Chretien recovering from quadruple bypass today in Montreal.

mikedavid00 · October 3, 2007

cite: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/03/...en-surgery.html

-Chretien known to be in very good health.

-Monday says he might be having chest pains.

-Consults a FRIEND of his in Monteal to look him over with no waiting times.

-Update! - Speaks to this friend while PLAYING A GAME OF GOLF!

-The Chief of surgery does his operation in less than 48 hours.

-He gets a full quadruple bypass. No half measures.

Hmmm i wonder if us peasants would be able to do the same? Call a friend and get a quadruple bypass in less than 48 hours.

You know what they would do with us if we got chest pains, they would keep us waiting for 12 hours, see us, give us a perscription, put us on a waiting list for 8 months just to see a specialist, and then determine if we need a bypass which we would wait another 6 months and possibly die.

But Chritien? No he gets special treatment. Just like the political figures do iin the third world.

Wow and you wonder why i'm not proud ot be a Canadian. There's your reason. This is the type of country we live in.

We should all be ashamed of this and lets hope a big news story develops out of this. This sort of elitsism is wrong, immoral, and a slap in the face to all of us citizens who pay taxes.

Edited October 4, 2007 by mikedavid00

Higgly · October 3, 2007

No, us peasants would not be able to expect the same. Can you name a single country in the world where an ex-leader like Chretien would not be able to marshall the same resources?

In a utopian world, we would all be in the same line-up. The only country where I have ever seen a news item that said a former leader had to wait in line for health resources was Israel. I think it was Shamir trying to get into a nursing home. I hate Shamir and I thought "Good for you, you prick.", but I had to give the Israelis cedit. I confess I had to wonder why CNN was carrying the story though.

fellowtraveller · October 3, 2007

Jumping the gun..... much as I think Chretien was one of the very worst PMs we've ever had, it is also quite possible that if his medical condition was critical, he could be operated on very quickly. The very thing(medical emergency) has happened to myself, my son and my father for assorted surgery that could not wait. The longest wait was for my father to get a large tumour, one kidney and his spleen out, and he waited six days after being diagnosed. My wait was 2 days and my son was immediate.

NOne of us have any pull, and yes we all live in Canada.

mikedavid00 · October 3, 2007

Jumping the gun..... much as I think Chretien was one of the very worst PMs we've ever had, it is also quite possible that if his medical condition was critical, he could be operated on very quickly. The very thing(medical emergency) has happened to myself, my son and my father for assorted surgery that could not wait. The longest wait was for my father to get a large tumour, one kidney and his spleen out, and he waited six days after being diagnosed. My wait was 2 days and my son was immediate.
NOne of us have any pull, and yes we all live in Canada.

My Grandfather (a major lifelong taxpayer and employer in Canada) needed to get a double bypass when he was around 60. He had to wait 6 months. And he only got a double.

Chretien didn't seem to be in an emergency becuase he was supposed to have a speaking engagement that he only cancelled the day of the surgery.

I feel he called his Friend, got specieal treatment, and they probably gave him the bypass 'to be safe'.

If this was an emergancy he would have had an ambulance called rather than call a friend.

Details will come out later I suppose. I really hope this develops into a big story.

Fortunata · October 3, 2007

My grandmother went to emergency because she was having trouble breathing. By the end of the day she was flown out to Edmonton and the next day she had bypass surgery. It happens like this all the time, even for ordinary people.

Canadian Blue · October 3, 2007

Does anyone else think that Mikedavid should stop calling Canada a third world country?

Or at the very least give him the proper definition of what a third world nation is.

guyser · October 3, 2007

Does anyone else think that Mikedavid should stop calling Canada a third world country?
Or at the very least give him the proper definition of what a third world nation is.

MikeD can call this country whatever the hell he wants.Anyone who read his post knows it full of half truths and the other is BS. Sorry Mikey, but you bring it on yourself.

As for your granfather and his condition, if true, was not critical. But to be honest, this is the first I have seen you talk about your grandpa in all the threads about healthcare, and thus, not sure I believe you.

My father, who I thought was at deaths door for other illnesses (dialysis etc), had to have a double bypass,his wait was only two days, it would have been one, but paperwork delayed it. It involved going from St Joes to St mikes.( I have posted on this before)

Chretien got very similar treatment that thousands get in this country. What he may have recd is the best Doc in that capacity , but nothing else.

Edited October 3, 2007 by guyser

Michael Hardner · October 3, 2007

Say what you like about MikeDavid (I sure have...) but he's right to complain about the healthcare system.

A co-worker of mine told me today that he has a 'friend' who can get him in line for MRIs. Lefty types and sort-of-lefty-types like me have spent the past 15 years talking about how our system is better than the American one, rather than lighting a fire under our politicians to fix things.

