EMMA Thompson Psychotherapist
Unit 109, 618 Anderton Road V9M 0C3 Comox, BC, Canada

The death of a loved one can be hard for young children to understand. ‘Archie’ is a gentle introduction from BBC Childrens that may help.

Actor and Mencap ambassador, George Webster, dispels five myths about Down’s Syndrome.

School Exposures in our Valley.

Vaccine Update Hi there, Updating on news we have about vaccination plans. We know many of you are asking your family doctor about when and how you will be vacc...inated. At this stage, the vaccination program is being run by the Health Authority alongside the Public Health Office - they continue to discuss with Primary Care Providers about rollout plans. I'm sharing some news today from Island Health in this regard, that came to Family Physicians: 26,130 vaccines have been administered on the Island as of 16 February. Dr Henry has confirmed that evidence from Quebec and the World Health Organisation shows that the delay in the second dose of the vaccine does not reduce its effectiveness, and may actually improve the immune response. (I receive my second dose tomorrow - 42 days exactly after the first dose - as promised, to show you that the system is working). -- What is the status of Island Health staff immunizations? We are currently still in Phase 1, which focuses on the highest-risk populations. Some health-care workers fall into this category, but not all. In Phase 1, in addition to all staff and physicians who work in long-term care and assisted living, the strategy is focused on health-care providers most likely to provide care for COVID-19 patients. Phase 2 will roll out beginning later this month. Island Health staff who do not work directly with patients or in patient care areas will be immunized with their population age grouping as part of the provincial mass immunization strategy. -- How will vaccinations for community members in the next phase of 80 and over take place? Is there a booking process or call-in procedure for the community? The province is working on a centralized registration system, but initially we will be reaching out to the 80+ and 65+ Indigenous population utilizing our call centre. There will be a formal booking process, and we'll directly reach out to communities and locations where these people currently live. -- How will the general public be notified to book an appointment when their age category is to be immunized? Immunization of the general population is currently scheduled to begin in Phase 3 in April 2021. Before then, details will be available about when and how to pre-register for a vaccine, utilizing a centralized registration system for the province. By pre-registering, a community member will be able to reserve an appointment at a clinic. The timeline for BC’s COVID- 19 Vaccination Plan is dependent on vaccine supply and availability. It's important to understand the timeline for each phase may change due to vaccine availability. -- Are we seeing more community spread on the Island? Any updates on how we are doing with our contact-tracing? The majority of those testing positive for COVID-19 are linked to known COVID-19 cases this has been consistent throughout the pandemic in Island Health and is closely monitored. The Case and Contact Management Team is able to manage cases and contacts usually well within 24 hours of being notified of a new case. -- Do current immunizations protect us against variant strains like B.1.351 (South Africa) and B.1.1.28.1 (Brazil) that are in Canada? Information about the characteristics of these variants is rapidly emerging. Genetic variation of viruses such as the one that causes COVID-19 is to be expected and has been previously observed in parts of the world and in Canada. Island Health continues to monitor if there is evidence at this time that the mutations have any impact on symptom severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy. BC is reviewing cases to identify associations with variants in the province. I hope this information is useful to you. Stay safe, be well. Adam Dr Adam Thompson COVID-19 Spokesperson. Comox Valley Division of Family Practice.

Very good information coming from a group of doctors in the Interior Health Authority.

According to this study, singing can improve your mental health!

Something to brighten your day Photographer Dick Van Duijn captured this incredible photograph of a European ground squirrel in Vienna, Austria. He spent over two hours, taking over 200 photos before the squirrel leaned in and took a tasty bite! BBC Earth

I wish you all the gift of love, of joy, of peace... May all these and more be yours this Christmas.

