There was a shift in the action yesterday as we finally got a date for surgery for Ken. I admit, my shoulders dropped a little and we were able to exhaled. I slept a solid 10 hours last night! I told my friend, I never even heard Ken last night, so he is either fine or dead — I promise to check on him soon either way.*

It was a big day for us in the city. Our small town nature was in full force and we took taxi’s to and from the hotel to the medical centre instead of dealing with the traffic and construction and looking for parking that driving in Vancouver entails.

As most of you know, I’m spoiled and rarely drive, so Ken and I decided as long as we are doing “hard,” the things we can do easy, we will. Taxi’s are easy.

As a side note: I surprised myself by driving 110 on the upper levels highway, hell bent for home when it was over. I’m glad to say, we made the ferry with 5 minutes to spare! (Again, shoulders down!)

The medical centre we went to yesterday is incredible. Our appointment was for 8 a.m. and I worried we’d be waiting outside for the doors to open! Ha! The place was buzzing, full of people, and going full tilt by the time we arrived at 7:30 a.m. I wondered if they had been open all night.

Before Ken could finish his paperwork, the latest doctor we’ve been referred to, call us in 20 minute before our appointed time! Nice!

Long story short – Ken is a perfect candidate for a particular laser surgery that Dr. Paterson will perform on Ken’s mega large prostrate The prognosis is good and risks are minimal. The hard part now is we wait.

I found it interesting to hear the doctor talk about the “public heath sector”. That’s what he called our Health Care system. Public health. I guess it makes sense, I just never thought of it like that.

Anyway – Dr. Paterson said, because public health is political, surgery time is now going to those with hip and knees needs. He said the back lash of wait times for those surgeries have finally caught up to the politics of the times, so more life threatening surgeries like bladder cancers , etc. Can have a wait time up to 6 months.

Now, while Ken’s surgery is a priority, his situation is not life threatening, (Whew) still the best date for the procedure we could get was March 5th!

I did blatantly try to bribe the receptionist who schedules things with a quilted shopping bag. And while I think she would have done it anyway, she did put Ken name on the cancellation list so, if by chance someone does cancel, he could get moved up. We will keep a bag packed just in case.

We use public health in Canada and right or wrong, it is swayed by politics. I will say again, how grateful we are to be in Canada. I cannot imagine what any of this would cost if we were in the states.

Yes, we need to wait now, yet with all Ken has been though the last few weeks, this is really the first long queue we have been in.

Life is good — even when it is hard.

*Ken’s up and at it!