In a few short weeks the 2010 Winter Olympics will begin, and I can hardly wait. I love the energy surrounding the Olympics – getting people together from all over the world in one place, at one time. Canadians from coast to coast to coast are getting fired up for the games. This, in part, has been made possible by the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, which is bringing the Olympic flame to over 1, 000 Canadian communities.
The torch even came into our little city of Owen Sound. Over 3,000 people came out on a cold, blustery night to celebrate. My own daughter got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing for the torch – her choir sang a beautiful song composed by Canada’s own Gregory Charles. This very song was performed by nearly 200 other choirs in similar ceremonies across the country.
There is only one small problem with this torch relay that I can see. I don’t mean to be a Negative Nelly, but something in the paper got me all worked up yesterday. It seems that some of the corporate sponsors of the Torch Relay have been giving their torch-bearer positions to their American executives. We all know how things work in the corporate world. But, this is one area where corporate kick-backs shouldn’t be allowed. We’re not talking about stealing pens and paperclips from the storage closet. This is stealing experiences from the Canadian people.
A previous RBC press release stated: “12,000 Canadians will carry the flame across the country at their own pace with millions more cheering and supporting them.” Meanwhile, on Day 44 of the relay, six RBC employees from the U.S. took part in our relay. Maybe their press release really should have said, “Buy a chance to carry the torch!” I wonder how many Canadians applying to be torch bearers were turned down? Apparently, out of the 12,000 torch bearers, 200 are American citizens. I know it’s not a huge percentage – but if the tables were turned, what would happen if a Canadian got caught participating in an American torch relay? We all know how they feel about torture…oops, was that out loud?
Yes, I do realize that I’m over-reacting. I just get fed up when Americans steal our thunder. I’m as polite as any Canadian girl. If someone accidentally steps on my toes, I’ll be the one to apologize. But, maybe it’s time to stop being the “nice” country. In my meanest of mean thoughts, I have a little fantasy. When that Texan carried the torch during the Timmins to Sault Ste. Marie leg of the relay, I hope that it was -30 with a windchill of -40. I also hope that a “not so nice” Canadian told him that in the north, we don’t kiss the torch, we lick it…right on that really cold metal part!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Undone
Sarah found a new game to play, and it’s based on the children’s TV show “Big Comfy Couch”. She pulls all of the books/toys/videos from their shelves and says, “Who made this mess? ME?! I better clean it up…it’s only fair!” Cute…I know. But there’s a glitch. When she cleans it up, instead of putting all of this stuff where it belongs, she sticks it behind a chair in the family room. It was adorable the first time…after about 20 times it’s becoming a lot of work - for me.
That brings me to my major annoyance this week. No matter how hard I work, nothing ever seems to be done. When I was working in the nursing world, I had tasks to do that could actually be completed. I would dress a wound, chart, report any problems, and then I would be done…on to the next task. Even if that task was, say, an enema or a catheter, I would be happy to help. Mainly because I was getting paid, people were appreciative (for the most part), and I wouldn’t have to do it over and over again.
Since I’ve been staying home with my kids, I’ve been really missing the feeling I get when I complete a task. I just don’t get the same sense of satisfaction when I finish a load of laundry, because there are usually a few loads waiting for me. When I’m cleaning the bathroom upstairs, chances are good that someone is peeing on the floor in the other bathroom. And, as I’m washing the floor in the front hall, I can be sure that one of the kids is walking through the back door with muddy boots…or God forbid they step in something much nastier.
I hope as the kids get older, keeping the house clean will get easier. By then they’ll be able to pitch in. Maybe I’ll have a chore chart stuck on my fridge, and they’ll all follow it religiously. I’ll be careful not to give indoor tasks to the girls and outdoor tasks to Ryan. (I hate it when people assume that girls should be doing the dishes and boys cutting the grass.) They’ll do their own laundry, and actually put it away. They’ll always hang up their coat in the closet and put their boots on the tray. Before going to bed every night they’ll make sure their room is tidy, and before they leave in the morning their bed will always be made.
If I really want them to do this, I should probably try doing it myself, first.
