No sooner had I posted an update on the Feenstras’ life in Russia, including the news that dad Arend was scheduled for gall bladder surgery (presumably) on Monday, than I received an online heads-up of his post-surgery broadcast . . . on Sunday. Never having heard of a pre-scheduled, non-emergency operation being done on a Sunday — not here in the U.S., at least — it was sufficiently surprising to send me running to look at my calendar.

Yup — it’s Sunday, all right.

And never having seen the inside of a Russian hospital — I didn’t allow myself to get sick or injured while there — I was particularly curious to get a look at what I had missed. I don’t know where this hospital was, but I’m guessing Nizhny Novgorod. In any event, he said it was an old building, but the inside appeared to be spotlessly clean and bright. He had a private room with its own bathroom — and he even seemed surprised at that, saying he wasn’t sure whether he’d asked for it or paid extra for it. The bathroom looked quite nice; but there was a really uncomfortable-looking, non-adjustable bed; no visible monitors or other basic equipment; and no TV. But it was clean. I could almost smell the disinfectant.

Arend appeared in the video wearing his own clothes, up and about, saying he expected to be taken into surgery in a half hour to an hour. He said he had already had his chest shaved, yet he wasn’t in a hospital gown. He mentioned that all pre-op tests had been completed in advance (x-rays, blood work, some sort of scan); but his current vitals were not being monitored.

Then he was out of surgery, with wife Anneesa by his bedside. He was sitting up, only slightly groggy, and feeling just a little sore but otherwise fine. And next he was out of bed, walking around and talking about his experience.

First, of course, came the praise — for the doctors, the nurses, the whole Russian medical system . . . everything but the food. (More about that later.) Earlier, en route to the hospital, he had been concerned about possible language difficulties, but there was no further mention of that.

There was a bit more Canada-bashing with regard to the medical care. He talked again about the long delays in getting to see a specialist in Canada (which, in all fairness, I have heard from other Canadian folks as well — apparently the downside to free medical care, upholding the truth of the old adage that you get what you pay for); whereas, he said, everything in Russia was very quick and efficient. And he couldn’t say enough about how “nice” everyone was.

He treated his viewers to some photos of his food . . . well, “treated” probably isn’t the right descriptor. I know Russian food; I grew up with it in my grandparents’ homes, and I’ve eaten a lot of it in Russia. And I love it (except for the beets). But none of this was recognizable. Of course, it’s hospital food, which tends to be pretty ghastly in any country. He did say that it tasted better than it looked, and pointed out some oatmeal and what he described as apple cake; but he also said he was really hungry as he hadn’t eaten for some 20 hours, so almost anything would have tasted good at that point. At dinner, the chicken soup was definitely familiar.

And then he got around to the operating room experience. And I must say that, for a seriously conservative Christian (he brought his bible to the hospital for reading material), he took it all much better than I would have expected.

To begin with, there was never a hospital gown. Not anywhere. He was told to undress — completely — in the operating room and get onto the operating table. He confessed to being someone who prefers to be covered, not standing naked in front of the whole world; in other words, he was mortified. But he followed instructions. Now, knowing how cold those tables usually are, I can only imagine . . .

Anyway, it seems he was not the only patient in that operating theater; there was another operation being performed on the other side of the room, which hardly seems . . . to say the least . . . sanitary. (I presume that individual was also naked, but Arend discreetly didn’t comment on that, and I’m guessing they were not introduced.)

And then it was over. He mentioned his nakedness once more, saying they could at least have thrown a blanket over him on the way back to his room. And he didn’t say anything about a recovery room — whether there was one or not. So, all very quick and . . . again . . . efficient. He was somewhat nonplussed regarding the lack of concerns about modesty, or privacy — or warmth, for that matter. But efficient as hell.

At the end of the video, Arend Feenstra was doing fine, and had managed to get into a tee shirt and shorts. He said he had some pain in his back and abdominal area, which is to be expected, but that it wasn’t unbearable; he made no mention of pain medication. Mainly he was unhappy about not being able to work for a while. He did lift his shirt to display the region of his incisions — which were apparently small, as they were covered with four or five little square patches on his abdomen — and said that he understood the stitches were dissolvable and would not have to be removed.

There had to have been an interpreter there, along with his ubiquitous cameraman. Or maybe they were one and the same.

*. *. *

So there you have it. As for this testimonial regarding the Russian medical system, my inner skeptic has questions. First, does everyone get the swift and efficient service he did? Can any ordinary Russian citizen order up a private room, and if so, can they afford it? Can everyone make a YouTube video of their hospital experience? And even in Arend Feenstra’s case, was he restricted to photographing only certain specified areas of the hospital?

I’m relieved and delighted that he’s doing well after his surgery. You know, I’m really beginning to like this guy. He’s gutsy, he’s competent, and he manages to look at the bright side of life. He calls it faith, and I’m sure that’s part of it; but I’m afraid it’s also in large part naiveté.

And I still wonder whether he’s fully aware that, in leaving Canada for Russia, he and his family have merely traded what he considers to be the evils of liberalism for what most of us know to be the evils of totalitarianism.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/3/24