Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

The University of Alberta hospital is giving me avery good impresssion
of Canadian medical care. Something stuck in my throat at
dinner snd would not dislodge. Turns out that it was a piece of radish
that lodged on my vocal chords. Removing it occupied two docs
since anesthetic was needed and two nurses. They were very
nice and, I think, very good. As soon as the anesthetic wears off
I'll be on my way. That is good because I have to get up at 5 AM
To make my flight home.

Coincidentally Lucie had to go to urgent care while I was here by myself.
Her doc was an arrogant prick who assumed she was an idiot and also
did not help her. We have not encountered many of that kind in
the last 30 years.

BTW: I drank no wine the four nights I was here. Wine lists were awful
but there was good beer everywhere.

Glad you're ok, guys. What a lousy experience. Hope to see you soon.

Thanks, Jacques. See ya'll very soon, I hope.

Sorry for your misfortune.

Bill

Stefan,

Glad to hear that all turned out well. Sorry to hear about Lucie's experience but I must say the pricks are usually relegated to the walk-in setting because they wouldn't be able to maintain a patient roster to pay the bills. No one would come back to see them!! In the walk in setting the majority of visits are transients and not regulars because so many patients cannot find a regular family doctor due to shortages. Because of this it allows the arrogant pricks to survive and there certainly are an increasing number of younger doctors that have poor communication skills, cannot take a history or do a physical but think their shit don't stink. Sorry to hear about her bad experience but I deal with these (hopefully young) pricks but there are a fair share of jaded old pricks out there as well on a daily basis and I'm getting worn down trying to maintain a level of care that you experienced at the University hospital. I think its the way society is heading in general unfortunately and I'm concerned about my future when I retire and lose my connections within the healthcare system to know who's good and who's not.

Get well Father Stefan and Lucie! I've found using urgent care if you like the staff and especially the nurse, you will generally have a good experience.

Our kids are constantly at the urgent care place, since its right around the corner from us.

So far, we've been lucky, and the doctors are nice and sensible.

I'm surprised but the insurance company doesn't mind, preferring this to full ER visits.

Sorry about the overall bout of unlucky health.

Maintaining a therapeutic regimen of daily wine can be difficult when one is not feeling tip top.

Glad you are OK. Sorry for Lucie's unpleasant experience.

Thanks, all. I am at IAH now, nearly home.

Lucie's previous visit to urgent care went very well. She almost sliced off her finger (much worse than what you did, Jacques) and the doc stitched her up very well after a very short wait.

Danny, Lucie's urgent care was in College Station. I am sorry to hear that you have this type in Canada as well. Fortunately, all those in the ER in Edmonton were extremely nice; so nice that I asked them why they were so nice to someone from out of country who anyway would probably not remember anything after coming out of the anesthesia sleep.

Arv,

Urgent care sites are much more cost effective to the system either in USA or Canada. They don't require the full gammat of services and equipment that an ER requires and therefore lower cost to payer the insurance companies. Same service provided through ER on a case cost basis regardless of service provided will always be more expensive even for the same service..stitches,casting Xray regardless. Same goes for procedures and services provided in a community hospital will be more expensive than Urgent care and University Hospital on a case cost basis significantly more expensive than community hospital for same service provided. Out patient surgicenters also cheaper than hospital to provide service but likely savings not transferred to patient unless covered by insurance!!