A Calgary man who suffers from gall stone attacks ate 15 potato skins loaded with dressing to trigger an attack and get faster hospital treatment.
He said the health care sysem is so broken that he was forced to take drastic action, and that this was his doctor's idea.
The man, who doesn't want to be identified to protect his doctor, said tests earlier this month showed his gall bladder had to come out.
His doctor recommended that it should be removed within a month because the attacks were so painful. But when the man called his surgery, he was told they didn't have surgery dates until late spring.
So he took matters into his own hands and ate the potato skins, which sent him to hospital with an attack and surgery booked within days.
"With my gall bladder as bad as it was, even the smallest amount of salad dressing would do me in, and I'd be in agony for hours," he said.
"So it didn't take much but I knew if I was going to be going in with an attack, that I'd better make it worthwhile."
The man told his story on the same day the province unveiled a new five-year plan for health care, which promises to reduce wait times for surgeries, quicker access to cancer treatment and more continuing care options.
