Before I go into detail, I’m happy to say that I’m fine, actually better than I have been in years. Please don’t be alarmed. There will be a delay in Samurai Squadron III’s start, but that’s the only bad news ahead.
So, on with the story. On Sunday I was visiting relatives and had chest pains. This is unusual for me, and they went away. After about half an hour, I had another chest pain and tingling, so I called 911, chewed a couple of aspirin and the EMTs arrived in about ten minutes. They started an EKG right away along with a blood pressure test and didn’t see that I was in immediate jeopardy. They warned me that the emergency room was packed, but suggested I go anyway, so I did.
I had blood taken and more tests done when I arrived, then I was sent into the waiting room, which was standing room only. There were at least sixty people there, but everyone could sit down about half an hour later. Then the shift changed. I’d find out later that only one doctor was available overnight, and she kept things moving. I didn’t get to see her because there were too many people in line ahead of me and my problem wasn’t urgent enough.
About ten hours later another series of tests were done and I saw a doctor who told me that it wasn’t a heart attack, but I was right to call an ambulance because it definitely could have been. She had them take more blood, and send me for X-Rays. I waited a little longer for labs to come back.
The good news? My heart and lungs are in great shape. The bad news? I have Type Two Diabetes. I wasn’t surprised, that’s in my family and I’ve been slowly shedding pounds over the last few years, but not fast enough. As a single guy my diet isn’t excellent, but I never drink soda and avoid fatty foods most of the time. I still needed treatment, so, after twelve and a half hours in waiting rooms at our hospital, I walked out of there with a prescription for Metformin, an appointment with the diabetic clinic (in six weeks), as well as a prescription for pills that will reduce my stomach acid. The chest pains and tightness I experienced were from some powerful heartburn, which is pretty rare for me.
So I’m already on a diabetic diet and, after catching up on some sleep, I’m feeling really good. Still a little tired since my wait at the hospital kept me up all night, but, since everything except for the $24.00 I spent on my medication was free, I won’t complain much.
It only took me two days to get back to work, writing one of the last chapters in Rogue: Assembly, but that still puts me behind. So, Samurai Squadron III will start whenever Rogue is finished, probably at the beginning of December. There will still be two chapters released every week, Rogue is just getting a couple more weeks because I want to round the ending of that book out well.
One note about the healthcare system in Ontario: Overnight I saw medical and security staff work hard and exhibit a great deal of compassion while they were short-handed and rushed. I only saw one patient who acted like an impatient brat for six hours. Everyone else – regardless of their level of pain or weariness – was patient and kind except for the guy who was caught stealing medication from someone in front of everyone.
The emergency waiting room was clogged by people who should have had somewhere else to go, like homeless people who checked in with fake illnesses so they could get out of the cold – as one pair confessed to me in conversation – and a few others who needed tests done but they didn’t live close enough to a clinic. I admit, there are a lot of details I don’t know, but it’s common knowledge that clinics are closing in the North, and we’ve had a shortage of doctors along with other healthcare professionals for years, and it’s getting worse. I’m lucky that there’s a lot of support for diabetics in my city, so I’ll be fine, especially since I know a lot about it already and have been on the phone with a dietician for about an hour to fine-tune my dietary knowledge. Many of the people I met who were suffering from other problems aren’t so lucky.
I’m not saying all that to open a political discussion. When it comes time to vote, I’ll consider my time in the emergency room, and while I realize I’m lucky it was just one night, I’ll be voting for a party who might be able to improve the conditions. I’ll do my homework on the parties and their histories with health care beforehand as every voter should.
The reason why I’m posting this is so everyone knows why Samurai Squadron III is going to be pushed a little, and why you might find a little more charm and comedy in Rogue’s first book. Also, I wanted everyone to know that I’m okay. I hope you are too!
Randolph Lalonde 