We are now into the fourth week of school and as happens every year the Quinte Pediatrics Acute Care Clinic has become busier. As our children return to the company of their friends and head into another year of learning they tend to pass on those nasty germs to each other as well as bring them home to their siblings. At this time of year, prevention is the best medicine. Teaching children to cough and sneeze into their sleeve and of course wash their hands before eating and after using the washroom, as well as after they sneeze or cough[Read more...]
September is finally here again and I’m finding myself standing with my son by the side of the road waiting for his bus to arrive on the first day of school. I know it’s a bit weird for a parent of a 16 year old to be waiting for the bus with their son heading off to high school but we have done this every year since kindergarten. You see, my son is special! He has a hard time understanding and communicating. It is hard for him to understand what you are saying and often never says anything. If he[Read more...]
As part of my Bachelor of Science in Nursing I’m currently taking a Pediatric Critical Care course through the British Colombia Institute of Technology. Through the course, I participate in online discussions based on question prompts. Recently, one of the prompts asked us to discuss what family means to us. I thought I’d share my answer with all of you: I believe that family, whether it be one consisting of blood relatives, or one that is created by friends and companions, is the strongest component in the shaping of our lives. Our families help shape who we are and help[Read more...]
There’s no doubt about it: autumn marks more than just a new school year – it also means the beginning of the autumn cold and flu season. The month isn’t even half over and we’re already seeing lots of patients with cold symptoms, not to mention all the tweets and Facebook comments that pop up every time someone gets blind-sided by the sniffles. But colds and flu aren’t the only seasonal illnesses that thrive at this time of year. As we ease our way into autumn we also get closer and closer to RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) season and for[Read more...]
In the midst of a busy office recently, I reached the information-giving point in a patient appointment – the questions had been asked, the child examined, diagnosis made, treatment decisions reached. The final step was to summarize for the parents, or in this instance, grandmother. As I began to speak, Grandma reached for her smartphone and started recording notes. And the ground seemed to shake for a moment – in all the best ways. I am always pleased when patients take notes. When they don’t (and sometimes even when they do), I often make notes of my own to print[Read more...]
Well folks, the big day is finally here. It’s “Welcome Back” day here at Quinte Pediatrics for two great reasons! After a long (and hopefully very fun!) summer the kids are back to classes at most of the schools across Ontario today. It was hard to miss the rush of excitement and, for a lot of us, the anxiety in the air this morning (not to mention all of the kids everywhere!). Whether it’s your child’s first day of class ever or the start of their last year of high school, we wish each and every one of them a[Read more...]
