Thank you from Gary

My name is Gary. I was diagnosed some time ago with a torn diaphragm in my chest. I had the problem for a number of years, and as time went on, the opening got much larger. My stomach and bowel moved through the opening up into my chest. This was putting pressure on my heart cage and also the left lung. Thanks to the equipment at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre here in Amherst (ie) cat scan, x-ray, and ultra sound, the doctors were able to quickly diagnose the problem.

I had surgery in Halifax. The stomach and bowel was relocated back to its proper location and, a plastic mesh installed to replace the diaphragm. I came home from the Hospital after surgery and, approximately six days after I came home, I developed a severe pain in my right shoulder. This resulted in going to outpatients at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre. Many thanks again to the equipment, especially ultra sound; the Doctors were able to quickly discover that there was fluid around the heart, apparently causing the pain. Corrective action was taken and the problem was solved.

If it had not have been for the equipment that was available at the Hospital here in Amherst, it’s a possibility this testimonial may have not been written. I believe new updated equipment in our Hospital here in Amherst is very important. Any support towards the purchase of new equipment will be a benefit to all the people in this area and, no doubt will save many lives.

Gary (April 2007)