No column has generated feedback like the one I wrote last week about my E-R visit. However, in an effort to be fair to all involved, I feel it's necessary to publish more of my entire conversation at the pharmacy on Saturday after my visit with Dr. Lee.
In the interests of saving a bit of space in a newspaper article or cutting back on a few words that I have to type, I didn't go into full detail on the conversation at the pharmacy. While the prescription said for me to take four times a day, the pharmacist said three would be fine if I couldn't tolerate it and she had researched the drug to that affect on Pharmacist's Letter. Being in a somewhat mad state of mind at the time, I took this to mean 'three times a day' as opposed to 'four, but only take three if not feeling well'. This doesn't at all change my experience that day or my feeling that the pharmacists at Wal-Mart do a fantastic job.
I have heard from a lot of people who have given me advice on how to deal with gout and for that I'm very thankful. I've also heard some negative experiences from others when visiting the E-R and I've also been told by a few that I couldn't be more wrong from the column I wrote last week. At the end of the day, if even half of the negative stories that I heard are true, then there needs to be an investigation. Unfortunately, health care really isn't an industry where we are allowed to have mistakes, although they do happen and I understand that. I would like to take this time to ask anyone who has had a positive experience to please email me and I will share, on your behalf, in next week's column. I don't have to identify you unless you wish to be.
When I worked in broadcasting, I was often told that if I'm having a bad day, I need to find a way to check my emotions at the door. Listeners and viewers will easily be able to tell by tone of voice, facial expressions, etc. The same rule of thumb should apply to anybody working in an industry where they deal with the public.
Maybe it's time for us to pay a $10 fee at the door when we go to the E-R or even to the family doctor. Think of how many people go to the doctor on a daily basis and then multiply that by $10 and you can easily see a fairly large sum of money could be put back into the system.
Furthermore, whether we like it or not, citizens that have money get more perks in life. If you are rich, you have access to nicer clothes, take nicer and more frequent holidays, have more expensive vehicles, live in a bigger home, go to more prestigious universities, and hire better lawyers. While most will disagree with this comment, I feel that if we had a tiered health care system whereby people who wish to pay can go to a private clinic, then I would suggest it also benefits those that don't have the money to pay. If four people a day go to a private clinic, then that's four people at the public clinic that are seen faster and all eight of them end up with better care.
The United States is looking at charging Canadians $5 for every visit we make into their country. Most don't like this concept. I have no problem with it. If I don't want to pay the $5, then I won't go. The reality is that the Americans need to generate money and their own citizens are pretty much tapped out.
The SJHL playoffs start this week and if La Ronge or Melfort aren't representing the Bauer Conference I would be very surprised. The same holds true in the Sherwood Conference where Yorkton and Kindersley are heavy favorites.
Gary Bettman was in Edmonton over the weekend, blackmailing the city for a new arena. If they don't come through with $125-million in taxpayer money then the team is leaving town. I would call Bettman on his bluff. He is out of American cities to move teams to. Even if he does try Las Vegas or Kansas City, it's just a matter of time before teams flock back to Canada. I remember when Winnipeg and Quebec left, CBC's Ron MacLean predicted that in twenty years, those cities would get their hockey teams back. He might be right.
Wouldn't it be nice to see Bettman take the Edmonton stance in places like Phoenix and Nashville?
And, I don't recall Bettman ever going to Long Island to preach about a new arena there.
The Yorkton Regional High School has a huge void to fill come September 2011. Garry Gawryliuk is retiring as SRC Advisor/Counsellor. When you think of school passion, you think Mr. Gawryliuk. He will be sorely missed. Just go to his office and look at all the grad pictures students have given him over the years. It wasn't that long ago that I was in school and I can assure you no teacher ever got my grad picture... except for my wife (much later in life!).
Nice person mentions this week to Shirley Prokop, Michelle Goulden, Brett Breitkreuz, Erika Bomboir, Brent Desroches, and Jay Boyd.
