A Mother's Day Tale

 

Mother's day morning dawned.  My plans had been: prosecco, cheese, fancy crackers, and take-out combined with extreme loafing involving HBO and Crave.  Instead, I was notified by email I may have been exposed to COVID.

I woke up to a message from a friend I’ll call -Liz -who I had a social distanced visit a week ago.  She had recently had the Pfizer vaccine but was developing what she thought were cold symptoms.   She tested positive for COVID.   I leaped out of bed and found a walk-in testing centre at Brewer Park.

I felt sorry for myself.   I had just wanted a day of irresponsibility.

The facility at Brewer Park is a well-oiled machine.  I was greeted, had my identity confirmed three times,  the testing process and isolation requirements explained to me.  A lovely nurse named Nancy explained the swab test to me and suggested if I hummed it would be less uncomfortable.  I have never had a swab so high up my nose --pretty sure it touched the bottom of my eyeball. 

Nancy had come out of retirement to do this and I am sure she and all the staff at the clinic would have preferred to have been with their families on Mother’s Day.  Thanks to the team there I was in and out in less than an hour.

I got my results in the middle of the night – negative (I don’t think I am the only person having trouble sleeping these days).  I still have to quarantine until May 17, but at least I have a nice house to hang out in.

I am so grateful for all the health care workers who are going above and beyond the call of duty when I am sure they’d rather be relaxing on Mother’s day too.

Thank you thank you thank you to the staff at Brewer Park for an unconventional Mother’s day. Thank you health care workers in Ottawa and across the country.  And thanks for the quick turnaround with my results.  May 17 – let the hugs (at least in my household) begin!