The late, but good doctor
July 5, 2004
By Cam Tait
EDMONTON, AB // People who went to Dr. Doug Armstrong as a family doctor became very familiar with the waiting room. Being on time was not an area that he specialized in. He took whatever time it took - and then some - to ensure his patients were well cared for.
Dr. Armstrong has been my doctor for the past 32 years. When house calls were ending their storied run in the mid-1970s, Dr. Armstrong kept coming to see me in my parents' house. When he no longer could make house calls due to a hectic schedule, I began going to his office, a five-minute drive from our home. And I started understanding what waiting was all about. My mother called his office 10 minutes before my appointment to see how long the wait was that day. It would be anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes. So rather than waiting in the doctor's office I waited at home.
Dr. Armstrong made everyone feel special. He just had a way about him.
He was never in a hurry, despite an increasingly crowded waiting room
of clock-watchers. He was so relaxed that he made you relax. I remember
whenever I called to make an appointment with him, I felt better as
soon as I hung up the phone. Just knowing I was going to see him was
reassuring.
I got to know Dr. Armstrong as a really cool guy when I entered high
school. Along with his wife Mary, he ran a weekly youth group for teenagers
at our church. We had New Year's Eve parties, toga parties, hay rides
where kids would break their legs and maim themselves - somehow - but
we told ourselves it was all okay because we had a doctor as our leader.
Looking back now, that youth group in the city's west end probably kept
a good number of kids away from other temptations.
As my life continued so did the visits to Dr. Armstrong. He may not have been a cardiologist but he performed surgery on my heart many times. He didn't use a scalpel - just a tender ear for someone who had their heart broken. As a person with a physical disability, Dr. Armstrong often went above and beyond the call of duty to help me.
So the waits were sure worth it. And there was probably a longer than normal wait one day last week in his office. A good many people wanted to shake Dr. Armstrong's hand and wish him well and it didn't matter how long the wait was. Because on June 30th, Dr. Armstrong retired.
Do you know of someone who deserves to be in Charity Village's Spotlight?
Send us their name, telephone number and details about their community involvement
to cam@charityvillage.com.
