remember if I ever outlined the clinic schedule/setup in my other posts, but I don't think I did. The clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. Then Monday to Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday there is always a "Primary On-call" Nurse
We've gone out for walks around the dyke a few more times...today we went around twice! Apparently it's 5.1 km, so we're definitely still getting our exercise! Today has been a BEAUTIFUL day...well, it's a sunny, cloudless sky. It's pretty chilly though - the thermometer outside our apartment says it's 8, but it's very windy, probably close to freezing with the wind chill.
We've made some friends already. Stasia and Andy are a couple that have been here for about a year. Stasia is a Public Health Nurse, and Andy is the Paramedic for the community. Then there's Becky and Steve, who are teachers. We just met them today, but everyone here is very nice, and everyone is looking for friends and something to do during off time! We're all meeting over at Stasia and Andy's tonight to hang out and play some games. There's also a plan to have a potluck Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with all the Nurses and the Teachers that are still here (many of the Teachers went home because apparently next week is "goose week" - which I can only assume means goose hunting, and that the students get the week off to go hunting). We're definitely making the best of the isolation...it's amazing how much there still is to do. The experience really is what you make of it, and there's always something fun or productive to do!
The clinic is still very busy. I can't remember if I ever outlined the clinic schedule/setup in my other posts, but I don't think I did. The clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. Then Monday to Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday there is always a "Primary On-call" Nurse
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Settling In
Well, Wes and I have been here for 2 full days now, and we're definitely settling in. We've been talking to some of the other nurses here and are now getting some of the tips and tricks that makes living here easier. We'll actually be getting our internet arranged soon (hopefully!)...it's satellite so it'll be slow, but better than nothing! Once our belongings that we shipped get here, we'll be good to go.
The clinic is very busy! I'm working on my orientation plan, and I am slowly starting to feel more comfortable. Hopefully I'll be up and running soon, cause I'm sure the other Nurses would appreciate my help. The Nurses change over very quickly (or so it seems). Right now, as I understand it, there are two full-time Nurses here (including the Nurse in Charge), and then the rest are made up of Agency Nurses...they work for different Agencies that send them out to whatever Northern post needs someone at any particular time. Of the 4 that I am working with this week, 2 are leaving on the weekend. They have been here for about 4 weeks...and the other two that got here the same day as me leave Oct. 23rd, so there really is lots of turn around.
Wes and I went for a walk tonight with Priscilla and Stacia, who are the two Public Health Nurses here. There's a dyke that goes all the way around the community, so we got to see the whole area. Apparently it's about 5-6 km long, and it took us about an hour to walk the whole thing. The weather is nice, but a little cool and cloudy. I think it's been about 5-10 degrees...no rain though.
I've taken some pictures, but I guess we can't upload them til Wes' computer gets here. I will post them as soon as I can, so that you can see what it's like here! I'm sure that there will be more eventful things as the days goes on, so I'll keep writing :)
The clinic is very busy! I'm working on my orientation plan, and I am slowly starting to feel more comfortable. Hopefully I'll be up and running soon, cause I'm sure the other Nurses would appreciate my help. The Nurses change over very quickly (or so it seems). Right now, as I understand it, there are two full-time Nurses here (including the Nurse in Charge), and then the rest are made up of Agency Nurses...they work for different Agencies that send them out to whatever Northern post needs someone at any particular time. Of the 4 that I am working with this week, 2 are leaving on the weekend. They have been here for about 4 weeks...and the other two that got here the same day as me leave Oct. 23rd, so there really is lots of turn around.
Wes and I went for a walk tonight with Priscilla and Stacia, who are the two Public Health Nurses here. There's a dyke that goes all the way around the community, so we got to see the whole area. Apparently it's about 5-6 km long, and it took us about an hour to walk the whole thing. The weather is nice, but a little cool and cloudy. I think it's been about 5-10 degrees...no rain though.
I've taken some pictures, but I guess we can't upload them til Wes' computer gets here. I will post them as soon as I can, so that you can see what it's like here! I'm sure that there will be more eventful things as the days goes on, so I'll keep writing :)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Made It!!
Hello from Kashechewan! It's our first night here...we don't have an internet connection in our apartment yet, but I managed to pick up a signal, so I thought I would write a quick message.