That brings me to my major annoyance this week. No matter how hard I work, nothing ever seems to be done. When I was working in the nursing world, I had tasks to do that could actually be completed. I would dress a wound, chart, report any problems, and then I would be done…on to the next task. Even if that task was, say, an enema or a catheter, I would be happy to help. Mainly because I was getting paid, people were appreciative (for the most part), and I wouldn’t have to do it over and over again.
Since I’ve been staying home with my kids, I’ve been really missing the feeling I get when I complete a task. I just don’t get the same sense of satisfaction when I finish a load of laundry, because there are usually a few loads waiting for me. When I’m cleaning the bathroom upstairs, chances are good that someone is peeing on the floor in the other bathroom. And, as I’m washing the floor in the front hall, I can be sure that one of the kids is walking through the back door with muddy boots…or God forbid they step in something much nastier.
I hope as the kids get older, keeping the house clean will get easier. By then they’ll be able to pitch in. Maybe I’ll have a chore chart stuck on my fridge, and they’ll all follow it religiously. I’ll be careful not to give indoor tasks to the girls and outdoor tasks to Ryan. (I hate it when people assume that girls should be doing the dishes and boys cutting the grass.) They’ll do their own laundry, and actually put it away. They’ll always hang up their coat in the closet and put their boots on the tray. Before going to bed every night they’ll make sure their room is tidy, and before they leave in the morning their bed will always be made.
If I really want them to do this, I should probably try doing it myself, first.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Merry Christmas To You...Oops!
I love this time of year – the beginning of the holiday season. In the first week of December we get out our Christmas decorations, each one evoking a special memory. We sing our favourite Christmas carols and bake delicious cookies and squares. It is also the time of year that people like to share their treats with friends…and when Ryan has had his only “food accidents” at school.
The first accident happened in the day-care Ryan was attending three years ago. The children were sitting down for snack and a well-meaning volunteer gave him a cookie - a very easy mistake to make. When you have a lot of different staff members and the occasional volunteer, it’s easy to overlook someone with a food allergy. I have to say that apart from this incident, this daycare handled allergies incredibly well. The week before the “accident” I attended a meeting, where I trained the entire staff to use the Epi-Pen and explained the extent of Ryan’s allergies. They posted a form on the wall that included a picture of Ryan, the foods he is allergic to, and our action plan. Unfortunately, the volunteer did not see this form. But…accidents happen, and fortunately for Ryan, this time his reaction was limited to nausea.
The second mistake was in Ryan’s JK class. One of his friends brought a tray full of delicious Christmas cookies to school. The teacher was standing on the other side of the room as the tray was being passed around the lunch table. Ryan picked up one of the irresistible cookies, and as he put it to his lips the teacher remembered he shouldn’t be eating it. She yelled out, “Ryan, NO!!”, but it was too late. He took one bite of the cookie, and after a few seconds he threw up all over himself. When I came to pick him up a few minutes later, he was feeling much better. His teacher, on the other hand, felt absolutely awful. I explained to her that Ryan is on a learning curve – he needs to learn that he can’t always eat what everyone around him is eating. This must have been a good lesson for him, because he hasn't had one since.
Relief…that is what I felt after each of these accidents. I thought it would be fear, but it was mostly relief. I was relieved that Ryan’s reactions were relatively mild – and I was also relieved that Ryan had made a mistake in the first place. For those few seconds, when he was in awe of this beautiful Christmas cookie, maybe he forgot that he is an “allergic kid”.
The first accident happened in the day-care Ryan was attending three years ago. The children were sitting down for snack and a well-meaning volunteer gave him a cookie - a very easy mistake to make. When you have a lot of different staff members and the occasional volunteer, it’s easy to overlook someone with a food allergy. I have to say that apart from this incident, this daycare handled allergies incredibly well. The week before the “accident” I attended a meeting, where I trained the entire staff to use the Epi-Pen and explained the extent of Ryan’s allergies. They posted a form on the wall that included a picture of Ryan, the foods he is allergic to, and our action plan. Unfortunately, the volunteer did not see this form. But…accidents happen, and fortunately for Ryan, this time his reaction was limited to nausea.
