Paul Arcand was back at the helm of his morning show on 98.5 FM on Monday morning after having to take an “unwanted break” since mid-November due to a “quick blood infection”.
• Also read: Paul Arcand has been off the air since mid-November and will return to radio after the holidays
With great joy, the number 1 radio host in Montreal took the microphone of Puisqu'il peut se leva and quickly returned to the blinding infection in the blood that kept him away for two months. He said he was feeling “a little rusty” and awaited his return with “a little bit of nervousness,” while thanking listeners for their many messages of encouragement during this difficult time.
Stating that he needed “intravenous treatment every six hours” to fight the infection, the presenter, who is not used to talking about his “private life” on television, still wanted to praise the “extraordinary work” of his treatment team on the Highlight University Montreal Hospital Center (CHUM).
“Basically I had an infection […] Blinding in the blood, which required several weeks of treatment with antibiotics. The good news is that everything is under control. We will continue to carry out the checks, but it was not possible for me to come to work with this intravenous treatment every six hours, it was a bit complex to manage,” said the 63-year-old communicator.
The broadcaster had previously confirmed to the QMI agency that he should complete the regular season with the team as planned. Remember that he will have to leave the helm of his show at the end of the spring. Patrick Lagacé will replace him in the morning at 98.5.
“This morning I would like to highlight the extraordinary work of the CHUM teams. I'm thinking of the medical team, of course, but also of all the teams, both the people who take care of appointments and the people who take care of maintenance. I know when we think about the healthcare field we tend to say “nurses, doctors,” that’s for sure. But these teams don’t work unless there are dedicated people around them to take on administrative or, as they say, support tasks.”
“After spending a little time there, I can tell you they are dedicated,” Mr. Arcand continued at the start of his show Monday. Not just in a patient like me, I have seen them in others too. With open-mindedness, kindness, people who are not well, people who are miserable. I think it's important to emphasize this. There are still many problems, emergency rooms are overcrowded, waiting lists for surgical procedures are long. There are still committed people who pursue these different professions with enthusiasm. So this morning I wanted to highlight their contribution to patients, of which there are many in Quebec.”