jjablkowski's blog

I had frequent ear infections as a child of 6 and 7 years of age in the early 1930s. As was the practice of the day in my native Hungary, the otolaryngologist specialist arrived on his bicycle to our apartment, carrying his medical bag. I was made to sit up in my bed. He sat next to me with his instruments. Looking in my ear he said, “hang on!” and in a second he punctured my eardrum to let a drop or two of pussy fluid escape. I felt immediate relief from my earache. That was over 86 years ago. 

While visiting the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, I saw extensive displays of aircraft, some from the First World War, some from the Second World War, and even more from recent times, including modern fighter jets and their engines.  

I think my 32-pound steel-framed bicycle,
A surly “long-haul trucker,”
With fenders and a rack and water bottle holders,
That seems to ride better the
More stuff you pile on it,
And what I wear when I bicycle,
And how I ride my bicycle,
Add up to a pretty good
Summation of my life.

Worldwide at any one time, some 300 million women experience menstrual periods and some vexation about related hygiene management. What brought this to my attention was a report in a recent issue of the Economist, “Not enough is known about the science of pads and tampons–Why more research into the safety of menstrual products is needed.”

In this blog post, I share my reflections on the unintended consequences of the current fee-for-service (FFS) model in BC and my thoughts on the new payment model. They are based on my experience as a family physician in BC, where I’ve worked for 16 years in a variety of settings and payment models (sessionally, under a service contract, FFS, and under the FP group contract).