Saturday, August 29, 2009

I have some decisions to make.

It seems that I may be discharged from the hospital this weekend, my IV drip has been removed and the nurses are constantly checking me as well as the lab techs who are taking an obscene amount of blood for analysis. The future is looking rosy.
My Doctor has advised that I will be off work for a month as I have numerous tests still to be done as well as visits to the heart clinic.
My predicament is as follows and is really a warning to all drivers over here especially with families.

I have basically a heart illness and because of this I do not qualify for "Workers Compensation Board" which only covers work related injuries. So lets give you a random scenario that you should all be able to relate to:

Nice and easy, I am getting out of the truck and slip causing my ankle to twist.
I need a few weeks off work as a doctor says I have sprained the ankle. Now is the time to start rubbing your hands together as you qualify for 90% of your wages to be paid to you, plus in my case a hotel would be paid for, plus any additional costs related to the injury. Not bad eh......no worries, cash coming in and the perfect enviroment for a stress free recovery.

Like I said I do not qualify for WCB which is a shame.
I possibly do qualify for employment Insurance. Now get this....remember I now have a chronic illness, its very serious and I may never be at 100% fitness.
At the time of writing this I qualify for a weekly payment of $450 which is subject to tax......dont bother waiting for me to add to this amount because thats it !!!!!!
My hotel bill alone swallows this amount, thats before any travel costs with getting to and from the hospital oe even eating.

So, to all of you married men, individuals with commitments......if you had a small stroke say......could you pay your bills, eat, pay the rent and generally support your family for the indefinite period that you may be ill ?

So the decision I have is do I stay in Canada for my remaining treatment which will financially hit me hard or do I fly home and get treatment where I am around family and living in a stress free enviroment ?

And just one more thing, this is aimed at people who are employed at the same company as me .......I have never been insured by Alberta Health Care since arriving in Canada. The health care system required more information when my application was submitted and contacted my employer who according to Alberta Health Care ignored the request. I dread to think what would of happened had my hospital visit been in the USA, especially the cost. Trust me, it was bad enough laying on a stretcher waiting for the Surgeons to decide if they were going to give me the Angiogram when I was at Calgary, especially when you have a weak heart to begin with !!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Angiogram, the procedure and the results.

Hi, everyone. well as planned I was taken to Calgary by air ambulance which was an experience and possibly one of the best flights I have been on. The 2 pilots and 2 paramedics looked after me wonderfully and the view from flying at 16,000 was great.
I arrived at Foothills Hospital Calgary and was taken straight to a ward, given a bed and was told I would have the procedure shortly. It took minutes for me to notice the difference between the 2 hospitals, Lethbridge is a lot more relaxed and easy going, Calgary seemed very stern and can I say clinical. Maybe this had something to do with the fact I was laid in a heart unit rather than a general medical ward.
So was wheeled to the room where the Angiogram would be performed and was met by Dr Kealey who briefed me about what was going to happen. As things worked out I didnt need to shave my undercarriage because access on me could be had through the wrist and this is the option I chose obviously as I am not mental !!!.
Everything was pretty straight forward and I was fully conscious throughout the whole thing; I even had a good view of the TV monitors and Dr Kealey kept explaining to me what I was seeing and what was going to happen next.
After 30 mins or so it was all over, I was tidied up and a sort of plastic pressure bracelet was placed over my wrist where the catheter had been inserted into the artery. If i had chosen to have the needle in the groin then the recovery time is six hours, during which time you basically cannot move or even raise you head from the pillow, as it was I was sat up, eating sandwiches and had the bracelet removed within 2 hrs.
Dr Kealey paid me a visit and as well as giving me 2 pictures of the arteries in my heart gave me the low down on what she had found.

The Results

The arteries in my heart are in really good shape, no blockages, deformities and no signs of a previous heart attack.
I have a large heart, which sounds lovely but its the major cause of the problems I have been having. Basically the heart is large because its become fat and lazy, its only been working at roughly 30% of what it should of been so over a period of time its pretty much lost a lot of its muscle density.

