Comments on: Girl Dies After Flu Invades Her Heart

By: Mark Mager

Mark Mager — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:05:29 +0000

We have to eliminate some silly myths, that our neighbours to the south have been fed for years, about Canada’s health care system. First of all it is not “free” and it does not ensure “equal access”, as many of you in the U.S. have been led to believe. The seriously flawed docu-comedy “Sicko”, by your famous comedian Michael Moore, conveniently overlooks/ignores the uglier side of our health care system in Canada. Canadians pay approx. $55 billion dollars every year for “health care” that is rationed and that provides limited access to our vulnerable patient/victim population. Canadian health care is “equal” to all, only in that most Canadians are “equally” deprived of timely “access” and “care” . The wait times for various tests, like CT, MRI etc., are much longer than in the U.S, and our American neighbours have 4 times as many, per capita, of those life saving machines than we in our Canadian medical “Mecca”. But of course, just like in the U.S., wealthier Canadians get quicker access and care and have the option of getting “immediate” care in the U.S. Signed, Mark Mager, of London (our medical “Mecca”), Ontario, Canada. markmager@rogers.com

By: Mathieu

Mathieu — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:49:56 +0000

@Jim: We don’t really have the concept of ambulance chasers in Canada. Probably because large, 8-9 figure settlements, which seem to be frequent in the US, are unheard of in Canada. Plus we don’t have that mentality of suing a deep pocket for everything and anything. I’d be very surprised if this results in a lawsuit.

By: Jim Barbour

Jim Barbour — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:11:18 +0000

Three years ago, while I was living in Sweden, my 17 year old son, Dan, living in NJ with his mom and siblings came down with fulminant myocarditis. He was a varsity wrestler in the peak of condition, when he got attacked by ‘flu’ like symptoms, but worse.

I used to berate my wife for dragging our 3 kids to the doctors for even the most ridiculous and tiniest of reasons, but never will again. Thank God for her presence of mind to race him to the hospital, even though she had no idea just how dangerous his illness was.

Fortunately, the doctors properly diagnosed the fulminant myocarditis fast enough upon admission that they didn’t even have to operate on my son, (i.e., open him up) although they told my wife upon diagnosis that it was likely that would.

I’m not one for ambulance chasers, or even lawyers in general, but Mr. and Mrs. Galaise-Séguin should contact a good ‘negligence’ lawyer. I’m willing to bet Karèle’s initial misdiagnosis, and the time that then elapsed before a correct diagnosis, were the difference between life and death for this poor young girl.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:28:08 +0000

I am 47 years old and I recently dealt with this condition. I came down with what I thought was a virus similar to a stomach flu. The flu like symptoms lasted only two days and then it appeared to clear up. About a week after the first signs, I began having chest pain, shortness of breath, light headed, and then tingling in my left arm down to the thumb and index finger. I went to the ER and they treated me immediatley for a heart attack. Of course, we explained to the doctor about the flu like symptoms (diarrhea) that had preceeded this trip to the hospital. A blood test showed I had elevated cardiac enzymes. All things were pointing to a heart attack at this point.

I spent the next three days in the cardiac care unit of the hospital. They completed an Electrocardiogram, a chest x-ray, an Echocardiogram, and finally a Heart Catheterization. All test showed nothing wrong with my heart function. I was put on medication and sent home. Two days after returning home, I redeveloped the diarrhea. I immediately went to my primary care doctor who quickly ordered up a stool sample. The test results confirmed a parasite called Girardia. This parasite is often associated with feces tainted water and/or can be passed from an infected food server. My doctor prescribed Flagyl (500 mg), which I took three times a day for two weeks. Two days into the Flagyl, my diarrhea disappeared and I began to feel better. It took about a month to get to a point where I felt good enough to return to work. I am now on heart meds for the next three months. I will see my cardiologist at that time for re-evaluation.

My cardiologist diagnosis was Myocarditis. http://www.mayoclinic.com describes Myocarditis as an inflammation of the myocardium, the middle layer of the heart wall. This condition can cause a variety of signs and symptoms, including chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms. Myocarditis can be caused by Viruses, Bacteria, and Parasites. Take a look at their website for more information.

If you come down with flu like symptoms that do not subside after a couple days, then seek immediate care. I guess I’m lucky the Parasite did not do more damage.

By: Liz Huerta

Liz Huerta — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:17:28 +0000

My prayers to the family. A huge % of low-income families in America are illegal immigrants, why shoul I pay for their medical care? Let the corrupt/thieves/killer politicians and abusive business sectors in their countries pay for their own citizens health care. Do they care? yeah, right!!! Do you guys have an indea how the rich in the third world countries live like? Its an insult to the human race. US is a humane country providing even basic health care to everybody inside its borders, but specialty care for illegals translates to into a burden on decent, barely making it in life citizens, increases taxes, and sinks us even lower into poverty. Forget about quality medical care for citizens. We should all pay taxes.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:55:49 +0000

Well how di they get this info any how!!! What… did they interview someone? If so then they should tell us!

By: Shannon

Shannon — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:19:46 +0000

Hi, I am Shannon. I am 18 and 8 months ago I had the same condition. A virus attackied my heart overnight. I also thought it was the stomach flu. But my chest hurt very badly. The next day I checked myself into the ER for chest pain and dehydration. They put an IV in my arm, but because my heart’s Ejection Fraction was less than 10%, my kidneys were failing. That was the last thing I remember until I woke up in Carolina’s Medical Center in Charlotte on an LVAD machine. I was on the same bypass machine as the girl was. I was diagnosed with fulminant myocarditis. 7 months ago I got a new heart. Not to scare anyone but, the night before I got sick, I had played at my golf practice and gone for a team run. I had never been in better shape. I believe that my good health saved my life. There is only a 1 in 1000 chance that the condition will be diagnosed in time to help, I was fortunate enough to have a doctor that recognized it. But do not think that it was just because Canada has free health care.

God Bless.

By: Del Hager

Del Hager — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:19:10 +0000

This has nothing to do with socialized medicine. It happens to the young all of the time. This is a killer that attack silently as it did my daughter. We had the best of health care but we did not know that this was ocuring in her body.

By: Del Hager

Del Hager — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:16:38 +0000

This is what happened to our 24 year old daughter. The virus went to the heart and she had a heart attack. She would have been 29 today.

Her Dad

By: Ed Egan

Ed Egan — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:35:29 +0000

This same condition, a virus that began somewhere in his body and attacked his heart (congestive myocarditis) killed one of my sons 5 years ago. He lived for 11 months with continuing diminishment
of his heart’s pumping ability, while waiting for a transplant. He had just turned 29 when he died.

An illegal alien, who came to the US just for that purpose, got a heart that would have saved his life. The horrible irony is that the heart that the girl got (the one that would have saved my son) was the wrong type, and by the time she was given a second transplant of the right type, it was too late.