Plans set in Stone!!

Thank you all for your opinions and supportive comments on yesterday's blog. I value and appreciate each and every post.

I think one of the posters made a good point. It might not 'suck' but our medical system could sure use some sprucing up and improvement. And we need to be squeaky wheels and advocate for ourselves.

During election campaigns we always receive mega promises concerning everything from lowering taxes, improving schools, improving medical wait times yadda yadda...these promises are vote grabbers. They will promise us the moon for the vote. If the government has control (and I'm not thinking only of health care here)...we have 'none'...it seems to be all or nothing with our government. You vote for who you think is the best candidate, and you hope and pray for the best possible outcome.

On December 23, 2006 I was diagnosed with a breast tumor. Go home have a good Christmas and we will schedule a biopsy for early in the year. Merry Ho Ho to me! This wasn't my first rodeo, as I had a lumpectomy back in the early 80's. Bear in mind I had a grandmother who had breast cancer, and 5 aunts who also had breast cancer (apparently the aunts didn't count because they were paternal). Forward to end of January 07, I was called in for a biopsy. Not bad I only waited a month. The needle core biopsy wasn't performed that day because it was decided that an ultrasound biopsy would be the better route to take. Meantime I'm sitting in one of those elegant 'gowns' awaiting the decision. Ok with me lets go to ultrasound. Well you can't you have to be booked for it! Well please do not send a letter back to my family doctor and make me way for another appointment referral to the ultrasound doctor-no no we won't do that this wonderful physician states..I will personally take your file myself to the ultrasound Doctor and get it all set up, its just down the corridor. Out of the gown and back home we go - don't anyone touch that phone I'm waiting for a call from the hospital. No call!

I called in February, I called in March, and I called in April. Now we are 4 months into this-and I'm petrified. Toward the end of April my calls were becoming irate. I was finally told that I wasn't even in the system for a biopsy. And I go through the story again. Yes I was there in Dec. I was there in January bla bla bla...to shorten the story~ they didn't even have me on file as having a mammogram in December, let alone seeing the physician in January at the hospital. Of course I'm beside myself..what if I have cancer and I'm losing precious treatment time. I begged to pay for the biopsy they stated "you can't" I said if I was in town from the United States requiring treatment you'd pencil me up a bill pretty quick-but I couldn't because I was a 'canadian'.. On the last day of April I called again-and I definitely was irate this time. I told them they had 3 hours to find my files and information and call me back with a biopsy appointment or I would be arriving at their department with the newspaper, TV, and radio. In 2.5 hours I received a call and an apology beyond my comprehension. I was found at the bottom of the pile of files on the physicians desk. The same physician who was suppose to deliver my file to the ultrasound physician just down the corridor 3 months earlier. If I hadn't stood up and verbally threatened would I have ever gotten found? I think not. If it was his wife or daughter would she have ended up at the bottom of a mess on his desk? I think not. But to be fair to this physician I do have to say he was probably over worked and short staffed. But he choose the profession!! Anyway I did finally get my biopsy and all was fine..the tumor was benign..but what if it wasn't???? I would have lost 4 months of treatment time. I often wonder how many people have gotten 'lost' in the system-and possibly died because of it.

But our system is 'broken'...it needs to be repaired. Above is only a sampling of what happened to us. We have a son who lost his leg to amputation at the age of 14 due to medical incompetence. Another apology! It was like oops sorry. And what did we do? We swallowed it. We can't make waves it may blacklist us in the future. Did we have actual proof of this medical incompetence? We had tons...

We have good doctors, surgeons and some very good health care workers. But the biggest problem is the 'wait' times. The wait times are caused, by the system. The NB govt' sets a budget for health care and in order to not overrun that budget determines how many doctors they can afford and how many operating rooms they can have open.It does not seem to matter if there is enough doctors so that every resident can have a family doctor what matters is the numbers match. So we wait, and we wait. We are too accepting of the govt - we don't squeak when we should and we let things slide-we don't want to make waves. But what choices do we have? Its the only show in town..we don't have a choice but to accept. Its not walmart where if we don't receive good service at one we can just run across town to the other. In a way its a monopoly.

I have been on a medical rant for years..its not because Rick has to wait over a year for hernia repair-its because I can't make a difference on my own. I have seen too much in the past and watched people get swept under the carpet. And its a very sad state of affairs.

Ok I gotta find me a new rant, because this one is giving me heartburn...

Plans Set in Stone:
We are going to empty and winterize the motorhome this weekend. Then park it onsite in our spare driveway in case we can make a quick getaway. I'm going to immediately reload it as if we were heading south, minus the food items, and get all my 'south' lists in order. We will put the snow tires on the car and service the snowblower.

Rick will stop taking his aspirin now in case we get a fast 'come on in we have a cancellation' call. He will not eat or drink after midnight, because I assume if we do get a fast call it will come sometime between 8am and 10am so he will not have breakfast until after 10am each day. Good thing he likes to sleep in~in the mornings. We will think positive and try hard to stay upbeat. He is pretty disappointed, he was so looking forward to being out of the snow and cold on our first winter of retirement. But as I tell him it could be worse, much much worse..

Ok stepping down and putting away the soap box..I'm done!!!

Stay safe all~
home is where you park it