The second mistake was in Ryan’s JK class. One of his friends brought a tray full of delicious Christmas cookies to school. The teacher was standing on the other side of the room as the tray was being passed around the lunch table. Ryan picked up one of the irresistible cookies, and as he put it to his lips the teacher remembered he shouldn’t be eating it. She yelled out, “Ryan, NO!!”, but it was too late. He took one bite of the cookie, and after a few seconds he threw up all over himself. When I came to pick him up a few minutes later, he was feeling much better. His teacher, on the other hand, felt absolutely awful. I explained to her that Ryan is on a learning curve – he needs to learn that he can’t always eat what everyone around him is eating. This must have been a good lesson for him, because he hasn't had one since.
Relief…that is what I felt after each of these accidents. I thought it would be fear, but it was mostly relief. I was relieved that Ryan’s reactions were relatively mild – and I was also relieved that Ryan had made a mistake in the first place. For those few seconds, when he was in awe of this beautiful Christmas cookie, maybe he forgot that he is an “allergic kid”.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wake-Up Call
I’m very glad to say that we’re all feeling better now. The flu hit our household hard – Jason was the only one that didn’t get it. Rebecca took the brunt of this illness, having a temperature over 39.6 degrees Celsius (between 103 – 104 degrees for our American friends) for four days. After a week and a half she’s starting to build up her stamina, and her trademark appetite is almost back to normal.
Seeing how brutal this virus was on our otherwise healthy daughter, I was really afraid of how it would affect Ryan. For a few days before the H1N1 vaccine was available to high-risk individuals, I was on the phone trying to find a way for him to safely get the vaccine. I was hoping that someone in town would be able to do a skin test with the vaccine to see if Ryan would have a reaction. Unfortunately, only allergists are able to do skin tests. As much as I love living in a small town, our access to specialists is really lacking. When we lived in Peterborough, we had a fantastic allergist that wanted to see Ryan three to four times per year. After moving to Owen Sound, we were referred to an allergist in Kitchener-Waterloo (which is two hours away from us), who only wanted to see Ryan when he needed to have allergy testing.
Here’s the deal – Ryan hasn’t been tested in three years. There is a good chance that his food allergies may have changed and I don’t even know for sure if he still is allergic to eggs. I hope that he’s not, but no one in their right mind would give him that vaccine without doing the appropriate tests. This was a real wake-up call for me – we really need to get this boy tested again. H1N1 will not be the last pandemic…there will be others. If we want to do as much as possible to protect him, we need to know what allergies we are dealing with.
Luckily for us, we have a fantastic nurse practitioner. She happened to call us on the afternoon that Rebecca’s temperature spiked and we were in her office two hours later. While it was too late for Rebecca to take an antiviral medication, our nurse gave me a prescription of Tamiflu for Ryan just in case he got the flu as well. This was the back-up plan I was hoping for. Sure enough, two days later Ryan’s temperature hit 39.6 degrees Celsius. We filled the Tamiflu prescription, and Ryan’s temperature was back to normal a few hours after the first dose. His only symptom of the flu was a loose cough…incredible. We may have won this battle, but now I’m preparing for an even greater one – convincing Ryan to get tested again.
Seeing how brutal this virus was on our otherwise healthy daughter, I was really afraid of how it would affect Ryan. For a few days before the H1N1 vaccine was available to high-risk individuals, I was on the phone trying to find a way for him to safely get the vaccine. I was hoping that someone in town would be able to do a skin test with the vaccine to see if Ryan would have a reaction. Unfortunately, only allergists are able to do skin tests. As much as I love living in a small town, our access to specialists is really lacking. When we lived in Peterborough, we had a fantastic allergist that wanted to see Ryan three to four times per year. After moving to Owen Sound, we were referred to an allergist in Kitchener-Waterloo (which is two hours away from us), who only wanted to see Ryan when he needed to have allergy testing.
