People say a lot of things about the Cariboo Memorial Hospital and our over-taxed medical system and the competence of the staff that delivers our beloved “universal” medical care … so that’s what I’m gonna do too. This past Monday morning I got yet another first-hand look at the quality of emergency medical care that can be expected by residents of this community. But first a little family history…
Fourteen years ago I had my first look at the inner workings of our hospital when my ex-wife had an aneurism, lost most of her blood and one of her kidneys and combined that with a five-week early C-section delivery of our now enormous, ravenous and did I mention enormous third child — all in the worst nine or so hours of my life. They were both written up in the medical journals and both survived against odds that are similar to winning the 649…twice. Due to the diligence and quick actions of your own local medical staff, 13 years later, my son got to meet the surgeon who gave him his life and saved the life of his mother, and Mason even managed to choke out a gracious thank you between two of the three bites it took him to eat an entire hot dog.
Got me all misty. Back to this morning … . A waking flutter in my chest turned out to be atrial fibrillation (a not too uncommon heart condition and apparently a very bad thing to have) and once again, the hospital and staff were well equipped — or they sure seemed to be — and expeditiously treated my ailment, eventually hooking me up to the “machine that goes bing” and the “most expensive machine” and giving my heart muscle a loving electrical nudge back into its intended rhythm, not dissimilar to what we have to do to our drummer every once in a while.
I realize that unfortunate things happen to people every day and the outcomes of many hospital visits are not always good at all. Bad things happen and people are looking for someone to hold responsible and so we often hear terrible stories about our hospital. These stories may or may not be the truth but I can honestly say that my own CMH experience has been nothing but excellent. I both trust and salute the staff there.
Thanks again for saving my son and his mother and me too … and the warm blanket was a nice touch.
Dean Fulton is a freelance columnist for the Tribune and a local musician.