Paul Clarkson

For the first 54 years of my life, I was proud to say that I had never spent a night in a hospital nor had I ever undergone surgery of any kind. That all changed on March 1st, 2017. That day I was carrying a heavy load and my left foot slipped off of a sidewalk. I went over on my ankle and all of the weight went into my right leg. What followed after that was a loud audible snap and a face plant on the ground. Being a long distant runner for many years, I was familiar with knee pain but this was different, much different. To make a long story short, I had severed my quadriceps tendon from my knee and ended up experiencing both surgery and a couple of nights at Guelph General Hospital.

For me, the hospital part of this experience was an entirely positive experience. My surgeon was very approachable and explained my surgery and what would follow in terms that were understandable and very helpful. The nursing staff could not have been better. As a vegetarian who is on a dairy and gluten free diet, not only was the dietary staff able to accommodate me, but the food was actually very good. As a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council, I like to think that I bring a fresh perspective to this work. Although I have served on several Community Boards in the past, I am unfamiliar with the workings of a large healthcare facility. Being able to look at situations and practices with what I would call “fresh eyes” is, I believe, helpful to any organization.