Here’s the deal – Ryan hasn’t been tested in three years. There is a good chance that his food allergies may have changed and I don’t even know for sure if he still is allergic to eggs. I hope that he’s not, but no one in their right mind would give him that vaccine without doing the appropriate tests. This was a real wake-up call for me – we really need to get this boy tested again. H1N1 will not be the last pandemic…there will be others. If we want to do as much as possible to protect him, we need to know what allergies we are dealing with.
Luckily for us, we have a fantastic nurse practitioner. She happened to call us on the afternoon that Rebecca’s temperature spiked and we were in her office two hours later. While it was too late for Rebecca to take an antiviral medication, our nurse gave me a prescription of Tamiflu for Ryan just in case he got the flu as well. This was the back-up plan I was hoping for. Sure enough, two days later Ryan’s temperature hit 39.6 degrees Celsius. We filled the Tamiflu prescription, and Ryan’s temperature was back to normal a few hours after the first dose. His only symptom of the flu was a loose cough…incredible. We may have won this battle, but now I’m preparing for an even greater one – convincing Ryan to get tested again.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I Think We've Got 'It'
Well…I think we’ve got ‘it’. I have been obsessing about ‘it’ a lot lately. Perhaps ‘it’ was circling the area looking for someone to infect, when ‘it’ saw little old me. I was telling my friend about ‘it’ (again) and she got that glazed-over look in her eye and gave the dismissive “mmm” as she turned back to read her magazine. I think ‘it’ might have felt sorry for me and wanted to put me out of my misery. But instead of focusing on me, ‘it’ chose to infect my first born. Cruel…I know. 'It' chose me next, then Ryan, and then Sarah. I don’t know if 'it' is H1N1 or some other rogue virus, but I’d just like to get ‘it’ over with.
At least we’re all sick at the same time. I don’t have to pack any lunches this week and I don’t have to rush anyone out the door with threats. We can even sleep a little bit later in the morning. (Which is helpful because Ryan had 3 nosebleeds last night and I spent the remainder of the night with Sarah sprawled across my chest.)
While we were sitting around the house, doing nothing but being sick, I learned a few things today. The first being that daytime TV really is as terrible as everyone says. We watched about ten minutes of the Wiggles on Treehouse - a show I haven’t seen in a few years. I didn’t realize that the yellow Wiggle is a totally different guy now. It used to be a goofy guy named Greg, and now it’s a broadway-ish guy named Sam. Hmm…just goes to show that if a Wiggle can get the boot, there really is no such thing as job security.
Here’s the second thing I learned today- I have poor judgement when I’m sick. I’m ashamed to say that I let a six year old watch “A Christmas Story”. I started to regret this choice after Ryan watched that poor kid stick his tongue to the frozen flag pole. (I made Ryan promise he would never do the same – or convince anyone else to do it, either.) I felt more regret after Ralphie dropped the phony f-bomb. Ryan looked at me with wide-eyes and asked, “Was that the f-word?” Thankfully, Ryan doesn’t really know what the f-word is. And …I felt total regret when Ryan laughed uncontrollably at Ralphie beating up Scut Farkus. Maybe Ryan is watching too much hockey.
Even if we do have ‘it’, we seem to be getting a little better each day. By Monday, Ryan and Becca will be able to go back to school and we might be getting a decent amount of sleep at night. Even though Ryan couldn’t have the vaccine, and the rest of us couldn’t get the vaccine in time, I think we’re going to be just fine.
At least we’re all sick at the same time. I don’t have to pack any lunches this week and I don’t have to rush anyone out the door with threats. We can even sleep a little bit later in the morning. (Which is helpful because Ryan had 3 nosebleeds last night and I spent the remainder of the night with Sarah sprawled across my chest.)
While we were sitting around the house, doing nothing but being sick, I learned a few things today. The first being that daytime TV really is as terrible as everyone says. We watched about ten minutes of the Wiggles on Treehouse - a show I haven’t seen in a few years. I didn’t realize that the yellow Wiggle is a totally different guy now. It used to be a goofy guy named Greg, and now it’s a broadway-ish guy named Sam. Hmm…just goes to show that if a Wiggle can get the boot, there really is no such thing as job security.
