My heart, my health, my choice

[msmith198025]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h0QC7bditrEb3wYz_6_b-gsGGDxA


An unapologetic Danny Williams says he was aware his trip to the United States for heart surgery earlier this month would spark outcry, but he concluded his personal health trumped any public fallout over the controversial decision.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Williams said he went to Miami to have a "minimally invasive" surgery for an ailment first detected nearly a year ago, based on the advice of his doctors.

"This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.

"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."

The 60-year-old Williams said doctors detected a heart murmur last spring and told him that one of his heart valves wasn't closing properly, creating a leakage.

He said he was told at the time that the problem was "moderate" and that he should come back for a checkup in six months.

Eight months later, in December, his doctors told him the problem had become severe and urged him to get his valve repaired immediately or risk heart failure, he said.

His doctors in Canada presented him with two options - a full or partial sternotomy, both of which would've required breaking bones, he said.

[HDRoberts]

The problem wasn't that the other procedure was not covered. It wasn't available. Canada is simply a smaller country and thus lacks as much specialization. Note what was said:


Williams said his decision to go to the U.S. did not reflect any lack of faith in his own province's health care system.

"I have the utmost confidence in our own health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador, but we are just over half a million people," he said.

"We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian health care system has a great reputation, but this is a very specialized piece of surgery that had to be done and I went to somebody who's doing this three or four times a day, five, six days a week."

[dantheman77]

good for him that he can afford to pay for it out of pocket

[Bear Paws]

The problem wasn't that the other procedure was not covered. It wasn't available. Canada is simply a smaller country and thus lacks as much specialization. Note what was said: Smaller country? That is the reason why they still have barbaric procedures and still use leaches and do blood letting?? Oh...sorry about that, government does the leaching and blood letting part not the few interns and comrade doctors left that still practice 19th century medicine in Canada. Go universal health care.

To wit he would have to stand in line to have his bones broke?