Well, I Packed My Posse Into A Palanquin...

Yes indeed, yesterday's previously planned playtime (A to daycare, Gran & E & I to the yarn store, then Nectar for dessert) was reorganized.
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Instead, the posse* headed out for vaccinations. The original plans had been to get the seasonal flu vacc last week, then H1N1 this week. Of course, the original plan was also that I'd still be pregnant. Sooooo.... After some research, we revamped the plan, and the man, gran, A, E, & I all trooped off to Cochrane to get the flu shot there. (We're in the high risk group, because of A & E's age.) (And yes, I spoke with my doctor at length about it.)

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It took three hours. The man & gran spelled off waiting in line, & I hung out in the jeep** & dispensed crackers &/or milk as needed & or squalled for. In the end, A was very brave, and didn't freak out much over the needle. (Although she needs a booster in three weeks - ARGH. The line business had better be resolved by then.) The man & I got ours too - E is much too small to vaccinate, and she'll get my antibodies from nursing.

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Other than the three hours (which was still a HUGE improvement over wait times IN Calgary proper), my main frustration was that I'd been assured that we could get the seasonal flu shot as well. And lo & behold, it had been jiffy-markered out on the posters on the door. Super. The nurse I'd spoken too let me know that it had been cancelled as of 11:50am, about ten minutes before they opened. (Two hours after I called).

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It's hard to feel super reassured about our province's health care, when communication is so slap-dash, and the organization of the clinics seems so poor.

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(What? You don't think it's a little impractical to have children, pregnant women, and seniors*** all waiting outside in lines, in cold, windy weather?)

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On the other hand, we all have the H1N1 vaccine now. And in two weeks, it'll be fully effective.**** And the best part of the whole story is that I had the man and gran giving the posse full support. It would've been a full serving of awful, with a side order of hideous, if they hadn't been there.

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*L_____, I know that you'd commented that I have an entourage - but I like posse better. It implies more of an edgy, outlaw vibe. Entourage makes me think that we should all be wearing expensive ring-spun denim, and large sunglasses. Realistically, we're in slightly mismatched knit wear, with varying amounts of food &/or marker as decoration.

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**The jeep served as our palanquin, B____. I did try to find one, but palanquins & the nubile hunks to tote them are in short supply this close to Halloween. So instead, we took the jeep.

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***Today, that is who the radio says the high-risk groups are. Yesterday, it was different. And the Calgary Health Region's website says something different yet again.

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****Just in time to go & queue up again, for A's booster. I'm trying not to be super negative about this all, but JEEZ. The health nurse I'd talked to on the phone told me that because A had had flu vaccs before, she wouldn't need a booster.