Sunday, October 23, 2011

Sick Again

A little background information.  My Mom's family don't have good lungs.  Many of my cousins spent countless hours in the oxygen tents as children for croup and such.  We call it 'the Johnson' lungs.  Add to that my dad smoking all through our childhood.  So it's no surprise I have asthma.  And every time I get a cold it inflames the asthma and I can cough for literally months.

Fast forward to this week:

I got Ella's cold just before TOV but it didn't seem like much.  Then I started coughing.  By Wednesday it was awful.  It was painful just listening to me cough (let alone how I felt).  My voice was totally shot by Thursday.  So I decided to go to the Whitewater health clinic.  My RNP wasn't in so I saw one of the doctors.   She listened to my chest and said it was nothing.  It was just because I have the grain stove on -this is her excuse for everything, either the grain stove or my cats.  Never mind the fact that I got this cough in Bowmanville when I had NO cats and baseboard heaters!  I was rather concerned because this is just how my pneumonia started when I was in London at school.  It got misdiagnosed as laryngitis.


Now I will be the first to admit that our healthcare system isn't as good as it should be.  And anyone who thinks it's not two-tier and those with money get better service are kidding themselves and should see my medical expense file!

All that being said, I thank God that we live in Canada/Ontario.  I wasn't any better by Saturday so Mom packed me off to Renfrew hospital.  Boy I love the staff at Renfrew hospital.  I saw the doctor at emerg. and surprise surprise, HE sent me for a chest x-ray.  And guess what, I have the start of pneumonia.
I love that I can go to the doctor/doctors as many times as necessary to get the help I need.  I don't have to worry about the extra expense.  And if I need sent for tests I don't have to wait to find the money.  Yes, I have one heck of a drug bill from these two visits.  But at least we know what's wrong and have it in hand.
Gotta love socialized medicine!!


Mmmmmm, comfort in a bowl.  Home made French Onion soup.  I wonder what's the chance of Colin making supper  :)

1 comment:

Diann said...

Feel better soon, Paula! XOXO