Street Level

Right smack dab on the H1N1 link posted online by the Interior Health Authority are the following words:

“See a health-care provider if your symptoms become worse, but call ahead of time to let them know you have a fever and/or a cough. You can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, 24 hours a day/seven days a week if you have more questions or if feeling ill.”

In fact, on the IHA home page is a highlighted box directing people to find out more about the swine flu that is supposedly a worldwide pandemic.

So, let me tell you about my attempt to find out if my son, who had been sick for several days with some of the symptoms listed on the IHA website as indicative of swine flu, might actually have the headline-creating disease.

Mindful of how contagious it is, I first called our family doctor’s office.

“Appointments. Please hold.”

I held. A while later: “Hello, how can I help you?”

I told her I’d like to run my son’s symptoms by the nurse to see if I should bring him in to see the doctor.

She transferred me.

“Nurse’s station. Please hold.”

I held. Another while later, someone picked up the phone and said: “You’re still on hold? Just a minute.”

The phone rang again.

Another woman answered.

She didn’t identify herself or what part of the clinic she was in, but demanded to know how I’d gotten her number and who had transferred me.

Sorry, I don’t know. I’m in telephone hell, apparently.

She asked who my doctor was, then transferred me again.

I held. And held. And held some more. And then I gave up.

On to the IHA office in Kamloops.

I asked to speak to a public-health nurse, again explaining I simply wanted to talk about my son’s symptoms because he had some, but not all, of the ones listed on the IHA website.

“Sorry, but all the nurses are in a meeting on swine flu.”

Figures.

“But you can call 811 and the nurses there can help you.”

Now that’s a good idea. Should have thought of it myself.

Punch in 811 and get a woman who asks the purpose of my call.

I tell her: “I just want to see if the symptoms my son has could mean he’s contagious.”

She gets all the relevant information — my name, stuff like that. It’s all starting to sound promising.

She tells me she’ll transfer me to a nurse who will ask the same questions, but that’s standard.

Okeydokey. Transferred to the nurse, I tell her I just want to ask about my son’s symptoms. He’s been sick for days, he has many of the ones listed for swine flu, but they could just as easily be a regular flu.

“Where is your son?”

I tell her he’s in bed, asleep, trying to get better.

But here are his symptoms.

She stops me. She can’t help me. My son has to call them. She can’t diagnose him without talking to him.

Don’t want a diagnosis, I protest. Just want to know if this list of symptoms I’m going to repeat to you should be causing me some concern.

Nope, she won’t talk to me about it. She goes on to say my son’s symptoms may have changed and she needs him to talk to her.

Now this is frustrating.

The IHA site says they’ll answer general questions and my general question is: “Are these symptoms — dizziness, aching, fever, some minor breathing issues — indicative of a possible swine flu case? I need to know so I can decide the best treatment for my son.”

But she won’t answer it. Instead, she tells me to take him to the emergency room.

“If he’s contagious, isn’t that a really dumb thing to do?” I ask her.

I decide to try the health unit one more time and finally get an answer — from the woman who answers the switchboard.

I tell her how frustrating my experience has been trying to get an answer and she relates that she had a similar experience. She took her daughter to a walk-in clinic, marched up to the counter and said those three little words: Maybe swine flu.

Masks were slapped on, they were taken into an examination room and saw a doctor pronto.

It figures.

Ask the health-care system for help it says it will give — given there’s this pandemic — and get the runaround.

You want the answer — talk to another mom.

dale@kamloopsthisweek.com

Posted by Dale at 6:04 p.m. Comments