Birthdays and a Clinic

No internet all day today. Funny I didn't care.

Three big birthday bashes this week : Canada, U.S.A , and Quebec City, all celebrating. Good article about them in the New York Times today.

Quebec having the biggie, 4oo years since it's foundation. My mother claims direct lineage to the original settlers. We did go to a big family reunion when it was the 375th anniversary and I have a book showing the genealogy. I laughed when I heard on the news it was raining in Quebec, only because every single time I've been there it's rained ! We are too many of us wrecks to have done the trip this time. It's also sad that so many of the family that were at the last party are gone now.

Went to the walk in clinic today to get a prescription for skin cream renewed. Have itchy red fingers again. Stressed related ? The place was empty so I got to see a doctor right away.

The receptionist handed me a list of family doctors who are accepting patients and advised me to get one. Why should I go to a doctor an hour from home when the clinic is around the corner? Besides, I find the idea of a family doctor is a bit out dated. It's not like when I was a kid and they actually made house calls. Now they order tests and hand out prescriptions just like the clinic does, and there's nothing very " family" about it. The only doctor who clued in that I might have MS, was the guy at the clinic . He ordered my first MRI. Compare that to my mother's GP, who told her her pains were in her head and she ended up needing emergency gall bladder surgery!

When I saw the doctor he repeated the exact thing the receptionist said, so maybe the Health Ministry is making them do it . I know the media keeps going on about how many hundreds of thousands of people don't have a family doctor. I'm sure many are like me and don't care.
I think it embarrasses the government though.

Have a great 4th my U.S friends. I"m going to watch the Boston fireworks in high def !