Editor:
Without prejudice
First of all I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading the Lakes District News.
It was a lovely trip from Vanderhoof to Burns Lake. I never ever regret growing older as that is a privilege denied by many.
In 2008 I lost everything in the recession so I live on an old age pension. Not enough to live on and too much to die off. I needed new teeth last year as the old ones wore out. I ate pork and beans for a year and picked wild blueberries which I sold for $30 for an ice cream pail.
On Aug. 23 I could not eat anymore and went to my local dentist, who said I needed a realignment. Two dentists examined my mouth and only charged $32.05. So on Aug. 31 I went to see the world famous Gerald Eckland. He noticed a loose filling and told me to get it fixed. I went to the Burns Lake Dental Clinic and asked if I could get a new filling put in. The receptionist said I could wait until the doctor had time. And So I did. At 12 o’clock the doctor called me in and asked if I would like to have my tooth frozen. No I said, it is just a very small filling. I think it was less than seven minutes the doctor put a new filling in. I thanked the doctor and went to the receptionist to pay. I almost had a heart attack, $235.10. I never in my life paid that much for a seven minute job. Then it stated emergency exam $52.10. For a total of $235.10 and this I think was not fair.
I am 88 years young and I struggle to keep afloat on my old age pension. This is my only income plus I supplement it with picking wild blueberries which I sell for $30 an ice cream pail. I go fishing quite a lot and I saved halibut from three trips and traded them with Huckleberry Bill for huckleberries as there were no huckleberries this year in Vanderhoof.
Huckleberry Bill is Bill Woode, a long time resident of Burns Lake. I traded 60 pounds of halibut for 60 pounds of huckleberries. He was happy and so am I. I told the doctor it was only a small filling I wanted to get done. That emergency exam left a bitter taste in my mouth. I felt this doctor had no compassion. But there is a light on the end of the tunnel.
I have to pay Mr. Eckland for his excellent work. And he is very fair. In his office hangs a sign “Senior discount for people over 80 years that are accompanied by their mother.” I hope he keeps it so that as I have an urn with the ashes of my mother. It did not state my mother had to be alive.
Thank you,
Ted Domhof