Here’s the second thing I learned today- I have poor judgement when I’m sick. I’m ashamed to say that I let a six year old watch “A Christmas Story”. I started to regret this choice after Ryan watched that poor kid stick his tongue to the frozen flag pole. (I made Ryan promise he would never do the same – or convince anyone else to do it, either.) I felt more regret after Ralphie dropped the phony f-bomb. Ryan looked at me with wide-eyes and asked, “Was that the f-word?” Thankfully, Ryan doesn’t really know what the f-word is. And …I felt total regret when Ryan laughed uncontrollably at Ralphie beating up Scut Farkus. Maybe Ryan is watching too much hockey.
Even if we do have ‘it’, we seem to be getting a little better each day. By Monday, Ryan and Becca will be able to go back to school and we might be getting a decent amount of sleep at night. Even though Ryan couldn’t have the vaccine, and the rest of us couldn’t get the vaccine in time, I think we’re going to be just fine.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Vaccine Dilemma
It’s everywhere…you can’t pick up the newspaper or turn on the radio without being bombarded with news about H1N1. Even the internet is swimming with information about this nasty virus, which seems to be hitting young people particularly hard. Although this form of flu has already sickened thousands and killed close to one hundred people across the country, people are very suspicious of the H1N1 vaccine. I can understand people’s confusion – there is a lot of conflicting information out there.
I just finished reading a fantastic discussion called “H1N1 Myth Busters” on The Globe and Mail site (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/h1n1-swine-flu/h1n1-myth-busters/article1340101/), where readers posed questions to Dr. Michael Gardam of the Ontario Agency of Health Protection and Promotion. He states that all credible data support the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. The only difference from the regular flu vaccine is the adjuvant, which helps your immune system give a better response. This adjuvant has been used by millions of people around the world. Dr. Gardam explains that the adjuvant is made of two natural fats: vitamin E and squalene, which is a compound that we produce in our bodies. So, it doesn’t seem like a big risk to me. One other aspect of vaccines that makes people nervous is the use of the preservative thimerosol. Some groups claim that thimerosol has been linked to autism – a claim that has never been upheld with prudent scientific process. Thimerosol contains a very small amount of mercury. Dr. Gardam reports that there is more mercury in a can of tuna than in a typical vaccine.
It’s a personal decision, but it seems like a no-brainer to me. The risk of taking the H1N1 vaccine for the average person is small compared to the risk of the virus itself. But we’ve got a dilemma to consider that some families don’t have to worry about. Since Ryan is allergic to eggs he has never had a flu shot before, as they are often cultured in eggs. So, we have to decide if it will be more dangerous to give Ryan the flu shot or leave him unprotected against this flu that may hit his asthmatic lungs very hard.
The way I see it, we’ve got one option - to take Ryan to a vaccine clinic for high risk individuals and ask if they can do a skin challenge before we give him the needle. I hope they won’t think I’m one of those crazy, pushy moms. I promise to be nice…
I just finished reading a fantastic discussion called “H1N1 Myth Busters” on The Globe and Mail site (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/h1n1-swine-flu/h1n1-myth-busters/article1340101/), where readers posed questions to Dr. Michael Gardam of the Ontario Agency of Health Protection and Promotion. He states that all credible data support the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. The only difference from the regular flu vaccine is the adjuvant, which helps your immune system give a better response. This adjuvant has been used by millions of people around the world. Dr. Gardam explains that the adjuvant is made of two natural fats: vitamin E and squalene, which is a compound that we produce in our bodies. So, it doesn’t seem like a big risk to me. One other aspect of vaccines that makes people nervous is the use of the preservative thimerosol. Some groups claim that thimerosol has been linked to autism – a claim that has never been upheld with prudent scientific process. Thimerosol contains a very small amount of mercury. Dr. Gardam reports that there is more mercury in a can of tuna than in a typical vaccine.
It’s a personal decision, but it seems like a no-brainer to me. The risk of taking the H1N1 vaccine for the average person is small compared to the risk of the virus itself. But we’ve got a dilemma to consider that some families don’t have to worry about. Since Ryan is allergic to eggs he has never had a flu shot before, as they are often cultured in eggs. So, we have to decide if it will be more dangerous to give Ryan the flu shot or leave him unprotected against this flu that may hit his asthmatic lungs very hard.