The system is not getting better, and everybody needs to start getting very unhappy about that until something gets done. We're about to re-elect Dalton McGuinty who took office with ONE MILLION Ontarians not having a doctor, to deliver (today) ONE MILLION Ontarians without a doctor.

Nobody should be satisfied with the state of affairs. If we don't want a market-based healthcare system, then that's fine, but we have to have one that works. Clearly, a politically based healthcare system doesn't work.

jazzer · October 3, 2007

Nobody on this forum knows/knew Chretien's condition. Talk about jumping the gun.

old_bold&cold · October 3, 2007

I do not like Chretien, and I do not like his getting away with emergency surgury, period. He should have been made to wait until his name would have come up on a waiting list, and from my point of view hopefully die waiting. The miserable piece of garbage should not have any privilages given to him. It would only be like putting a rat down. I hope he has complications and dies a slow agonizing death. Maybe a few more of his cronies should join him. So get sick quick Chretien and die real slowly. I hope they run out of pain meds. I might yet get to piss on your grave.

Edited October 3, 2007 by old_bold&cold

guyser · October 3, 2007

I do not like Chretien, and I do not like his getting away with emergency surgury, period. He should have been made to wait until his name would have come up on a waiting list, and from my point of view hopefully die waiting. The miserable piece of garbage should not have any privilages given to him. It would only be like putting a rat down. I hope he has complications and dies a slow agonizing death. Maybe a few more of his cronies should join him. So get sick quick Chretien and die real slowly. I hope they run out of pain meds. I might yet get to piss on your grave.

He did not get away with anything. He waited as long as virtually anyone else did or would.

Your name is apt.

Shakeyhands · October 3, 2007

I do not like Chretien, and I do not like his getting away with emergency surgury, period. He should have been made to wait until his name would have come up on a waiting list, and from my point of view hopefully die waiting. The miserable piece of garbage should not have any privilages given to him. It would only be like putting a rat down. I hope he has complications and dies a slow agonizing death. Maybe a few more of his cronies should join him. So get sick quick Chretien and die real slowly. I hope they run out of pain meds. I might yet get to piss on your grave.

What an absolutely disgusting post.

Canadian Blue · October 3, 2007

I do not like Chretien, and I do not like his getting away with emergency surgury, period. He should have been made to wait until his name would have come up on a waiting list, and from my point of view hopefully die waiting. The miserable piece of garbage should not have any privilages given to him. It would only be like putting a rat down. I hope he has complications and dies a slow agonizing death. Maybe a few more of his cronies should join him. So get sick quick Chretien and die real slowly. I hope they run out of pain meds. I might yet get to piss on your grave.

Chretien isn't that bad, I'd rather live under Jean Chretien than 95% of the other leaders in the world.

I second the view that your post is beyond disgusting.

old_bold&cold · October 3, 2007

You can say what you like but to me it is just how I really feel about the man and his legacy. I will take the drive to his grave when he dies and forfill my wish. I would also do the same for Mulroney, but he may well out live me, but again I have my own reasons for my feeling, and wishing these people ill will is only a small part of those feelings. Disgusting to you maybe, you like to forgive and forget, I am not built that way

Canadian Blue · October 4, 2007

Well don't worry, I'm sure you have plenty of company in the nutbar brigade on this forum.

capricorn · October 4, 2007

I must admit that when I heard the news of Jean Chretien's emergency surgery, I had unchristian thoughts which I shared only with my spouse. Let's just say they were dark thoughts.

Listening to the running media commentary on Mr. Chretien's health situation, for some reason I had memories of my father. My dad was a WWII veteran and served overseas on many battle fronts as a motorcycle dispatcher from 1939 to 1945. He was a strong, short man, well suited to that wartime assignment. He came back to Canada a broken man, spiritually and physically. Afterward, he was never again able to hold a full time job. Our family of nine lived life in perpetual poverty. He died from a massive heart attack at the age of 65. Wanting to give him a decent burial, we contacted Veterans Affairs for help. The response was that no financial help was available for his final expenses and we were advised to contact welfare services. Those were the saddest days of my life. It was 1978 and P.E. Trudeau was Prime Minister. Today I understand why my father, who answered Canada's call to go fight in a war, was not worth more than the cost of a pauper's funeral at that time.

I suppose on a human level I begrudge Mr. Chretien having lead such a full life while feeling that my father was somehow cheated. Yet, both men made choices in their lives and reaped the consequences, good and bad. On a higher level, I do not wish any harm come to Mr. Chretien. He may come out of it a little frailer but hey, he has Aline to protect him. :lol:

margrace · October 4, 2007

cite: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/03/...en-surgery.html
-Chretien known to be in very good health.

-Monday says he might be having chest pains.

-Consults a FRIEND of his in Monteal to look him over with no waiting times.

-The Chief of surgery does his operation in less than 48 hours.

-He gets a full quadruple bypass. No half measures.

