September/October 08

Another new beginning is our relationship with the Health Sciences Centre Foundation. I had the honour of visiting the Health Sciences Centre and the directors of the HSC Foundation this past summer. Prior to my visit I had never heard of a gamma knife or knew of the unfortunate reality of flying in time-sensitive radioisotopes from Alberta to use with its HSC’s PET/CT scanner that don’t always last the trip due to their half-life—which is sometimes only minutes long! I learned how HSC’s new Cyclotron will be able to produce these radioisotopes on site, resulting in greater access to the scanner for patients, and how HSC’s pricey new gamma knife treats Manitoban patients effectively right in our own backyard while simultaneously producing a profit for the province by treating out of province patients.

Add to that, the facts that HSC is attracting medical specialists from across North America, and is developing the Siemens Research Institute—and you can see we are on the right track. HSC is moving forward at lightning speed to all of our benefits. Look for us to become more involved with the HSC Foundation in the coming year as we showcase the medical marvels that we have here.

Still on the medical front, but from another perspective, I have a message for you: get a physical—now! Too many men (myself included) are not scheduling regular appointments with their doctor and getting proper physicals. We all know that prevention is the best medicine, and early detection is key. By scheduling regular physicals, early detection is more likely, and obviously that gives you more time to deal with anything that may come up. That being said, if you are not feeling well, make sure you ask questions—lots of them. If the answers you are getting don’t sit right with you, ask again. I have heard too many stories of misdiagnosed diseases that were finally discovered, but too late. This recently happened to someone for whom I have more respect than can be put into words. What was diagnosed as a common virus, was actually far more serious and their time with us may now be limited. This is not fair, not right and has to stop. Do yourself and your family a favour and make an appointment with your doctor today. If you don’t have one, call Manitoba Health’s Family Doctor Connection Line at 786-7111 or 1-866-690-8260. Our medical system will be a lot more cost effective if we can treat problems quickly, so guys—get in there. It doesn’t hurt to eat right, visit the gym, get on your bike or go for a run to stay fit and healthy, either.

I hope you enjoy our September/October issue. Look for more exciting news from us in November.

Stay healthy and have fun,