I only have a week left in this village, and have been spending the day cleaning, and thinking of what to make with the food I have left over. All very exciting? Not really.
Went to the Northern store this morning and was surprised at how little what I needed cost, and also at what they had. I had tried to buy a small pack of SOS cleaning pads earlier in my stay, but there were only large packs. Today small ones were in, as well as very small packets of laundry soap. Also got red onions..still expensive though at about $6.00 a lb, alfalfa sprouts and good bread, which is $5.90 a loaf. That was all pretty amazing.
It is the end to a very challenging and fun week.
Last Sunday the ultrasound lady here was doing maternity ultrasounds for women from other villages. They were to have come here on Friday, but no planes were flying so they came on Saturday and she worked Sunday doing the ultrasounds. I was on first call, and was just taking my puppy, Kiska, out for a walk, when a call came in from her that one of the ultrasounds did not look good, and could I come in and talt to the mother. Of Course, since that is my job.
Went in, looked that the ultrasound and talked to the mother, and then tried to decide what needed to be done. Most referrals we do with Stanton Territorial hospital in Yellowknife, but for a detailed ultrasound this woman would need to go to Edmonton. Medical genetics and Maternal Fetal Medicine are also there. So women from villages here who have problem pregnancies go to Yellowknife (a two hour flight) to have their babies, or to see obstetricians. If there are any other types of problems they go to Edmonton, which is two or three flights, and four hours away. (It also has better shopping but most of the women here are pretty happy with what Wal Mart and other stores have in Yellowknife. And everyone brings back a big bow of Tim Hortons' donuts. Tim Horton's in Yellowknife is the most lucrative franchise in Canada!)
While they are out the Inuit women stay at Inuit boarding homes. Non Inuit women have to provide their own accomodation. Women who are government of Nunavut employees are put up in hotels. It is a very interesting system, that leads to lots of interesting differences. Women cannot take an escort (partner) with them unless they are under 17 years of age, or are having surgery. There are a few other reasons for them to take their partners, but those are the main two.
Just imagine going 4 hours away from your home, by plane, to have a baby, and doing it alone.
Cambridge Bay now has a birthing centre though, so residents of this town, who are low risk women can have their babies here. The birthing Centre is very nice, with lots of local art on the walls, and big rooms with lots of windows.
Spent time in the centre this week, trying to make the prenatal/emergency birth bag into a medevac bag. Was mostly successful. We need one more thing, in its own bag. That will probably come before I leave. We were also in the Birth Centre to have our pictures taken for the Nanatsiaq news, the Nunavut newspaper.
Monday I went to the office, and we had report, as always from 8:30-9:00. It is always useful, in this community, and often fun, as the people who work in the health centre are generally fun.
Then I started to make the referral to Maternal Fetal Medicine. In the south, usually, you fax a request with a consult letter, or often without even a consult letter. Not so here. You have to organize the appointment, the consult, the travel requesitions, the contacts where women stay. It took almost five hours to complete the process! Yes, most of the day on one thing! My learning curve went up dramatically on that day, but ended up feeling like it was an accomplishment.
Tues, Wed and Thurs afternoons we see clients. Actually here a lot of the women are high risk. Most smoke, although less than in other towns. Many are under 19, although may not be having their first babies. It makes the experience of being a midwife here very rich.
My favourite activity this week happened most days, and that was walking the puppy. It has been very wet here. Temperatures are not down to their usual -1 to -6 but have mostly been above 0. This means rain instead of snow. It also means mud. None of the roads are paved, and there is little grass except out on the tundra, and even there, we are far enough there, that there is mostly rock. Every time I take her out she needs a bath! It is a good thing she is very cute.
I had been given a crate to take her home, and thought I was all organized. This week I phoned Air Canada three times to organize her flight, with me from Edmonton to Vancouver. The first time Tuesday, I was on hold for 50 minutes and then had to hang up. The Second time, Wednesday I was on hold just over an hour, and had to hang up. Thursday was the exciting day when we had no communications, including internet, with the outside world because the satellite had turned away from Earth. Yesterday I finally got through, after only a few minutes, only to be told that the crate was too big to fit in the door of the airplane that was going from Edmonton to Vancouver.
So, last night I phoned Yellowknife and they are sending a crate, air freight, to me here. Puppy is going to be very expensive, just to get home.
The crate here will be left for another dog who needs to be rescued. There are lots, and many puppies. Actually discussed "Big Heart Rescue" with the women here who rescue a lot of dogs, as they might be able to start such a group in Yellowknife. Apparently the SPCA there can find homes for any Arctic puppies from the communities, but there is no way, yet, to send them to Yellowknife without paying. Big Heart has this part all sorted out in BC.
This week there were also two luncheons...one put on by the administration and catered and a potluck yesterday for Thanksgiving. It was fun yesterday with lots of food that even a vegetarian could eat! Monday was also fun, but not so much food for a vegetarian, or the three vegetarians here. In the three weeks so far, there have been three potlucks.
The other excitement this week was remembering that I had another season of "The Closer" here with me on dvd. Had been going to the library here which has a fair selection of dvd's, books, and Northern books, which I have been reading. Currently it is "Muskoxen of Polar Bear Pass", which is an old book, but very interesting, and yes, it is about Muskoxen. The library is a place a lot of this community really uses, especially perhaps because it is in the school.
Today there are two more things to do, unless I get called (on second call today). Go and walk Kiska and make vegetarian shepherd's pie! Have looked up the recipes on line, and now to make the mixture. Adzuki beans I brought with me, veggies bought, or were left here.
Friday will be an exciting day for Kiska, as she should be with me when we leave here, weather permitting, and arrive at her new home.
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