Good To Be Home But What An Experience......

OK so here it is the grand finale.......well sort of.
I have posted these pictures and I guess I have posted them from most recent to oldest. The picture to the left is the picture of Thunder Bay as I flew into the city to catch the plane to Toronto and then off to Ottawa...home. I am home now and it all seems so surreal. I am very glad to be home missed all that is here that you can well imagine. The last two days of my experience was really spent in the air aside from



Thursday night. I flew from Bearskin Lake to Summer Beaver via, Big Trout Lake, Wipekeka and Sioux Lookout. The next picture to the left is a picture I saw flying out of Summer Beaver to Thundrer Bay at a place called Lansdowne House. The church was located on that island and the homes quite a piece on the mainland. I thought it looked pretty cool. Again I am telling the story a bit backward. I got into Summer Beaver at about 5 pm and went to visit a



couple people that I had met before. Sophie was the lady in the earlier pictures that was making moccasin's. She made me some moccasins so I went to see her to pick them up and she was so happy to see me. We had a nice visit. She had told me that her husband had been killed in the airplane crash that I had written about earlier. Her son works at the Nurses Station and the picture I posted below she wanted me to show her son, she was pretty pleased. I also spent




some time with Elijah as he was working the night shift. I of course wanted to go and watch the sunset one last time at my favorite spot at summer beaver.

So the picture to the left is Summer Beaver from the air.





And another one on the left of summer beaver from the air.










Just a peak from the window when we took off from Summer Beaver.










Picture of me and Elijah and Don (from the health centre, Summer Beaver) Elijah came up to the airport to say goodbye to me.. He was a really great person and I will miss him. What an artist he is so talented, I have a few of his pieces and he is truly gifted. Elijah and I spent Thursday evening learning how to use Skype....so hopefully it will work.







Another picture of Don and Elijah.......











So this is a picture of a school bus at Summer Beaver he morning I was leaving. Things are a little greener as you can see than the last pictures I posted from here. There were no leaves on the tress or very little.






This is a picture of Sophie with one of the slippers she made for me. She is such a sweet lady. We chatted for a bit and although she was not fluent in English knew enough that I could understand. She told me that it took a long time to put the decals on the slippers and very little time to sew them together.




The picture to the left again is Summer Beaver now the second time I am here nice and green. I had another offer to go fishing Thursday night as I was walking through the community two gentleman stopped in a truck and asked me to go fishing with them. They said hey do you want to go fishing.......I was quite excited but Rob was in the back of mind saying don't take any chances play safe.......so I declined. I did not know who



they were but soon found out. They told me thatone was the Chief of the Band council and the other was a council member. I am sure I would have been safe but for some reason was not as sure as with Elijah.

The picture to the left is of the sunset at Summer Beaver. I went down to watch and as I said before I am getting out in the nick of time. The mosquitoes are really bad now. I had to wear a


hat that someone bought me for my birthday and yes I looked like a freak but the bugs were well lets say dry...

Nice pic again of the sun setting in summer beaver.







Here is a picture of Bob Yellowhead an artist of Summer Beaver that I had met on my first visit and came back to see him. Here he is with hi little girl. He has about 5 kids and is a great dad. I have watched him interact with his children and he is quite loving and caring. Anyway Bob made me a few items and I have taken a picture of him with them.





Another pic of Summer Beaver in the green more summer looking then when I left.









A picture of the topography across from Bearskin Lake to Summer Beaver.









Artwork at the Nurses Station at Bearskin Lake.











Ok I put this picture here to tell you about another sad thing that occurs here in the North. As you see in the picture we have an expectant mother coming to board the plane as we were going to Sioux Lookout from Bearskin Lake. All expectant mothers must leave the community at 37 weeks often leaving husband and/or other children behind until after the birth. Another seperation from their families.



This is a picture of Bearskin Lake from the air. See how all communities are located on the lakes well hard to aoid up here I guess.









A picture at the Bearskin airport before we boarded. See the Tikenagan on the ground that someone was bringing back to the community. I saw a couple new mothers coming back from having their babies.







OK the next few pictures are of my fav's sunset. These are all of Bearskin Lake a spot that I had to walk only but 6 minutes to get to. What beautiful sunsets.

Please take the time to comment after reading this blog for the last time. I would like your feedback and to know if you were reading along. I am back in Ontario for my last 6 weeks of placement at a Family Health Team. August 9



write my final University Exam an Oct 22 write my Canadian National Exam. I have enjoyed sharing my experience with and am sad to end the blog now. I have enjoyed reading your comments an in fact that was one factor that lead to me continue to journal my experience in this blog.






Sunset Bearskin Lake










Sunset Bearskin Lake

Back at Summer Beaver shooting the breeze with Elijah.....

I cant post any pictures tonight because dont have time to download but I promise to do this as soon as I get home. I have so many interesting pics to share and my favs of some more sunsets. Spent tonight visiting with those I had spent some time with here before. I have been chatting with Elijah and he has told me a few things about the blog. He told me the pictures down below that had taken that looked like a dead birds feet. You would not believe it they are actually the jaw of a moose. Go back to the pictures and double click you can actually see where the teeth sit. He said the jaw is in two pieces and that is why it is deceiving. He also told me that the sign on the church that I wondered what it said look below on the left side. He told me that his late uncle made the sign and it said " knock and the door shall be open". Went back to my little piece of property and yes got one more pic of yet another beautiful sunset. Trip over to Summer Beaver was beautiful and great to see the place again. Yes Shardog I am excited to come home. Well check the blog over the weekend and you will see the the final pics of my trip. It is 1230 am and have to get up early but have a few more things to tell you so check in later. Take care and see you soon.

4 sleeps and counting........