Treatment


At the minute, I need to take medication which will stop the blood from clotting, stuff to help me get rid of excess fluid and another few drugs which will basically help the heart. I need to change my lifestyle...no smoking, drinking and lower salt consumption as well as trying to live a healthier life in general.
If the previous is adhered to I have been advised that in as little time as 3-6mths my heart could be functioning at 100% which is the best news I have had for a long time.

I am not sure of any timescales as to how much time I will need to take off work or when I can drive trucks again. I am also looking into finding out how much I can claim in benefits and at this moment I thank the lord I dont have family here as I would probably have a heart attack if the amount of money I have been quoted is in fact true as I wouldnt be able to survive. If you have a family over here and would be relying on the health care benefits that my company provides then keep an eye on this space as you could be in for a nasty shock.

So at the minute I still feel good, the treatment to fix me properly is underway.

I must thank again the people who have taken it upon themselves to visit me,for the gifts I have received as well as the flood of good will comments and emails. I really do appreciate it and am sure that its gone a long way to making my stay in hospital a lot more bearable...so thanks again everyone.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Angiogram, its happening.

Hello everyone.
Its Tuesady,8am at Lethbridge and from now on I cant eat or drink until after I have had the procedure which is at 12. Last night I had to get ready by shaving my nether regions which by the way has left my tallywacker looking pretty spectacular hahahaha.

So the plan is to jump into an ambulance which will take me to Lethbridge airport and from there jump into a small light aircraft which will fly me to Calgary in roughly 45mins. Back into an ambulance to Foothills Hospital and then if things go well straight into the prep room and then have the Angiogram which will show any problems/blockages or damage to the heart.

If any problems are found they will be fixed (if possible) by a procedure called Angioplasty and then in theory I should be as good as new. If no problems are found then its back to lethbridge for further investigations and treatment.
So I have a pretty busy day ahead of me.

My only concern is the thought of having a catheter inserted into the artery in my groin...even just thinking about it makes me shudder.
Well I better go, I need to shower again and scrub around where the catheter will be inserted with a special soap and pack up the few belongings I have with me.

I will of course let you know how it all went as soon as I get chance and if possible will try to get my hands on a picture of my heart which I will post on here.

Speak soon.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Some pics at last

Just a few random snaps from the the last couple weeks.




My Condition Update.

Hi all, its been a week since I was admitted and to be honest not a lot has happened nor have any firm decisions been made regarding my health.
My heart has been slowed down, sped up. My blood has been thinned then thickened. I have been given tablets for lunch, dinner and tea and to be really honest I am sick to death of it.
The Atrial Fibrillation is the favourite however after having an Ultrasound more concerns have been raised in that I may have had a heart attack or attacks in the past. To have this confirmed I am having to go to Calgary for a Angiogram which basically means a thin tube will be inserted into my thigh and then fed up through the blood vessels and into my heart. Once there a dye will be flooded into the heart which allows for high quality pictures to be taken and then assessed by the Doctors. This was all meant to happen on Friday gone but never did so the earliest date now will be Monday providing transport can be arranged.

Once again, thanks for the visits and get well wishes. Personally I feel great, no different than I did before I was admitted or this time last year even, but obviously there is something wrong.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Things not going to plan.

