CT Scan

Life seems to be ticking by right now at an incredible pace, and I can't even keep up with this new thing called blogging, so every now and then, and this is a then time I just have to skip a piece of life and start on what is happening now. So today Monday it was off to Children's Hospital to get a CT scan on Sharleen. Her Specialist (and us) are hoping it will give us a few more answers to some questions. She did AMAZING...when they phoned for the initial appointment they asked if she thought she would need sedation, so of course I want to try it without, and the lady said they are allowed one go at trying and then it would be re-booked with sedation. So it was all or nothing Monday. I have learned that what works for her (with getting new ear molds and testing) is she can NOT have a stressed-out momma. If I have a crazy morning trying to get everyone out of the house to a babysitter and everything is rushed and tense, things do not go well. It is getting better over the last two years as she gets older, but it's up to me to be super on top of things not get tensed, and to try to laugh a lot. She loves to laugh. So after playing eye spy in the waiting room I was explaining as best I could what was going to happen ( I really didn't know too much either), and what she had to do, which was to lie real still and if she did a great job then maybe I would buy her something. She said she would want a DOG, what!!! that's way too much work right now,(for me) and then it was time to go in, so we never did carry on THAT conversation.

It was not totally smooth sailing, once they had me all decked out in lead covering ( she said they prefer not to have pregnant people in the room, and I never even thought about that when they phoned for the appointment) it was hands-on to the chair for dear life and not letting go. But the lady started showing her with a teddy bear what was going to happen and she wanted to go see, and then couldn't wait to jump onto the bed. We did have to do it twice since she moved a little, and then it was all done. She was glad to get her "treat" when it was all done.

This is the princess wand that she picked out of the goody basket at the hospital, for doing such a good job.
The drive there was OK, it was still stop and go for a bit and even though I left with plenty of time I was walking in the door at 1:00 and they had asked me to be fifteen min early, so I guess I was still a bit late. But anyway, on the long drive there, I was thinking how great it is that I don't even have to worry about how much money a CT scan costs. It is not a decision that has to be made as to whether we would spend the money on it or not. I remember when Timothy was born and the pediatrician was presenting us with the different options as to what to do, money was never a factor, ( leave him is Chilliwack even though they did not have the staffing or right equipment, but then we could all stay in hospital together, or leave Niessa in Chilliwack and transfer him to a level 3 care nursery but then they are on opposite sides of the valley, and that makes nursing really tough (ummm impossible together) and that was something that was really important to me, and Niessa could not be admitted to another hospital b/c she did not need a intensive care ward and could not be admitted to a regular ward b/c I did have her in that hospital) so it is really great that here in Canada when health care is needed it is covered. Yes, It does have major flaws and is missing, but today I was incredibly thankful that so much is covered.

It also made me think of a little conversation that happened while we were camping. Someone was mentioning all the good deals she got down in the States and how she had to buy another block of cheese up here that cost soooo much, and I very kindly said that she should get her health care down there too. (gulp) life is bigger then what is just always the cheapest for us. Then that can start another whole long conversation that I had with an American while I was down for my brother-in-law's wedding. " Is health care a right or a privilege?" I still am not quite sure about my answer. It is easy to think we demand or deserve this or that but the reality is that someone has to pay for it, and even though it would be nice if it would all (health care, etc.)be paid for by "someone else" it is still a responsibility to do our part in funding the benefits that are used by all. (or you just never know). A lot of the health care that I am so thankful to be on the receiving end of, I would never have thought I would have needed.