The way I see it, we’ve got one option - to take Ryan to a vaccine clinic for high risk individuals and ask if they can do a skin challenge before we give him the needle. I hope they won’t think I’m one of those crazy, pushy moms. I promise to be nice…
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Mad Rush
Twenty years from now, I hope my children won’t remember what I was like between 8 and 9 a.m. This is the hour of the day when I morph into the maniac that is hell-bent on getting them ready for school – and getting them to school on time.
I’m in my fifth year of this mad rush – and we’re getting marginally better at it. I seem to be yelling a tiny bit less and we haven’t been late this year…yet. We put in an awful two years to get to this point, though. One morning in particular comes to mind. I had already put out Rebecca and Ryan’s clothes for the day, and Sarah was still asleep. I told the kids to get dressed while I ran upstairs for a shower. After twenty minutes I came downstairs to find that instead of getting dressed, the kids had gone into the basement and opened up a box of holiday stuff. This was apparent to me because Ryan was running around the house in his underwear and a pair of antennae-like shamrocks on his head. You know the kind…they’re attached to a head-band by springs and they bounce when you move around. I completely lost it, though it seems funny now. I can still remember how he looked when he saw me – he stopped running and was standing statue-still – except for the shamrocks bouncing up and down over his head.
To make matters worse, I was nagging at the kids so loudly that I didn’t hear a knock at the front door. As I was turning to give one of the kids the ‘hairy eyeball’ my gaze, instead, met the eyes of my neighbour, Sean. I think I might even have been pointing at him, too. I know…it was shameful to be giving threatening looks to my kids, and possibly even more embarrassing to get caught by another adult. It took me a few days before I could look Sean in the eye again.
According to my favourite parenting guru, Barbara Coloroso, nagging doesn’t work. Instead, I should let the kids feel the effects of the natural consequence of being late for school. I wonder what the principal does to kids that are consistently late. I’m sure he wouldn’t yell…and he’s probably above giving dirty looks, too. (Although I’m secretly curious how he gets his own kids to school on time.) Maybe someday I'll let him handle this little problem. But, that will have to wait until the day that I stop caring what everyone would think of ME if my kids are late for school…
I’m in my fifth year of this mad rush – and we’re getting marginally better at it. I seem to be yelling a tiny bit less and we haven’t been late this year…yet. We put in an awful two years to get to this point, though. One morning in particular comes to mind. I had already put out Rebecca and Ryan’s clothes for the day, and Sarah was still asleep. I told the kids to get dressed while I ran upstairs for a shower. After twenty minutes I came downstairs to find that instead of getting dressed, the kids had gone into the basement and opened up a box of holiday stuff. This was apparent to me because Ryan was running around the house in his underwear and a pair of antennae-like shamrocks on his head. You know the kind…they’re attached to a head-band by springs and they bounce when you move around. I completely lost it, though it seems funny now. I can still remember how he looked when he saw me – he stopped running and was standing statue-still – except for the shamrocks bouncing up and down over his head.
To make matters worse, I was nagging at the kids so loudly that I didn’t hear a knock at the front door. As I was turning to give one of the kids the ‘hairy eyeball’ my gaze, instead, met the eyes of my neighbour, Sean. I think I might even have been pointing at him, too. I know…it was shameful to be giving threatening looks to my kids, and possibly even more embarrassing to get caught by another adult. It took me a few days before I could look Sean in the eye again.
According to my favourite parenting guru, Barbara Coloroso, nagging doesn’t work. Instead, I should let the kids feel the effects of the natural consequence of being late for school. I wonder what the principal does to kids that are consistently late. I’m sure he wouldn’t yell…and he’s probably above giving dirty looks, too. (Although I’m secretly curious how he gets his own kids to school on time.) Maybe someday I'll let him handle this little problem. But, that will have to wait until the day that I stop caring what everyone would think of ME if my kids are late for school…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)