Hi everyone. Well, Paul finally got rid of me on saturday after roughly 22,000 miles and after dropping him back at the Sandman Hotel I took myself to the Hospital as I had become concerned about a few things.
The first sympton was that my feet, ankles, calfs and the backs of my thighs had swollen which I contributed to the fact that I had been sitting a lot more than usual as with two drivers the days had been longer. But the major concern was that when I laid down I couldnt get my breath and even the slightest bit of physical exertion left me gasping for air.
I kid you not when I say that after checking in at the hospital I was rigged up to machines and being monitored with 2 minutes. I didnt see what the panic was until I looked at my heart beat on the monitor and saw it was fluctating between 180 - 240 beats per minute, this is all of course while I am laid down and very relaxed.
So that all happened on Saturday night and today is Tuesday.
I have lost count of the number of tablets I have had to take plus all of the stuff that has been fed to me through an IV drip. My right arm hurts as blood is being taken numerous times a day and through the night.
The doctor who looked at me last night predicts that I will continue to be in hospital for at least a week so that they can get my heart under control and beating normally.
The diagnosis given for my condition so far is either Atrial Fibrillation or Congestive Heart Failure or a bit of both.

I don't know yet how this will affect my ability to drive trucks or if it will impact on my application for Permanent Residency,only time will tell I suppose.
I will keep you all up to date regarding any change in my condition.
Thanks for all of the goodwill messages I have received and a big thanks to everyone who has taken time out to come and visit. It does mean a lot. Cheers

Sunday, August 9, 2009

A bit of a winge.

Throughout the time I have been doing this blog I have received numerous emails and comments from perspective drivers looking at moving to Canada and I have always told them the truth when replying to there questions. I dont know if the information I gave them helped them to make up their minds but never the less they found out more about the company from the free advertising that I gave by talking about my job and posting pictures.
So, due to the already implimented pay cuts I will be withholding not only mentioning the company name but also posting pictures of the trucks. It may seem petty but its my way of disputing the reductions placed upon me. Free publicity will be reinstated as soon as my salary reductions have been revoked.
The wage cuts themselves are not massive, a few dollars taken from your loading/unloading bonus and a huge chunk from the already infamous and dreaded layover. Its now expected for you to sit for 24hrs at the companies whim waiting for a job for $50 less, the 12hrs layover which was $75 has been done away with altogether. Also a bonus for delivering into New York city markets has been done away with totally, thats another $100 lighter in the pocket.
I do understand that cuts have to be made to keep the company efficient and would like to know if the same has been applied to other departments or once again has the sh*tty end of the stick been handed to the drivers.
I will of course, continue to take plenty of pictures in the hope that the wage cuts are reversed but until that day.....the company I work for is.....the company !!!!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Is Montreal the new Waterloo ?

Left Montreal with a relatively easy run back across to Edmonton. Nearly every day now it has rained in Ontario; and I mean proper rain not a bit of drizzle. Only a day or to into the trip a preplan was received which is pretty unusual as I normally receive them the day 'after' a trip. It came as quite a surprise as Montreal was mentioned and some pretty tight delivery dates were involved. Once again it looked as if Paul and I had to endure Hwy 11 and 17 once more. A few suggestions were made such as dropping the trailer we had in Calgary as that would save us a lot of time since the next trailer was coming out of High River but they were quickly revoked so we had to rely on a trailer being made available for us to run with from Edmonton to Calgary then Calgary to High River. The trailer swaps went pretty smoothly and even the paperwork was ready in the meat plant so after hitching up, weighing off and getting sealed we set off back East. Initially I had calculated that unless Paul and I ran team (one sleeps while the other drives) we couldn’t make the delivery on time. I am not a fan of running team and have no interest in doing so My main reason is that I have had to quit really good jobs in the UK as I just couldn’t get into the hang of working nights so for me its a safety issue especially when you are tying yourself to deadlines.
This was mentioned to Dispatch who said that they would have us switch along the route so after pushing pretty hard for the last 2 days in order to give the new driver(s) a fighting chance of getting the load there Paul and I find that we are to deliver the load ourselves!!!
So tonight we will be in Hearst Ontario then Wednesday morning delivering in Anjou Quebec at 02.00am which is not too awesome.
That’s about all for now, there will be a post coming pretty soon regarding pay cuts within the company, some of them pretty substantial as well and I bet you don’t need 3 guesses as to which employees are on the receiving end !!.