On frustration and Fredericton

I had not received a call from the Hospital about a CT scan appointment by the advent of the New Year. Consequently, I sent an email to my ortho surgeon on my first working day to complain about this. I got an email back suggesting that I phone the scanning department to set up the appointment. I started doing so during my lunch break on my iPhone with the earbuds plugged in. This meant that I could do other things, such as work, during the wait to be connected. It took an hour and a half before I could speak with the person who made the appointments. It was then a few minutes before I was given a booking for this morning (January 21st) at 8 AM. There has to be a better way of making appointments. Unfortunately, LeGoat wants to cut a thousand jobs out the healthcare sector.

The actual appointment itself went fairly smoothly. I showed up at the right time, despite the seasonally appropriate but frigid weather. I went to the appropriate waiting room, and had a CT scan done with little hassle. About the only thing that was problematic with the procedure was that the technician wanted to help me put my left shoe back on once the scan was complete. I demurred saying that it would be easier if I did it myself. The information has in all probability been sent to my ortho doctor who will look at it, put his hand on his chin and go "Hmm." I will find out what that "Hmm" means on the 13th of February.

If any sovereigntists are reading this, please don't think I am Quebec-bashing. Other provinces also have their healthcare issues. Most notably New Brunswick, at least according to concerns of this blog which is, quite frankly and honestly, particularly concerned about those things which affect or have affected its writer, viz me. There was an article on the CBC news for New Brunswick website about how Fredericton is now in need of a vascular surgeon as the old one has retired. This is significant to this blog as the person question, Dr. Claus Schaus, was the one who saved my lower left leg by taking a vein from my right leg and grafting it in as an artery in my left. I hope I thanked him. I also hope that Fredericton finds a suitable replacement as soon as possible. I'm not sure I would still have my left foot if they had been obliged to send me to St-John, Charlottetown or Halifax. Time was of the essence. One sign of that was that I remember asking the ambulance crew that took me from Moncton to Fredericton if they would be using the flashing lights. They said "Yes".