Hmmm i wonder if us peasants would be able to do the same? Call a friend and get a quadruple bypass in less than 48 hours.

You know what they would do with us if we got chest pains, they would keep us waiting for 12 hours, see us, give us a perscription, put us on a waiting list for 8 months just to see a specialist, and then determine if we need a bypass which we would wait another 6 months and possibly die.

But Chritien? No he gets special treatment. Just like the political figures do iin the third world.

Wow and you wonder why i'm not proud ot be a Canadian. There's your reason. This is the type of country we live in.

We should all be ashamed of this and lets hope a big news story develops out of this. This sort of elitsism is wrong, immoral, and a slap in the face to all of us citizens who pay taxes.

Not true, my son in law was having fainting spells, my daughter called the doctor and had him in emerg in several hours. He was operated on in 3 days. Replacement of the heart valve. This was in BC, the fact of the matter is you have to know the system. She teaches in Univercity in the system and knew exactly what to say and how to get action. We all just need to get educated on how to push the buttons. You know the old saw "The squeeking wheel gets the grease"

Another case my husband needed a new hip and it appeared that he waited 5 years. His friend was in and had the operation within three months of the start of pain. The difference, my husband kept putting himself to the bottom of the list until the doctor ordered it done his friend refused to put up with the pain.

It depends on you my friend.

geoffrey · October 4, 2007

If an ex-PM can get special treatment, I certainly should be able to pay (contribute to the system) for equal treatment to his. At the very least.

October 4, 2007

If an ex-PM can get special treatment, I certainly should be able to pay (contribute to the system) for equal treatment to his. At the very least.

I doubt it was special treatment. People whose lives are in danger are immediately bumped to the top of the list in our system. My brother had surgery in less than 24 hours after his MRI showed a spot on his lung. It's those with chronic pain or who require things like knee replacement surgery who find themselves waiting for months on end.

jennie · October 4, 2007

If an ex-PM can get special treatment, I certainly should be able to pay (contribute to the system) for equal treatment to his. At the very least.

I think if you read the thread there is no evidence of special treatment. When you have major unstable angina, there is no alternative.

Chretien mentioned to his doctor partner during golf that he felt unwell, and short of breath. His friend recommended he see a cardiologist asap. The next morning, he had major heart pain ... a 'heart attack' as we know it.

I am glad he is ok, and I think the system did the right thing.

Canuck E Stan · October 4, 2007

I think if you read the thread there is no evidence of special treatment. When you have major unstable angina, there is no alternative.
Chretien mentioned to his doctor partner during golf that he felt unwell, and short of breath. His friend recommended he see a cardiologist asap. The next morning, he had major heart pain ... a 'heart attack' as we know it.

I am glad he is ok, and I think the system did the right thing.

I too hope he has a full recovery......Gosh,I didn't even know Chretien had a heart.

mikedavid00 · October 4, 2007

Nobody on this forum knows/knew Chretien's condition. Talk about jumping the gun.

Ok UPDATE!

Supposedly this was innitiated with his cartiac speciallist friend when he mentioned he had chest pains SOMETIMES. He meantioned this to him

WHEN PLAYING GOLF.

This isn't looking good. I hope there are some reporters that are digging deep in this. He does't seem to be in any emergancy condition and gets QUADRUPLE bypass in less than 48 hours????

jdobbin · October 4, 2007

If an ex-PM can get special treatment, I certainly should be able to pay (contribute to the system) for equal treatment to his. At the very least.

What is the waiting list for a major heart incident in Alberta? It is one to three days in Manitoba. Heart attacks and heart incidents are done the same day usually.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/waitlist/surgical/heart.html

Do you think one day in Quebec was special treatment for urgent care?

Edited October 4, 2007 by jdobbin

mikedavid00 · October 4, 2007

What an absolutely disgusting post.

Think about it though.

Chretiene cut transfer payments to the provinces by 40% and caused most provinces to actually close hospitals in the 90's leaving most of our healthcare system in a crisis situation.

He did nothing to remedy the problem but pledge to let in 500,000 immigrants a year if he was re-elected to futher kill our system,

Then he has the balls to get diagnosed and wait 2 days for a quad bypass ON OUR SYSTEM?

We would be left waiting a year for specialists, MRI scans, and then finally the surgery.

Do you think these surgens are on call like this doing bypass surgeries?? Especially in Quebec where the medicare system is in HORRID shape due to language/political issues at the hospitals and immigration.

Visionseeker · October 4, 2007

A quadruple bypass is emergency surgery. There are no waiting lists for emergency surgery. Having “friends” here doesn’t place you on the top of the list, the condition does. Chrétien is lucky the condition was caught before he had a full-scale cardiac event. Even today, the mortality rate for first instance heart failure is exceptionally high.

Just ask the friends of Ken Danby.