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Too Many Eggs

The recent discussion in the media about the quality of hospital food reminded me of my short stay in our local Regional Health Centre.

The recent discussion in the media about the quality of hospital food reminded me of my short stay in our local Regional Health Centre. The quality of the food was passable, probably nourishing, and of a quantity that was almost enough for an old man. The presentation was notable only because it arrived on time, was lukewarm and placed on the bed tray by a smiling young lady. The redeeming feature to all of this was that there is a Tim’s on location and visitors could bring me a hot coffee and perhaps a donut.

However, looking at what I thought must surely be scrambled eggs one morning, I just could not eat them. When asked why, I said I have eaten too many eggs. At least that was what it seemed like at that moment. I did some quick math, although not as quickly as Vic did the other night on TVO when he calculated the interest growth of the provincial debt down to the minute, and I determined that up to that moment I had eaten over 11,000 eggs. The nurse seemed to doubt my answer, however I saw her checking something on her calculator a little later.

It is just a matter of years. Eggs come disguised in many forms: egg salad sandwiches: two yellow eyes staring at you on a sunny-side-up plate; ham and cheese omelets; fried egg sandwiches bathed in ketchup; eggs benedict smothered in hollandaise sauce; hardboiled coloured Easter eggs and softly poached eggs for days when you need comfort food. Of course eggs are hidden in baked goods, homemade ice cream and other delights. Getting to 11,000 eggs over 70 plus year is not that difficult. Is it any wonder I had a temporary revulsion to that glob of yellow stuff that morning?

The quality and quantity of hospital food is less of a problem than that which lands a person in the health care system in the first instance. Wait times for specialists, emergency room attention and even a bed are more important than food when you are in pain or peril. With the cutbacks at our local hospital the number of nurses available to answer that call bell or attend to meds and bandages is only going to get worse.

Why is there not enough money to run our health care system? Is it because we don’t pay enough or is the money we donate through the various taxes not properly used? Or are our expectations too high? Perhaps if we took better care of ourselves and learned what things we ought to avoid, both in activity and eating, we might be healthier and not need to visit the hospital so often.

Maybe I should not have eaten all those eggs. Now, about the number of potatoes I have consumed in seventy some years . . .





Bill Walton

About the Author: Bill Walton

Retired from City of North Bay in 2000. Writer, poet, columnist
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