7/1/07 This is a copy of a post made by me in the Isle of Whack ( gotta love that forum!)
The conversation is about Michael Moore's movie SICKO, which I have not seen yet, but might do just that today. The conversation also turned to US health care VS Canadian( and other) Socialized Health Care. Some people are under the assumption that because we don't "pay" for health care that our level of health care is "second rate." NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING could be further from the truth.
anyhow... here is that copy of my post. It was a general post to "ALL"I am Canadian. I live in Ontario Canada, I have always lived in Ontario
Canada, though I live in a different part of Ontario then where I grew
up.
For most of my 38 years I lived in Toronto, and since the
birth of my children and making friends with many US citizens over the
years I have come to appreciate; actually adore, our socialized health
care system.
When my eldest son was born, he was 6 weeks early
he was just under the required 5 lbs for release and so we had a 15 day
hospital stay until he tipped the scales enough to go home. When I say
"we" I literally mean "we." I was allowed to stay at the hospital with
my son in a room not far from the nursery. My staying after the first 3
days was elective as I didn't really need to be there, but I was
allowed to stay close to my newborn. The cost for that hospital stay
and the specialized care he needed to grow strong? $0.00
Then a
few weeks later, when he was 7 1/2 weeks old he contracted
meningococcal meningitis. He weighed just under 8lbs at this point
because he was a fed on demand baby.
He was rushed to the hospital
with high fever, there were no spots, we waited in the ER a total of
about 15 minutes before he was seen to be assessed ( Sick Kids in
Toronto)
He was diagnosed by a doctor who wasn't working the ER, but
had a lunch date with the ER doc looking after my son, and the next I
knew we were in ICU.
While in the ER, he had two spinal taps.
ICU for 10 days, regular ward room for another 7.
Two
CT scans, two MRI's a plethora of blood work and the drug Rifampin for
anyone who had been in contact with the baby in the 7 days leading up
to his diagnoses.
Cost to me? $0.00
Then approximately 3
years later, my third child fell ill. I went in his room in the early
morning to find that I could not wake him and when I picked him up he
went stiff in my arms.
A 911 call, ambulance ride to the hospital,
to ER, transferred to ICU, three days in coma, another 3 days in
medically induced coma and a butt load of diagnostic procedures that
included two MRI's to map the brain injury from lack of oxygen.
Diagnosed
with a Genetic Metabolic disorder, transferred to ward room, (14 day
stay in the ward), assigned dietitian, medication and glucose polymer
dietary supplements for the next 10 years of his and his younger
brother's life as well as the diagnostics and genetic screener for mine
and DH's entire families.
Cost to me? $0.00
Not to mention the barrage of ER visits for bumps, bruises, sprains, breaks...
Speaking of breaks...
My
eldest son, in grade 9, high school wrestling team, broken ulna,
dislocated elbow, snapped tendon all requiring surgery, metal plate and
devices to prevent paralysis of the hand. Physiotherapy for weeks.
Cost to me? $0.00
I
don't even want to try and imagine the financial disaster my life would
be in dealing and having to even co-pay for these events in my life and
the lives of my children. I wouldn't just be bankrupt I would be
destitute and my children most likely would have ended up in the foster
care system because of it.
I can't look at my children and not
be thankful for our national health care system. No, it's not perfect,
nothing in life is and even if it were there would always be the
nay-sayers.
I have never received less than EXCELLENT care in
the hospitals and from the doctors and nurses working here. We are not
judged or treated based on our ability to pay. We are not told which
hospital we can go to and what doctors we are allowed to see.
I
am currently seeking out re-constructive surgery. A breast reduction
and abdominoplasty ( also known as a Tummy Tuck... but mine will be
rather extensive) after major weight loss.
Because my family doctor
concurs that these are viable surgeries for me, I have been reffered by
him to a plastic surgeon. Because I have been referred the cost of the
consult is ....yup you guessed it... $0.00
If I am approved for the
surgery as "medically necessary" due to back, neck, shoulder pain and
skin rashes and lesions that I'd rather not talk about, the cost of my
surgery will be $0.00
how can I not love the country in which I live?
Happy Canada Day!
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