‘Show up for God’s sakes:’ Hamilton man waited months in pain while thousands skipped out on tests
Andy David spent six months in agonizing pain waiting for a diagnostic test that kept getting postponed during COVID-19.
The 61-year-old east Mountain resident wonders how much earlier he could have had a potentially dangerous medical issue fixed if he could have had one of the precious diagnostic imaging spots that more than 5,000 people skipped out on at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) alone from April 1 to Aug. 31.
Honestly, I couldn't believe it," he said. I've been sitting waiting ... And people are just not going? It defies common sense to me."
HHS sounded the alarm Oct. 15 that people scared of visiting hospitals during COVID-19 weren't showing up for scheduled diagnostic tests and procedures.
It's worrisome considering many have already had their test postponed at least once because of the pandemic and further delays could result in a deterioration of their health. An equal concern is that often there isn't enough notice for the hospital to fill the spots so they sit empty.
Show up for God's sakes because there are people out there that do require these tests and if the machine is just going to sit there empty it's costing everybody," said David. I can't believe that I'm the only one going through this so how many other people are sitting at home suffering in pain?"
David's trouble began in June 2019 when he had a liver surgery that left him with a hernia, which is when an internal organ or other body part protrudes through the wall of muscle or tissue that normally contains it.
He had surgery to fix the hernia at Toronto's Humber River Hospital in January and a followup computerized tomography (CT) scan was scheduled for March to make sure that all remained well.
But before he could get the scan, the pandemic hit. Despite the fact David was already starting to feel pain in his side, Humber postponed the diagnostic test as hospitals across the province cleared space for COVID-19 patients.
Over the summer, it was delayed twice more.
I was in agony," he said. It became impossible to sleep. I had to try to figure out a way to get the scan done because I started having all kinds of pain in my side. I didn't know whether something was falling apart or what was happening."
David went to his family doctor in Hamilton requesting an ultrasound. The results bumped his CT scan up to urgent. But the earliest St. Joseph's Healthcare could get him in was Oct. 22.
I'm going through all of this to try and get better and people are just not going," said David. I'm sympathetic to the idea that some of these people are probably fearful of going into hospitals because of COVID. I guess you've got to weigh the risk for yourself but don't just not show up. Cancel so someone who is on a cancellation list can actually get in. That would be my message."
David did get his CT scan at Humber in September due to a cancellation. It found a medical issue that has since been fixed.
It was becoming dangerous," he said. I'm fine now but to get to that point was crazy."
David, who runs a computer consulting business with his wife, is more vulnerable himself to COVID because of his age and chronic medical conditions so going to a hospital was also a worry for him.
I've got fears," he said. But I've got nine grand children ... and I hope I have plenty of time to be able to enjoy them ... Why wouldn't you take care of yourself? We're so fortunate to have all this."
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com