Four more sleeps, well I am up really really late so maybe only three more for me. Had a busy weekend with various calls. Rainy and overcast all weekend. I thought I would post the pictures of the two stores located here. The one to the left is run by the band office and the one below is called the Northern Store. They are located directly across from each other. The Nothern Store only basically has food and other store run by the band has items such as clothing, jewlery, fishing items etc.


There was a very unfortunate incident that occured in a very close reserve Big Trout, a murder on Sunday. A 20 year old mother of two was shot in the face. I guess it happened in the wee hours of the am and drugs were involved. So sad but extremely prevalent here.

Very busy day at the clinic today and up late doing homework.....I did have a break and watched the sunset tonight over the lake it was breathtaking. The skys in the North are amazing. I had seen some pics from one of the nurses here of the Northern lights, it was unbelievable. They are viewed in the fall and early winter months. I did take some more pictures to share but I cant post the pics until I go to Summer Beaver on Thursday night but stay tuned have I got a few good ones for you. I will post on thursday night the 19th of June. My final post will be from home sending yout the final picutures of my last days, minutes and seconds....... I have been talking to Elijah from Summer Beaver and he is working night shift on June 19th so will be nice to see him at the clinic. Oh yeah you should have seen me tonight. I have been having lots of fun down at the water walking along jumping from rock to rock. Up until tonight I have done this without a soaker but tonight not one but two, fell off the rock right into the water up to my knees and it is COLD. I also think I am leaving in the nick of time because the mosquitoes are starting! Anyway take care and talk soon!

Six Days and Counting........

Just a few more pictures to share. Have been quite settled into the work here now. Some busy days and some slow days. I have taken in the experience and have truly learned a great deal both culturally and professionally. Completing all aspects of care has helped to solidify much of what I need to know.

I do know that this is just the beginning for me and that there is much more to learn and look

forward to the future challenges. The weekend is upon me and will see what kind of patients we see the first one this evening was a gastro, IV bolus and gravol and away you go. I will post likely Sunday and maybe one or two more times next week. Thursday I am going back to Summer Beaver for a last sunset on my favorite piece of property. Can only hope for sunshine. Friday am up and out by 1030 and back into Ottawa by 7pm. I am looking forward to coming home

but will have to start duty at the Giff rez unless for some miracle Rob is cured. So not to worry hun your private nurse is almost on her way....

Well take care and will talk to you soon.

The Feast Part III.............The vittals

Ok so here is the one I have promised....... the vittals.

Those of you reading late might want to start where you left off and follow in succession.






So to get the most out of these pictures click on them or double click on each and you will see the big version. The pot you see to the left is moose meet boiling of course with bones to get the marrow, yum yum. This is another picture of the moose and the pot to the left is a pot of odds and ends. So what did we have it the odds and ends pot. Beaver feet and tail and partridge.





Closer look at the odds and ends


I was not able to stay for dinner as my ride was leaving and the feast site was 15 min drive to the nurses station so too far to walk.











Partridge.













Beaver foot





















They had frooze this goose in the freezer with the feathers on. I have never seen this done before.
























Muskrat love?













Muskrat and whitefish











Whitefish











Another angle of white fish.

The Feast Part II...........

So what does the inside of a teepee look like anyway?

I thought you might be interested so I have taken a few pictures to show you. They are all built the same way and in the center of the teepee is usually the place for a fire. This is a different size in every teepee depending on how big you want




the grilling area. Chairs are placed around the fire and tables located in each for storage.
This is a woman that works at the clinic arranging telehealth. She was busy preparing food for the feast most of the weekend. Every day she cooked a variety of things. Today she was boiling moose meat, beaver, goose and frying hamburgs. She was also going to boil up some potatoes.





She told us some interesting facts about moss. I have posted a picture below of the moss she collected from the woods. The purpose of the
moss is to use much like a dish cloth or a paper towel. She said she washes her pots with this and it is very absorbant. She said this is very common and has been handed down for generations. She also told me that there is another moss type that is orange in colour that she used to dry, place in a




pillow case and use as a diaper for her children. She said the moss is very absorbant and that all people of her generation always used this form of diaper. The clinic was busy today. We have a physician here for three days to see outstanding issues and problems. The list is very long but only the most urgent can be seen on this visit. Patients are bumped from month to month in hopes of seeing the Doctor. Many of the chronic patients




need to be assessed by the physician for medication renewal etc. This is one area where NP's would be helpful in the North working in collaboration with the physician located in one of the base hospitals. the lists are so long that sometimes people just fall off and are forgotten. Currently the Northern Stations do not employ NP's but this is currently being looked at for implementation. Many medications that could be




prescribed by an NP requrie a physicians order often causing a delay for treatment. So a new model will soon be implemented. Saw some interesting cases today so just to review a few (this is for Wendy!). I had a three year old that the mother has noticed him limping for a week. She was concerned and did not know why this was happening. When I stripped the toddler down he was obviously knock knees which we would call genum valgus with it very pronounced in one leg more than another. Once I drew her attention to this she could see it very well. So this will requrie a consult.....I also had a severe cellulitis of the arm that required IV antibiotics another interesting history with the fella needing a translator. Very very difficult this history taking with an interpretor..... I have another woman I have been following for hematuria unrelated to infection (blood in urine) so great to do the investigation and follow up. To the left is a pic of the moss used as dish cloths just in case any of you are lost in the woods





and have to improvise.

More moss pictures......

Oh yeah forgot to tell you the pic above with the pots on the fire if you see the bread on the left it is bannock she has made for hamburg buns. You will remember my post on bannock bread and its history......




Put us right to work...

Elijah......can you tell us anything else that would be interesting...........


Ok on to Feast Part III the vittals......