Life Lessons With Gramma C.

Unlike Queen For a Day, hospital for the day is not fun. I had no intention of going there, but made the mistake of calling Telehealth Ontario, a free service that allows you to talk to a registered nurse and get advice.

My question was simple - I’ve had a cough for weeks and now my chest is hurting. Should I see a doctor in case I had pneumonia?

Well, never mention the words “chest pain” if you’re in your 50’s and have high blood pressure. By the end of our short conversation, she strongly suggested I get to the hospital asap and she would gladly send an ambulance.

I refused the ambulance and ten minutes later walked through the doors of our local hospital. Although it was urgent that I get to the hospital, it was not so urgent that I be seen immediately. After making sure I was not at death’s doorstep, I was allowed to visit the waiting room until my turn to see the doctor.

Five hours later, after a blood test, chest x-ray, heart monitoring and a number of tests, it was decided that I may have bronchitis. The remedy for this was a prescription for antibiotics at ten pills for $70. Thankfully, we have a drug plan.

I did appreciate the care and attention at our hospital in Cambridge and was relieved there were no serious problems. But I think next time I’ll go see my doctor, rather than having a telephone consultation.