Trevor Noah Surgery: What The ‘Daily Show’ Host Learned About U.S. Healthcare
Trevor Noah’s surgery took place with a quicker recovery than some may have expected. The journey to his emergency appendectomy turned out to be an educational one, he jokingly admitted as he returned to the desk on Thursday after only one day off.
One thing that his Twitter followers might have noticed before his swift return to the Daily Show was that he has a new restriction, at least for now. Trevor Noah can’t stand up, probably until the surgery scars have healed completely.
The appendix is a blind-ended tube attached to the digestive system opposite the rectum. When it goes bad, it is usually an emergency to have it removed. This is what Trevor had been facing on Tuesday, forcing him to miss an episode of the show he had just landed after the departure of Jon Stewart.
Not being originally from the United States, Trevor Noah’s surgery became a source for jokes upon his return, as he recapped what he’d been through just to get the surgery he needed.
The woman at the reception desk had repeatedly asked him to fill out paperwork despite him doubling over in pain, according to E! Online.
He eventually asked, “What other information do you need other than the fact that I’m dying?”
Later on, the nurse asked Noah how he was planning to pay for the surgery.
He responded, “Well, with my life clearly because you’re not helping me.”
Might Trevor Noah’s surgery have given the rest of the world an inside look at how ridiculous the U.S. healthcare system allegedly is? He continued with new comedy material based on his experience.
“What better way [to experience the U.S.] than to experience America’s health care system for myself. It was an interesting experience going to the emergency room, although I don’t know if ’emergency room’ is the right term because they make you wait.
“I feel like there should be two rooms: a room for emergencies and a room for people who can fill out forms.”
Trevor also relayed his experience with having almost fainted in the waiting room, telling the audience what the receptionist had told him, “Sir, you can’t faint here, we need you to go to triage.”
Some might respond to this story with questions about why Obamacare wouldn’t cover it. Trevor is undoubtedly an employee working in the United States, and the Affordable Care Act is supposed to cover things like this for the uninsured.
Even when the doctor expected to perform Trevor Noah’s surgery finally had him transferring from room to room in preparation, he recounted a nurse following him around with more paperwork to fill out.
She eventually realized who he was and said, “Can you afford to pay for this yourself? You know what? I’ve seen the billboards, you’re fine.”
Trevor then jokingly thanked Comedy Central for his one day off before backtracking and saying they told him to take all the time he needed. Of course, he also joked about the Twitter response to his one day off.
Some had asked, “Is it because he’s black?” while others had asked, “Is it Comedy Central or the cotton fields?”
Trevor Noah returns to The Daily Show, jokes about his experience with U.S. healthcare: https://t.co/YfowvIl6Ae pic.twitter.com/I9azGWu4vP
— E! Online (@eonline) November 6, 2015
During Trevor Noah’s surgery, he’d also had a camera rolling, he said. It might have been a sketch set up just for the joke, but the footage showed what appeared to be him lying in the hospital bed as members of the crew dropped in to share their well wishes at first. It quickly descended into co-workers attempting to take over his job.
If the Daily Show needed any help getting its ratings up after Jon Stewart’s departure, Trevor Noah’s surgery was certainly a funny way to get it.
What did you think of the way the Daily Show host handled this situation?
[Feature image via Brad Barket / Getty Images for Comedy Central]
