16 - Wednesday. February 17, 1999 — North Snore News north shore news GUIDANCE for is always ‘in’ for me her to be there tor me. and she always is. Tean always count on her atticn squee sing me mn fora vit when it’s urnent, Pnever Only 5 ‘98's Left Hurry & Save on these brand new Suzuki's 98 Swift Canapa’s Best VALUE - Japanese Quality. < Includes AM/FM for me in mw tine of anced, ven when nee time of ned doesart comeide with her office hours. [tT call ber attics and Toave a message. she always retucns the call, often at night trom her heme, | trust ves, she abo knews the pain and frustrauion of ditting a ious golf shot, but she is renirkably level headed, even then.) She's scen me at inv pest and ny worst, and she sti manages fo treat ime dike See Caring page 24 home THERE has been a Jot of talk lately about the deteriorating condition of our health care sys- tem. It scems like every- one is mad at everyone else. Our local hospital has undergone a major administra tive cnsis, which negatively affected all that work there, A friend of mine who is a aurse at Lions Gate tells me that nurse morale is low, that cut- backs in staffing have lett nurs- es with more patients than they can reasonably deal with, and that overall care has really gone dawn hill. A buddy of mine went into ins Gate last week to have his appendix removed, and went home one day later, [ had my appendix out when | was 13 and stayed in the hos- pital for a week, have surgical techniques changed so much? T don’t know about you, but the state of our health care system has me really worried. For now, my family and friends are healthy, but 1 worry about the time chat will inevitably come when we will not be so fucky, In fact, if tc weren't for ane very important thing, I'd be down right seared to death. You see, the front line per- son who is administering my health care happens to be someone | admire and respect a great deal. And IJ don’t care what anyone else says, my doc- tor has my best interests, not her own pocketbook, at heart. Thave been seeing her since ] first moved to the North Shore 18 years ago. She has cared for me through the Pregnancies and deliveries of my three children (I can’t tell you how brave I was, but there was some talk of a gag during the first labour), numerous maladies and ail- ments, and now she is prepar- ing nie for menopause. Let me tell you the advan- tage of having « doctor who is the same sex as you and only five years older than you are. She knows what it is like firsthand, to place her feet in the stirrups. i am sure that is why she has softened the cold gray steel of the stirrups on ker examining table with a couple of old head covers from her husband’s golf clubs. As a player and a woman I really appreciate the sentiment. My doctor heats up the equipment she uses for her internal exams (another nice touch), and politely ignores surprise body emissions during exams. She laughs when I crack dumb jokes, and tells funny stories herself about her own family and their experi- ences to put me at ease. She knows firsthand the pain of childbirth, the heartache of losing a loved one, the trials of maintaining a marriage and the joy and frus- | tration of being a parent. (And an equal. All this ond she goes threagh a cranky phase on a monthly basis. My doctor is there asa confidante tor me when LE nced her to be, and she gives wood, practical advice when t seek it. For example, nv first child Was prone fo painful car intec- tions when he was a toddler. He was a stubborn little twerp, and flatly refused te take the foul rasany antibiotic hauid she presenibed to treat the infection, running and hid ing when it was medicine time, or throwing a few wood punches at me as Ptned to get him to sit soll. Pealled my doctor to ask tor advice, des perate for some way to admin ister the antibiotic to the resis- tant toddler. “Shannon,” she said patiently, “who's bigger, vou or him?” “Me,” [answered meekly, as her meaning slowly dawned on me. i only had to wrestle the kid to the floor, pin down his arms, and slop the sticky pink medicine into his mouth once. We had no problems at medicine time after that. My doctor is always there * Aeveny piltows “BIN STOO OL. BOWN WOOL, ++ Sedond ambi BE equal of lesser vatue. Jy Woke » Assorted styles, 7 gndcotours 19 down st thing’! he-price! Twin, BP bourie 198077 ~S00U *Kelita’’ Concert Thirty-two churches of North Vancouver are excited to join hands and offer a free concert with “Kelita”, a contemporary Canadian artist, Sunday. February 230 at 7pm at the Centennial Theatre. Lonsdale and 23rd. The concent is part of the Power To Change media campaign presently being run on Lower Mainland television. newspaper and radio outlets. Kelita is Alberta born and raised. Singing professionally for over a dozen years she has garnered numerous Juno CCMA nominations for her vocal talents. She has collaborated with Juno award winner Susan Agtukark in Susan's winning album This Child. She considers artists like Carole King. James Taylor. and The Carpenters to have had « profound influence on her professional career. Over the years she has shared the stage with Reba. Randy Travis, Waylon Jennings and Michelle Wright. The concert is free to the community but tickets guaranteeing seats are available by calling the Delbrook Baptist Church. 985-4011. the North Shore Alliance Church 984-6422 or St. Simon’s Anglican Church (Deep Cove) 929-1613. Cassette PD All Prices™ _Inclddé Freight & mee OF $895 > “98 Esteem GL INCREDIBLE VALUE. A Japanese quality 4 door sedan loaded with state of the art features. MAKE ROO Mada FOR NEW ARRIVALS! 20/57 ¢Siers Of Dees £6 BARKETT HVVY. 61-5550