Beaconsfield resident, Elizabeth Rossie, has been battling cancer for a while now. Her latest obstacle was to remove a mass that had been reduced by chemo in her lung. Last week, she and her husband Glenn went to the MUHC Glen site for her pre-op testing. After the testing was completed, the couple began their journey through the traffic that often leaves Montrealers frustrated.
“We got a call from the hospital while driving back home,” Elizabeth explained. “The hospital was calling to insist that we return to the Glen. It was urgent because, as it turned out, I have a blood clot.”
Elizabeth and Glenn tried to return to the hospital but quickly realized they were not going to make it back in time to see the Doctor to administer the necessary injection before he left at 5 p.m. The couple offered to return at 7 p.m., but the hospital explained it was too urgent to wait.
“What happened next was nothing short of angels coming to our rescue,” Elizabeth said. “The hospital was going to send a fax to Uniprix in Kirkland, and we would administer the injection to the abdomen at home. Sadly when we arrived at the Uniprix, the fax had not yet been sent. Suddenly, my phone rings and it is the nurse from the Glen, Martine Simard of the McGill University Health Centre, Cedars Cancer division. I could hear she was home and she had her baby in her arms. She was calling to make sure the fax was well received.”
The coordination of the perscription from the hospital was successful due to Martine’s help.
“The heroes in this story are Martine and the gang at the Uniprix,,” Elizabeth said with gratitude. ” The staff at the Uniprix led by pharmacist Leo Messier, were wonderful. They gave my husband the information we needed to administer the injection. We were very fortunate to have the help we needed.”
Elizabeth and her husband Glenn will be dealing with this until her health once again stabilizes enough for her to have the mass removed.
“He beats me up every day,” Elizabeth said with a chuckle. “He injects me every day. Sometimes it is painful but not always.”
Thank you to all the doctors, nurses and pharmacists that are handling our health over the holiday season.