Health care

I have now worn glasses for so long that they are a part of me. I will never be saying - where are my glasses?

I remember going to the Shriners’ Circus in Montreal and not being able to see all the 3 rings. I also had trouble in school seeing what was going on.

I got contact lens over 20 years ago and I wore them consistently for a long time. Unfortunately now I have to wear reading glasses as well. I find this to be somewhat of a nuisance so I gave up the lens except when I am riding. With a riding helmet and all the dust the contact lens are more comfortable.

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Recently my left eye needed some extra attention. I went to my own ophthalmologist and he sent to a retinal specialist. I got a message that I was to be at the Riverside Hospital before 10:30 a.m. It was about 9:30 a.m. and I was in downtown Ottawa. It was a snowy day.

I got to the hospital in plenty of time. When I went into the parking lot I was getting concerned because there were cars driving around looking for a space to park. I joined the queue. In time I gave up and went and parked on a side street.

My adventures at the Eye Care Centre - Riverside Campus took almost 3 hours. When I eventually saw the specialist he found a small tear and used a laser to repair the tear. This medical technology is quite amazing.

When I was all done I was very satisfied with my treatment. It had been less than 48 hours since the problem had started. I was glad to find my car again and be on my way home.

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One of my earliest health care adventures I do not remember except that my parents told me about it. I was very little. My dad was left in charge of me. He was changing my diaper and I got curious and swallowed a safety pin. Fortunately it was closed. I was rushed to the doctor. My dad was in a panic. An X-ray was taken and the pin was clearly seen. It time it passed. I do not know how long it took my dad to recover from this adventure.

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I do not remember trips to the doctor when I was growing up. I think I must have been healthy. In those days you did not get all the vaccinations for the childhood diseases. I had 2 kinds of measles, chickenpox and mumps.

When I had the chickenpox I was kept out of school for 3 weeks but I had no holiday. My mom had arranged with my teacher to have my schoolwork sent home. I passed the chickenpox on to Kathi who was then attending kindergarten. Then all her class had chickenpox as well.

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Now my trips to my GP involve a lot of tests and followup for the test results. The results have always been satisfactory and those minor health issues I have are being taken care of. She apologized one time for sending me all over the city to different clinics and hospitals.