The flight was pretty uneventful...although I got a little nauseous after the 4th take-off and landing! We started in Toronto, stopped in Timmins...then Timmins to Moosonee, Moosonee to Fort Albany (didn't have to get off the plane here), and Fort Albany to Kash. I met one of the other Nurses on the plane, who is here with her sister (also a nurse) for a month. So we all got picked up in a truck from the airport, and got dropped off at the Nursing Station. We quickly met the Nurse in Charge, Leah, who assigned us to an apartment and gave us keys. So Wes and I brought all our stuff in and got settled.
We have Bell Satellite T.V., and pretty much everything we need here. Except for food...HAHA! We weren't thinking that we would be flying in on a Sunday, so overlooked the need for food for the first night. The Northern Store is closed on Sundays, so we couldn't go shopping! Well, we found some frozen sausages in the freezer here, and some dry spiral pasta in the pantry...and we brought tea bags with us, so we've had a few cups of that (without milk, but there WAS some sugar in the pantry!)...yes, even Wes has been drinking tea!
Well, that's really all I have to update for now...I'm sure I'll get an orientation to the Nursing Station tomorrow, and Wes and I will go explore the store and probably take a walk around the community. Tonight we just focused on orienting ourselves to our apartment.
So far it's good! Kash has quickly changed from a mystery to a reality, and I'm sure that we'll keep learning as the days go on. I have some pics, so I'll post them and try to write again soon.
Miss everyone already...love you all!!
The flight was pretty uneventful...although I got a little nauseous after the 4th take-off and landing! We started in Toronto, stopped in Timmins...then Timmins to Moosonee, Moosonee to Fort Albany (didn't have to get off the plane here), and Fort Albany to Kash. I met one of the other Nurses on the plane, who is here with her sister (also a nurse) for a month. So we all got picked up in a truck from the airport, and got dropped off at the Nursing Station. We quickly met the Nurse in Charge, Leah, who assigned us to an apartment and gave us keys. So Wes and I brought all our stuff in and got settled.
We have Bell Satellite T.V., and pretty much everything we need here. Except for food...HAHA! We weren't thinking that we would be flying in on a Sunday, so overlooked the need for food for the first night. The Northern Store is closed on Sundays, so we couldn't go shopping! Well, we found some frozen sausages in the freezer here, and some dry spiral pasta in the pantry...and we brought tea bags with us, so we've had a few cups of that (without milk, but there WAS some sugar in the pantry!)...yes, even Wes has been drinking tea!
Well, that's really all I have to update for now...I'm sure I'll get an orientation to the Nursing Station tomorrow, and Wes and I will go explore the store and probably take a walk around the community. Tonight we just focused on orienting ourselves to our apartment.
So far it's good! Kash has quickly changed from a mystery to a reality, and I'm sure that we'll keep learning as the days go on. I have some pics, so I'll post them and try to write again soon.
Miss everyone already...love you all!!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Get Ready...Get Set...
Well, it's the morning of Saturday October 3rd...and I'm sitting at my apartment in Owen Sound. Due to a series of crazy, confusing events, we're actually leaving tomorrow morning for Kashechewan (I was told Sept. 30, then Monday Oct. 5, then Thursday Oct. 8, and now we've landed with Sunday Oct. 4!). I feel like there are still quite a few things to be done before we leave, but I know that it'll all get done. We're heading to the UPS store when it opens at 9 to get all of our belongings shipped up, and then home to move everything still left in the apartment. I know this day is going to fly by!
I'm still not sure what is waiting for us at the other end, I just hope that there is a place for us to live! I suspect that we won't have an internet connection right away, so I will have to blog on paper until I get to a computer. The next few days are going to be full of new experiences and new information, and I plan on journalling it all.
Well, off to get the UPS boxes ready to go. More to follow asap!
I'm still not sure what is waiting for us at the other end, I just hope that there is a place for us to live! I suspect that we won't have an internet connection right away, so I will have to blog on paper until I get to a computer. The next few days are going to be full of new experiences and new information, and I plan on journalling it all.
Well, off to get the UPS boxes ready to go. More to follow asap!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Welcome!
Hello, and welcome to my first blog! I really have no idea if there's a technique to writing a blog, so I'm just going to write as if I were writing an e-mail to someone, and hope that it's ok.
I'm still waiting for my official start date, so no news yet. I'm feeling excited, and nervous, but mostly just looking forward to a new challenge.
Talk to you soon!
I'm still waiting for my official start date, so no news yet. I'm feeling excited, and nervous, but mostly just looking forward to a new challenge.
Talk to you soon!
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