HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-03-27, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2008.Continued from page 1however, Katie decided thatpondering the ‘whys’ was awaste of energy. “This is thelife we were given and wewill make it through.”
Mikayla started four, three-
week cycles of chemotherapy
at Toronto’s Sick Kids
Hospital on Feb. 5. These,
according to her mom, will be
followed by laser treatment
over the next few years in the
hopes of saving her life and
hopefully her vision.
“To see your perfect little
angel go through something
so terrible is the worst thing
imaginable,” said Katie.
However, she said, she and
Mike have made a promise
that they will never let
Mikayla see their pain. “We
are always playing, even at
the hospital. Mikayla is
always laughing having the
time of her life. We are
blessed that she has such a
fun, happy spirit.”
The family stays at Ronald
McDonald House during the
treatments. Katie has quit her
job to be with Mikayla. Mike,
too, has cut back on hours.
With income decreased,
plus the cost of travel from
their Waterloo home to
Toronto, there is obviously
additional stress on the
family, which is the reason for
the April 25 benefit in
Blyth.
Bev Blair, who is related to
Mikayla’s grandmother
Debbie Ansley, came up with
the idea which was soon
picked up by the Lions, of
which she’s a member. “We
are the Knights of the Blindand as Lions members we feltwe could do something,” saidBlair.The night begins at 7 p.m.with the silent auction,
followed by a dance. Tickets
are available by calling Blair
at 523-4964, Scott Bromley at
523-9716, Mark Nesbit at
523-4324 or by contacting
any Lions member.
Blair said that while there
may be tickets at the door,
they would prefer to sell them
in advance.
The Ansleys are already
grateful for the support. “We
are blessed to have such
wonderful family and
friends.”
And the horizon is looking
a little brighter as well. As of
March 22, Mikayla’s tumours
have shrunk to one third the
size they were.
Retinoblastoma can
however flare up until she
is about four, said Katie.
“So at any point between
now and then she could
lose an eye or have to go
through more chemo. We are
hoping and praying for the
best.”
“I ask that people keep
Mikayla in their hearts and
prayers. She has a long road
ahead of her. She is a very
strong happy little girl and
over the next few weeks she
will have gone through more
than most in their entire life,”
said Katie.
Tickets available for benefit from Lions
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A vision for a profitable, innovative, competitive, market-oriented
agriculture, agri-foods and agri-based products industry.
Little trouper
Mikayla Ansley of Waterloo, here with mom and dad, Katie and Mike, is currently undergoing
chemotherapy treatments at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer. Mikayla
is the granddaughter of Rod and Deb Ansley of Blyth. (Courtesy photo)
When should you go to the hospital
emergency room? Only go when your
situation is an emergency that is a threat to
life and/or limb – a severe illness or injury.
If an emergency exists, you need to go to
the closest emergency room (ER) or call 911.
Following are examples of emergency
situations when you should definitely go to
the ER:
• difficulty breathing
• difficulty moving or speaking or sudden
onset of dizziness
• unexplained drowsiness, disorientation,
loss of consciousness
• chest pain
• abdominal pain
• uncontrollable bleeding
• poisoning
• drug overdose
• broken bones (the necessity for an xray
will be determined by the ER physician)
• any accidents resulting in severe
traumatic injuries
• when you are in labor during pregnancy
• severe or worsening reaction to bee
stings, medications, bug bites, etc.
• lacerations (cuts) requiring sutures
(stitches)
• sudden, severe headache
• abuse/assault
• psychiatric disorders such as ideas of
suicide, hallucinations, etc.
If you are not sure if your illness or injury
is an emergency, call your doctor’s office and
speak with the on-call physician where
possible or access Telehealth (available 24
hours a day, seven days a week) at 1-866-
797-0000 or 1-866-797-0007 for those with
hearing and speech difficulties.
Some examples of illnesses/injuries that
can wait until you can speak/or see your
doctor are:
• head colds, chest colds, sore throats,
earaches
• not appropriate for ‘second’opinion visits
• menstrual and muscle cramps
• bruises, small minor cuts (not requiring
sutures/stitches) or minor burns
• rashes, dental pain, minor swelling
around joints
When you see an emergency room
physician, he/she will only treat the symptom
you have come to ER with and will not give
refills on prescription medications, narcotics,
etc.
All emergency room patients are assessed
on arrival by a registered nurse who will use
a very specific process called ‘triage’. This
nurse will determine, based on your
assessment, the urgency you require to be
assessed by the ER physician. If patients
more acutely ill arrive by ambulance or on
their own (from car accidents, with chest
pain, etc.) they could be/will be triaged at a
higher level and be seen first – this may very
well cause your wait time for the ER
physician to be delayed. Please be advised,
being seen by a physician in ER is not on a
“first come, first served” basis.
When you go to the emergency room,
please bring with you your health card, a list
of all medications (all prescription, over the
counter and herbal medicines) you are
currently taking including a record of
allergies, immunizations and other medical
conditions. This very important information
greatly assists the nurses and physicians in
assessing and treating you.
Caring For
You
When to use the emergency room
Submitted by the
Huron Perth
Healthcare Alliance
Emergency Room
Nurses
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