Canadian spring

We now find ourselves in the spring

We can see what the weather will bring

With the sun’s warming glow

Melting the snow

Sending geese north on the wing.

Synopsis: I’m a Family Practitioner from Sioux City, Iowa. In 2010 I danced back from the brink of burnout, and honoring a 1 year non-compete clause, traveled and worked in out-of-the-way places in Alaska, Nebraska, Iowa, and New Zealand. I followed 3 years Community Health Center work with a return to traveling and adventures in temporary positions in Alaska, rural Iowa, suburban Pennsylvania and western Nebraska. 2017 brought me adventures in Iowa, Alaska, and northern British Columbia. After a month of part-time in northern Iowa, a new granddaughter, and a friend’s funeral, I have returned to British Columbia.  Any identifiable patient information has been included with permission.

This part of British Columbia sits further north than the tail of Alaska. At this season, the sun rises early and sets late.  Temperatures at night drop barely below freezing, while during the day the dirty mountains of snow, accumulated from a winter of snow clearing  melt.

Two weeks ago despite temperatures above 0 Centigrade (32F) we had white-out grade snow falls that melted so fast they didn’t whiten the pavement.

When I picked Bethany up 10 days ago, we saw ducks and geese swimming in the melt at the edge of the lake ice.

We have cool, sunny days too warm for the lightest jacket I brought. I walked to work in shirt sleeves this week. Bicyclists come out in force on Sundays, about half wear shorts.

Trucks tow a lot of trailers here, and this week snow machines gave way to boats.

Last week I saw the first sunburn of the year, though from damage done much further south. I have started to sunscreen my face in the mornings.

This week I had a spirited discussion about how often moose collide with vehicles. I also filled out Workman’s Comp Insurance forms in cases so unusual and so uniquely Canadian that revealing details would reveal the patient.  But such great stories! No one would believe the truth if I wrote it as fiction.

I was seated at the nurse’s station on the hospital side when a Mounty came in. I greeted him with all the friendliness of a rural Midwesterner transposed to rural Canada.  After pleasantries he held up a sheet of paper and the nurse directed him to Medical Records.

Several times this last week I told patients not to expect medical improvement until they stopped alcohol/marijuana/meth. Each one needed follow-up and each one asked to do so with me.  Every single one expressed disappointment when I said that Immigration would arrest me if I didn’t leave the country on May 1.  Either the patients liked my approach or they’re extremely polite; the two are not mutually exclusive.

One evening as I finished documentation I noted with alarm that I had not seen the last patient on my list. I found him in the exam room, Canadian polite mixed with understandable anger.  I said, “This is my fault, no one else’s.  Do not blame the staff.  If you complain, complain about me.”  I called a couple of days later to apologize again.