Every parent must watch this 59 seconds video. You will say ‘wow’ after watching it

Wow, this is amazing This 6ft cake to say thank you to the NHS has been delivered to Royal Bolton Hospital. BBC North West

We can’t Reese-ist a good Halloween pun, however we can resist this year’s Halloween party. A reminder to celebrate less socially by skipping Halloween parties this year. Indoor gatherings, big or small, put people at higher risk of getting #COVID19: http://ow.ly/MIHP50BZ764

With the current rules on sticking to your own household extended over the holiday season, now is the time to demonstrate how easily you can find yourself mixin...g with others if not everyone sticks to the rules. It’s just this year. Cherish those in your household and find new ways to connect with those outside. #covid19 #divisionoffamilypractice #familymedicine #bekindbecalmbesafe

Hercule van Wolfwinkle makes ultra-realistic pet portraits... it's hard to tell the difference between his drawings and the real thing.

#Repost @headsupguys with @get_repost Almost half of Canadians surveyed in an Angus Reid survey said they wished they had someone to talk to but didn't. Is ...there someone in your life you could reach out to and connect with? It's important to have that connection with someone that you can trust. . #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthrecovery #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthwarrior #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthquotes #endthestigma #selflove #mentalhealthstigma #mentalhealthawarenessweek #mentalwellness #breakthestigma #mensmentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessweek #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #loneliness #worldmentalhealthday

Can you become reinfected with coronavirus once you've already had it? Here's what we know so far about immunity and Covid-19. bbc.in/CoronavirusSymptoms

Danny’s story: my relationship with my body image Historically my relationship with my body image has not been good. I used to pull myself apart on a daily b...asis, looking at my skin, my hair, my weight All these different things. The way it manifested itself was spend hours and hours and hours in front of the mirror, up to 10 hours a day at its worst, taking up to 200 photos a day. I tried to transform my body image because I didn’t feel like I met the ‘standard’. In my 14-year-old brain, I saw that my body image was the route to ‘success’. Today, my body image has little effect because instead of focusing on what I look like, I’m focusing on other stuff. My advice is to try and look outside of yourself, try and look at things you can accomplish, because beauty is not just the way you look, it’s also what you can give and what you can provide the world. Danny Need support? Samaritans are available 24/7 for free on 116 123 (UK). Beat helpline is available on 0808 801 0677 (UK) 365 days a year. They are here to support people who have or are worried they have an eating disorder.

This short from Aardman Animations uses the struggles of people in lockdown to raise awareness of wild animals in captivity. BBC West

Luke has to live with schizencephaly, but it doesn't stop him being awesome. BBC Cymru Wales

"My confidence has changed so much with age. I don't care what people think about me."

#Repost @thelatestkate with @get_repost #mentalhealth #mentalhealthrecovery #depression #affirmation #affirmations #crowdrawing #rainyday #fallaesthetic

Meet the giant trolls hidden in remote places all over the world, thanks to artist Thomas Dambo... Listen the full interview on Outlook here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08lg412

Mum Becca is changing the language used to talk about Down's syndrome one cue card at a time BBC Breakfast

For the first time, cameras have captured the reality of life in Britain’s biggest special education school in Penarth. BBC Cymru Wales

Charlie in clinic today x

SCHOOLS: When should your Child attend and when to see a Family Doctor. Continuing the topic of schools during COVID-19, we have some guidance about when you ne...ed to contact your Doctor. The first part of this guidance gives a useful table to explain when you need to get a note from a Doctor to be excluded from School. Essentially, unless your child, or someone in your household is immunocompromised, there is no need to get a note from a Doctor. The latter page explains scenarios that fulfill immunocompromised illnesses. Of course, if you or your child is feeling particularly unwell with any illness you should always seek your Family Doctor's Advice with any illness. Another print out and keep guide. Hope your children are getting used to the new school regime. Apart from 3 hours of continuous Social Studies, my son is getting there! Keep well, be safe and sensible, Dr Adam Thompson COVID-19 Spokesperson Comox Valley Division of Family Practice

With the use of sad films, beautiful scenery and emotional letters, Japan's 'tear teacher' claims to have brought 50,000 people to tears BBC Reel

