My name is Diane Forrest (previously Joanette), I have lived and worked on Haida Gwaii previously known as Queen Charlotte Island since 1978, working at different jobs, 29 years with Northern Savings and most recently the Co-Op store in Skidegate and this is my story. I know a lot of people personally on the Island because in addition to my working, I also did a lot of volunteering for Hospital Day, Skidegate Days, Canada Day in Port Clement and Logger Sports
Day in Sandspit and a lot of people know my house at Christmas time for the display I used to put on for people to see. I also raised my 2 sons Bert and Michael on the island.
My most recent medical issue started in November 2020. I went to Prince Rupert to seek advice regarding spots found on my lungs and bladder. I had to drive to Terrace to get a procedure to check out my bladder. In the Terrace hospital they removed part of the bladder and proceeded to get a biopsy on it. After waiting for several weeks for the results of the biopsy, it was confirmed bladder cancer. I was in Prince Rupert because I still had to have another procedure, overall I spent over a month in Prince Rupert and spent almost a $1,000. in expenses which included travelling back and forth to Terrace and hotel in Terrace before and after surgery.
I finally went home to Haida Gwaii on December 10, to recover and start my bladder cancer treatments in Queen Charlotte City. I received 3 treatments of the six rounds for the first phase, but on January 9th I had to be taken to QC emergency in the middle of the night because I could not breathe. I was then medevacked to Prince George the next day with what the doctor thought
was pneumonia. When there, they checked my heart as well as my lungs and kidneys and immediately medevacked me to the Kelowna hospital to do an angiogram. After viewing that they told me that most likely I had a heart attack on the flight from Haida Gwaii to Prince George by looking at all the information on hand.
They confirmed after viewing I was told that 3 of my heart valves were blocked at 95% and more and they to perform a triple bypass. After being away so long my husband Tim and my son came to Kelowna to be near me as I needed so support and good food occasionally. The costs associated with a ferry and drive to Kelowna was well over a $1,000. dollars but luckily they could
stay at JoeAnna's House in Kelowna but only one of them was allowed to visit at a time until the heart surgery and then only my husband.
With all of what has happened and so quickly I was told my kidneys were not functioning as they should and I have to be on a dialysis machine every two days until such a time as my kidneys start working as they should.
They stayed for 3 weeks and the support was wonderful and we were advised they were going to medevac me to Nanaimo hospital so I could be near family for continued support and to continue on dialysis. Unfortunately, the medevac did not happen as we thought and so Tim and my son Bert left for Nanaimo and thought I would be medevacked there. Things did not go as planned and
complications started happening to me and now they have been gone for almost two weeks. I was told Feb 21st that my heart is working as it should and they are going to put in a pacemaker to try and get the heart working as it should.
thank you
Diane
Day in Sandspit and a lot of people know my house at Christmas time for the display I used to put on for people to see. I also raised my 2 sons Bert and Michael on the island.
My most recent medical issue started in November 2020. I went to Prince Rupert to seek advice regarding spots found on my lungs and bladder. I had to drive to Terrace to get a procedure to check out my bladder. In the Terrace hospital they removed part of the bladder and proceeded to get a biopsy on it. After waiting for several weeks for the results of the biopsy, it was confirmed bladder cancer. I was in Prince Rupert because I still had to have another procedure, overall I spent over a month in Prince Rupert and spent almost a $1,000. in expenses which included travelling back and forth to Terrace and hotel in Terrace before and after surgery.
I finally went home to Haida Gwaii on December 10, to recover and start my bladder cancer treatments in Queen Charlotte City. I received 3 treatments of the six rounds for the first phase, but on January 9th I had to be taken to QC emergency in the middle of the night because I could not breathe. I was then medevacked to Prince George the next day with what the doctor thought
was pneumonia. When there, they checked my heart as well as my lungs and kidneys and immediately medevacked me to the Kelowna hospital to do an angiogram. After viewing that they told me that most likely I had a heart attack on the flight from Haida Gwaii to Prince George by looking at all the information on hand.
They confirmed after viewing I was told that 3 of my heart valves were blocked at 95% and more and they to perform a triple bypass. After being away so long my husband Tim and my son came to Kelowna to be near me as I needed so support and good food occasionally. The costs associated with a ferry and drive to Kelowna was well over a $1,000. dollars but luckily they could
stay at JoeAnna's House in Kelowna but only one of them was allowed to visit at a time until the heart surgery and then only my husband.
With all of what has happened and so quickly I was told my kidneys were not functioning as they should and I have to be on a dialysis machine every two days until such a time as my kidneys start working as they should.
They stayed for 3 weeks and the support was wonderful and we were advised they were going to medevac me to Nanaimo hospital so I could be near family for continued support and to continue on dialysis. Unfortunately, the medevac did not happen as we thought and so Tim and my son Bert left for Nanaimo and thought I would be medevacked there. Things did not go as planned and
complications started happening to me and now they have been gone for almost two weeks. I was told Feb 21st that my heart is working as it should and they are going to put in a pacemaker to try and get the heart working as it should.
thank you
Diane