So, I'm Kristiana.
I'm one of the nurses at the Student Wellness Centre.
I know you all may be feeling very anxious during this time but we are open at UVic Health
and here to help.
Hi, I'm Stevie.
I am a nurse at the Student Wellness Centre.
We are currently offering appointments via TeleHealth mostly.
We know that these are trying times right now and we want to let you know that we are
here for you.
So your mental health and anxiety are still very important during this time.
Doctors and nurses are here for you and many doctors have more availability.
So, give us a call and we would love to book you an audio or video appointment.
I think whether or not you're an introvert or you're an extrovert quarantining with family
does have it's unique challenges.
So, there are things that we do recommend and that looks like creating boundaries with
your family whether that's going for a walk, closing the door, wearing head phones - something
that kind of gives you that feeling of separation and alone time.
If you're feeling more than just annoyed, perhaps a little unsafe with your family,
it's important that you reach out.
Whether that looks like calling us at UVic Health or researching online of your local
crisis line, we would like you to reach out either way, okay?
Implementing a daily routine can be very important during this time as well as limiting daily
news and, if accessing information online, seeking those resources that are most reputable.
The BCCDC and the WHO are your most evidence-based resources you can access, as well as staying
active, meditating, mindfulness, long walks, and get your inner artist and creative juices
flowing.
Breasts are naturally very lumpy and bumpy and that's do to a lot of normal structures
within our breasts like ducts, lymph nodes and even our ribs underlying our breasts.
If you do find something that you are curious or anxious about, like a lump, it's important
to follow up with your health practitioner or give us a call at UVic Health and we can
arrange a TeleHealth appointment.
So, typically when people are asking this question they are referring to the birth control
pill so, that's how I'll answer this.
So, yes, birth control is generally safe for most people.
There are other reasons why people take birth control other than pregnancy prevention - either
for acne control or for regulating your menstrual cycle.
It is recommended that you continue to take your birth control at this time because quarantine
won't last forever and you want to be sure that your birth control is working properly
when this all ends.
We can still do IUD pre-screening appointments with a nurse and from there we can make an
appointment for you to speak to a practitioner here at UVic Health to make a plan forward
about when to insert your IUD.
The only way to determine on whether or not you have COVID-19 is to get tested.
BC guidelines have opened up more availability for swabbing and testing.
Contacting UVic Health or your primary care provider in your community will help you determine
on if you need to get testing.
So influenza and COVID along with other chest infections have a lot of overlapping symptoms.
If you have a fever or shortness of breath it would be a good idea to have an appointment
with either your health care practitioner or a TeleHealth appointment with somebody
at UVic Health.
The most important thing you can do right now is to self-isolate.
Because the COVID pandemic has altered a lot of our schedules that includse our sleep schedule.
If you are having problems sleeping it could be from a variety of different reasons.
There is a lot of screen time right now.
So, ensuring that you kind of turn off your devices before bed time and allow yourself
to naturally unwind.
Another recommendation I have is to get outside and get some activity whether that looks like
going for a walk or doing an online activity class just to burn off some of that extra
energy.
There are so many tips and tricks to get a better night's sleep.
My two favourites is limiting screen time and getting daily exercise.
Turning off laptops and devices an hour before bed can be quite helpful as well as getting
exercise in the morning or early afternoon is proven to get a better night's sleep.
If you need to talk the Vancouver Island crisis line or the crisis line that is available
within your community is open 24 hours a day or contact UVic Health Counselling and and
in an emergency, 9-1-1.
So, we miss all the students very much and you can give us a call to book a video or
phone appointment and we are here for you.
So thirsty for students. [jokes]
Ugh, I miss my job.