updates!

Hey everyone,
My internet access has been bad for the last week or so, but I'm finally at another apartment and connected again!
Since last time, I've been out on the ATV to Bloody Falls which was the most fun trip ever (see picture of me looking way too happy to be attempting to shoot a rifle - do not worry it was way to loud and scary for me)
We've also been on a couple of walks, one out to an inukshuk out on the rocks which was nice. We were fogged in for a few days but luckily got one medevac out that we needed to, for a guy who initially presented with a dislocated shoulder and then ended up having really unusual neuro symptoms after a few hours (this was on Canada Day, so I missed all the festivities). Unfortunately the fog trapped some people who were trying to get out on vacation...but cleared after three days so all is well now! Today is Nunavut Day so I'm hoping to get out to the barbeque and see what else is going on around town.
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk

if i didn't say i was in the arctic, you'd never guess...

beaches, flowers, open water... where am I again?!
When I first came the water in the picture on the left was all iced over! Just 4 weeks ago!

see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk

oh babies

This week has been all about the little ones! Many, many little ones coming in with coughs (most of them so far just viral so just needing Tylenol and TLC). I am getting good at listening to chests and looking in ears! Plus, the kids are amazingly cute and playful when they are well! Saw one kid who got hit in the head with a golf club and needed some glue on his cut, but luckily nothing too exciting yet this week. I successfully drew blood and gave my first tuberculin skin test, so those were good skills to get into.
It has been rainy and overcast for the last few days, but brightened up today so I should be able to get a few more pictures of the open water tonight. Apparently the kids are catching char! Saw a float plane on the water today which was fun to watch. Luckily no earthquakes or tornadoes here (be careful, Ontario!) and hoping to keep it that way!
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk

bears

So, I'm sure you all have bets going about how long it takes before I get eaten by a bear...and last night was about the second closest I've gotten (first goes to Rogue River backpacking...) We went out for a walk slash scramble on the rocks at the lake, and got about 1/4 way around when we saw some bear tracks going to the water and back. Being far out and under-armed, we booked it back across the rocks (with 5/8 feet getting soaked). So hoping to not see any more of those around.
Life around the Health Centre has been going well, I'm starting to see more of my own patients and still learning a lot from every case. Looking forward to being on call again next week too!
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk

the sights

Went for a walk on Thursday and this is what I saw!
This is the view from the top of a hill looking over the "downtown" area

Ice starting to break up

In other news, it was 24C here today!!! Nice and warm and I went out for another walk but the camera didn't manage any decent shots. Just taking it easy this weekend, getting out and stretching my legs as much as I can! I was at a suicide intervention workshop on Thursday and Friday which had some interesting skills to teach, but was a lot more sitting than I'm used to. Got out for a run to the airport yesterday but at least two people have told me that running out to the dump would be farther so once I figure out where that is I'll head over there (hopefully it's not too smelly...)
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk

home care

Hi everyone,
For the beginning of this week, I was doing home care with the RN who coordinates it for the 20 patients in Kugluktuk. Most of what I was doing was assessments, which involved going to the patient's home and asking a series of health and ability questions. The home care program here has a nurse as well as several community care workers who provide housekeeping. This week has been very interesting as I have had the chance to meet many of the elders in the community. A lot of them speak only Innuinaqtun (which you have probably not heard of since it's mostly spoken in this area only) so I had to take one of the community care workers with me to translate. It has been really interesting to see these homes, and of course the foods there! I have been seeing the classic dried meats (assuming the ribs everywhere are from caribou???) but today I saw a dead seal on a piece of cardboard outside of someone's home. Not something you see everyday in Hamilton...
The other most fantastic thing about this week has been the weather! (don't laugh!) It has been amazingly sunny and warm. When I was discussing this with a community member, she said it was because an elder had just died and that there was always good weather and hunting thanks to the elder's gift. I got out for a walk last night and saw that people are still out on the snowmobiles on the ice (which is starting to break up now!) so hopefully we have just the right amount of warm weather for them to get their machines in safely!
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk

Caribou pie

In what I have come to see as true Northern form, the nurses and RCMP got together again today, this time to help one of the nurses move. After packing last night, we were hoping it wouldn’t be too hard to throw the boxes and furniture into a pickup and drive it a block, but we were wrong! After hours of hauling things down stairs, into freezing weather, and back upstairs in the new house, we finally had most of it dumped in the living room. After putting together the baby’s bed (and of course singing some favourite songs with him) we left to let everyone have a nap. We were invited to one of the RCMP members’ house for supper. I was enticed because of one particular offering: caribou shepherd’s pie. As most of you know, I decided to eat fish before I came up here to broaden my nutritional options, but I also told myself that I would try to sample foods from here just for the sake of being able to say I ate them. Caribou is definitely one of them! The shepherd’s pie was delicious, and I’m not sick yet, so all in all a pretty good day off! Tomorrow we are on call again and have one baby going out on a schedevac (scheduled today to go out tomorrow on the airline to the ER in Yellowknife) but hoping for no excitement.
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk