By Margo Hearne--The second annual Masset Health Fair had a solid crowd with many information booths, friendly people and sweatshirt prizes at the door. "We give flu shots with a smile," said nurse Kathy Buell, and she and nurse Lorne Beaudreau did the deed to the many who came to them for protection. "We are happy with the turnout, we had 300 people through last year, and it's been steady all morning. It took over two months to organize the whole thing, our focus is on preventative care, especially HIV and Hepatitis C. We also concentrate on chronic disease like heart, stroke and diabetes and also offer pre-natal information and advice."
It was time to test the busy and slightly frightening scene. People lining up for needles! Some flatly refused. Still - no pain, no gain. I needed the needle (a mere pin-prick - honest) for the cholesterol and diabetic tests, and although getting a flu shot always seemed a bit extreme (it's never struck me as being as major as cholera or typhus which must be inoculated against) I had it anyway after remembering that I haven't had the flu for quite a few years and so maybe the shots work. I then had a totally painless blood pressure test. Feeling slightly dazed I traversed to the food centre where Pat Parish had prepared bean salad and berries with orange cream made of silken tofu and yogurt. Delicious! Within an hour I was out of there, healthy, well fed and set for the season. I didn't mean to have bacon and eggs when I got home, but they were all ready and it's hard to say no.
The site administrator for the Masset Hospital, Mike Sorensen who was on hand to greet people at the door, gave all the entrants a free Masset Hospital Recipe Book (great recipes!) and aimed folks towards the fair. All in all, a positive experience. Perhaps an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. In other words, get the needle and don't get sick. Nurse Kathy Buell, who planned the whole thing, plans to do it again next year. See you there.