Surgery delays aren’t saving health care system money
A year ago, I was told I had gallstones and would have to have my gallbladder out. I was put on a wait-list and told I would hear within a year.
They called, said there was a cancellation, and offered me Nov. 7. I couldn’t do that date and asked for a bit more lead time the next time she called.
On Oct. 31, I told my husband I felt like I was drowning and to call an ambulance. Then we waited. The fire department arrived and I heard over their radio that there were no ambulances available.
More than five minutes after that, my husband was about to load me in his truck when, over the radio, we heard they were coming.
When I got to the emergency room my blood pressure was 60/30. I was almost gone.
All this happened because my gallbladder was the size of a football instead of a fist. And because my immune system was busy fighting a septic gall bladder, I got strep throat and double pneumonia.
Then the infection entered my blood stream. My kidneys failed.
So (I spent) six days on life support, including intubation and dialysis, 11 days total in the intensive care unit, 15 days total in hospital.
I can’t say enough about critical care medicine in Canada. It’s gold star.
But wouldn’t it have been cheaper to just take out the gallbladder in a more timely fashion? — Monica Forster, Vancouver