Unfortunately, we had to visit Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. Matthew wasn’t getting any better, so we packed up on Tuesday evening and headed to the Emergency Room. With all the flu and cold bugs going around during these mild weather conditions, we really hated the idea of going to the emergency room. The last thing we wanted was to bring home another bug from the hospital.

Since our last visit about two years ago, a lot has changed. There are now more hand sanitizers, face masks for children, and tissue boxes everywhere. The waiting area has been enlarged, with an air purification system installed above. I also noticed there is no smoking allowed on the hospital premises or nearby, which was refreshing. I’m very sensitive to secondhand smoke, and during my travels to Japan, I think I lost the first layer of skin on my face just from exposure to it.

While I saw a lot of improvements, I also continued to notice a lot of waste.

We arrived and only waited about 2 minutes before our number was called by the triage nurse – ‘35’. Two nurses attended to us: one asked questions and wrote everything down, while the other took vitals. On a side note, there’s always that one person in the waiting area who makes you wonder, “Why are you here?”

After triage, we waited a few minutes for registration before being moved to the Fast Track area. It was kind of ironic because it wasn’t as fast as we’d expected. I guess it all depends on the severity of the condition – the more urgent and known cases are the ones that get fast-tracked. If I recall correctly, we spent about an hour waiting. It seemed like a relatively good day in the emergency room, as I noticed that everyone appeared a bit more relaxed. It’s always easier to deal with things when there’s less stress involved.

While waiting, I remember noticing a purple-blue poster on the wall. The message was clear: wash your hands. Most germs are spread from hand to hand, and whoever said that touch can’t be powerful clearly didn’t realize it can also be dangerous. Oh, I get it now — the increased number of hand sanitizer bottles throughout the emergency room.

Well, that doesn’t stop the hospital from feeling a bit chaotic. The sanitizer bottles, face masks, tissue boxes, and reading materials like magazines are scattered around in every waiting area, making things look messy. Dirt and dust seem to float around, and I can’t help but think some microbes might be hitching a ride on the dust particles (okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme). I never touched any of the magazines that day, haven’t in the past, and likely won’t in the future. Instead, I just read the posters on the wall or, with the recent addition of TVs, watched them to pass the time and distract myself from the boredom—or even the worries.

Now, how about all the inventory of stuff? We live in a world that seems to need different tools for every task, and our lives are overwhelmed by all the things around us. I think hospitals face the same challenge. The sheer number of accessories needed to accommodate every possible need may not always be necessary. The rooms packed with supplies might be overkill—I think they could be reduced. And I don’t mean to shift the responsibility to the patients, but lately, it feels like everyone is trying to do just that.

Around 10:30 pm, we finally cleared the Fast Track area, and Doctor S dropped by our compartment. Matthew was diagnosed with a bacterial infection. Doctor S was very nice and knowledgeable. He explained the infection in detail, wrote down the medical terms, outlined the treatment, and prescribed antibiotics. We were relieved. It had turned into a good day after all.

Before Doctor S left to attend to another patient, he told the nurse to administer a double dose of antibiotics to Matthew. A few minutes later, she arrived with two syringes, holding them up high in the air. She carried them from the pharmacy all the way to Matthew’s mouth. I couldn’t help but hope that she didn’t stop to chat along the way and that those syringes stayed clean during their short journey. The medication was given orally.

Another side note: Google has become an interesting tool that doctors are recommending to patients. After explaining the diagnosis and medical terms, they often say, “Here, you can Google it yourself if you’d like to learn more.” I still remember when Matthew was born and cried a lot in his first couple of weeks. My family doctor told me to Google “colic,” but added that Matthew was too young to have it. I Googled it anyway, and instead of easing my worries, it scared me. After reading about colic, I convinced myself that Matthew had every illness imaginable. Eventually, I spoke with someone who had a little more common sense, and I realized Matthew was simply very hungry.

That day in the emergency room, we were relieved to have a clear diagnosis. The unknown is what really scares us. Matthew is doing much better now. On the way out, I observed even more, but I’ll save that for Part II of the post.

COMMENTS

Marvin said: January 9, 2012 at 12:41

“I hope Matthew gets better quickly! And don’t YOU get sick! Cool snail picture!”