Lying on my back in a hospital bed in the Urology Section of the Victoria General Hospital, I thought, “What is all the complaining about with out health care system?” I had just come through major invasive surgery, and the attention to my needs (not wants) was incredible.
For six days the doctors and nurses on 5B met my every need and then some. It started the first night with a nurse named Wilf Carter. When he told me his name I expected him to burst into the “Blue Canadian Rockies.” He didn’t, but he was a compassionate pro like all the heath care workers I encountered during my stay.
On May 8, I had my prostate removed by a team led by Dr. David Bell, a urology specialist who is fast gaining an international reputation.
When I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer, Dr. Bell had me come in for a consultation. At that time he explained my options, what each would entail and what the outcomes might be. I chose surgery - not because I was brave – quite the opposite. If I were of Asian descent, I might be aptly named Chicken Chow Mein.
I had never been under the knife, and the thought of someone opening up my abdomen had me quaking with fear. Besides, I have talked to individuals who underwent the same kind of surgery and the details were not pretty.
However, Dr. Bell reassured me that a relatively new procedure would result in no pain, but would simply cause some discomfort. “Boy, is he sugar-coating the pill,” I remember thinking, as I drove home that Friday morning.
On the morning of my surgery, I didn’t get the promised “happy pill” prior to heading to the O.R. because someone forgot to sign off on the permission required. I was wide awake and well aware. Surprisingly, I was at peace that morning, confident that I was in the best hands possible.
Adding to my feeling of security was the fact that my wife Sharon and daughter Pamela were with me until the last possible moment to offer support and encouragement, and never missed a day by my side as my recovery process began. For that I will be eternally grateful and will never forget.
The bedside support of your family at a time like this is so important.
Today, eight days following the surgery, which included six days in hospital, I am still awaiting the first pain. In fact, there has been no discomfort. Probably the few pricks I felt getting the staples out of my abdomen this morning was as close to “discomfort” as I have come. And even this chicken could endure that without wincing.
Every day I hear or read stories from individuals who are upset with our health care system. Some are no doubt legitimate. Others, I suspect center around entitlement. Remember the crassest words ever spoken by a public official? “I am entitled to my entitlements,’ David Dingwall boasted, when being grilled by members of a Parliamentary Committee.
David is not alone in his thinking. Many out there have the same feeling of entitlement when it comes to health care. To them, I would say that if it is not life-threatening, then get in line.
A visit to the doctor should not be part of one’s social calendar. Sadly, to some it is. And each and every one of those unnecessary visits costs taxpayers and lengthens the wait lines. Remove from the queue these people, along with those who choose to rush to emergency with non-emergency problems, and there would be a significant decrease in wait times.
Meanwhile, let me tip my beanie to those very special people who work in the Urology Section of the Victoria General Hospital. As Carl Sandburg once said, “Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.” This experience was truly one of the “best things”, coming upon me as it did, unplanned and unexpected.
(Al Hollingsworth is a retired and recovering journalist)
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