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 🙂
At Home With Us 
Oh, dear! I am susceptible to pneumonia and had it start last winter. We are blessed with a local emergency room I can (almost) afford when I need it as I am not on the medical plan yet in Canada. Our family doctor is willing to see me for a small fee. Not all doctors will take non-Canadian patients. I have to sign a waiver saying I won’t sue, but I wouldn’t sue anyway. Lab tests are too expensive, though.
I hope you feel better soon, and the drugs work quickly!
Sorry to hear you are sick. This yucky wet weather doesn’t help, grain stove or not. On the physicians side, there are about five viruses in Ontario right now that mimic pneumonia or bronchial infections. they are just viruses that need to wait their course. Doctors in the past have just prescribed anti-bionics for anything and they now know that they have been over prescribing and our systems have become enumne to them. Hopefully this doctor gave you the right dose. I find the 10 day one is the only one that works for me. I am sure Colin whipped up something cold from the fridge!
I’m fairly certain it’s pneumonia. It feels just like last time. That and the doctor did a chest x-ray. The prednisone is doing it’s trick, my cough is easing off already. I like the new antibiotic he’s trying too, it’s a once a day pill. I always have a hard time remembering to take multi-pills.
Colin made us spaghetti 🙂
You don’t have to convince me there is much disparity between clinics and doctors! M. and I went to the clinic today, he needed to see the Dr and I had to get labs done……neither was open. He had to book off work for the morning to go there, now he has to book off tomorrow. I don’t know if the clinic Dr will even be willing or able to deal with his health issue either. What I wouldn’t give to have our old GP back! (Moving to the city where he relocated isn’t an option though…)
Hope you are feeling better soon. There is a lot of respiratory stuff making the rounds and if you are already predisposed to lung issues you are going to be an easy mark!
I try to deal with the clinic. Dr. Davis is great, but he wasn’t in and the RNP is ok too. But it’s nice to know I can count on Renfrew hospital. ALL their doctors are great. And they get you in as fast as possible.
I think I’m feeling better. Coughing more than yesterday but then again Ella’s home so I’m talking more 🙂
I sure hope you get better soon! That French Onion soup ought to help, hot soup plus the antiviral properties of the onions AND it tastes good!! 🙂