It's not just mums whose bodies change when they have a baby, it happens with dads too. BBC Tiny Happy People

October 10th is mental health awareness day. Mental health affects all of us in one way or another. It’s a marathon, a journey, a chapter and comes with what f...eels like never ending ups and downs. The dark lows seem hopeless and the highs feel so brief. Mental health grasps hold of our hearts, minds and emotions and makes us feel like there will be no sunshine again, tells us we are not worthy, makes us feel like we don’t matter, maybe we wouldn’t be missed? The dark days are really dark and there feels like there is no light in sight. There is always hope.... there is ALWAYS hope. No matter how dark your days are, there will be light again, your pain will end and your demons can be silenced. There is help and support out there to remind you how valued you are, how loved you are and to help you see that you matter and you are ENOUGH. You are in this world for a reason- your journey may not look the same as your neighbours and that is okay! It’s okay to not be okay! The storm will not last forever, and when you come out of it you will not be the same person who walked in. You will be stronger, you will have a deeper understanding of so much more and you will be ALIVE. The storm you may be in right now may seem like it’s kicking you down to the ground and won’t let up. It’s been one heck of a hard year. In your darkest hours please reach out for help. So many people love you. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t do, trust the power of gratitude, even if you can’t seem to find one thing to be grateful for- it can be as simple as clean water to drink. Start your day with thinking of 3 things that you’re grateful for and watch it slowly transform your life. What gives you joy? Do more of that. This thanksgiving is a different one, we have all had the craziest, scariest, difficult year so far, I encourage you to reach out, practise gratitude and be a little extra kind. You are so loved and you matter more then you know. . Quote from Bayley See more

Hi All, As per prior post I've transitioned to act as a COVID spokesperson for the Comox Valley Division of Family Practice as others take over leadership now w...e're through the first wave and have plans in place. The Comox Valley Division of Family Practice represents and speaks on behalf of your Family Doctors in the Comox Valley. The Facebook Page is found here: https://www.facebook.com/cvdofp I'll continue to post information and guidance on COVID about family medicine from that site and will share here, but it may well be worthwhile following the Division Facebook site to get a direct feed! The first few posts are going to continue on from the post I wrote about schools, to give you all some more medical resources for parents, students and teachers as we return to school. Keep well, no active cases on the North Island currently ! Dr Adam Thompson COVID Spokesperson Comox Valley Division of Family Practice

:: Parenting Skills of the Animal Kingdom. And if you’ve ever wondered whether animals feel emotions, this video should convince you.

This girl is not only Adorable, but she's also capable of helping a lamb give birth! Credit: Rachel Ann Nicholas via ViralHog

PCOS is a bitch, but I’m determined to make it our bitch BBC The Social

Claire has had a condition called trichotillomania since she was nine. It's a form of obsessive compulsive disorder which led her to pull out her own hair. It a...ffects 4% of the population, mostly women. "I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror without crying," she says, and is hoping a hair transplant will undo some of the damage. BBC Newsbeat

A helpful article on managing mental health during return to school. https://www.doctorsofbc.ca//covid-19-going-distance-our-ki’-mental-health-and-safe-return-school Dr Adam Thompson

Why time seems to speed up as you get older

In-class learning for our kids is more important than ever. That’s why we have new guidelines in place to keep everyone safe. For more information on how school will look this year visit: backtoschool.gov.bc.ca

Superb lessons on best #ReturnToSchool #COVID19 practices from Germany.. Testing, quarantine, masking in hall, and low percent positivity mean most kids are staying safely in school; cases are found but not much spread seen in schools in these conditions.

Meet Diesel the search and rescue dog. He's a VERY good boy BBC The Social

It's now compulsory to wear masks in many places in the UK. Dr Xand van Tulleken and Michelle Ackerley answer some of your important questions about face coverings.

With schools returning, I thought I'd share my take on the topic as a local Doc and someone who's led on COVID in our community. Returning to School: The evidence and rationale