Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
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Updating in the ecosystem
Canada (Photo credit: palindrome6996)
So it’s been a while since my last update. My Kobo I mentioned is a really good product. I did have to send it in under warranty to be replaced a few weeks ago, I couldn’t connect the Kobo to my computer. Works great now!
So with the Barrie Green Party, which is the local electoral district association for both the Green Party of Canada and the Green Party of Ontario; for a few years now we’ve played host to a few college co-op students. This term we’ve had our co-op students working on research articles for the newly formed Georgian College Young Greens. The newest is on Alternative Energy Sources. They’ll also be doing one for the Barrie Young Greens.
Health wise I’m still on the transplant list, I potentially have a 5 year wait still. I’ve been on the list for 5 years since it goes back to my “return to dialysis” date.
What else is new? I’m going to BC in August for the Green Party of Canada convention. I’m really looking forward to that!
Oh and I’m also now on Google+! And my main website has been totally changed to a cool new format!
Have a great day!!
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Upates about life
Things are going ok at work so far. I’d like more hours, but that’s something I’ll be discussing with my employment counsellor. Dialysis is the same old really. I’ve been on the transplant list since December, and now we play the waiting game.
Things with my new webhost have improved and are going well. I like them so far. Though I still preferred my old one.
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Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my!
So yeah, the migration of Draknet’s clients to A Small Orange is ongoing. Though I’ve heard that A Small Orange owned by the evil Host Gator. so I’m not sure how this is going to affect my service. Ah well.
St. Mike’s is still being slow, but at least the nurse there keeps me updated again, somewhat, even if it seems to be repetitive. I swear they’re slower than a snail. Things were so much faster in Ottawa.
Otherwise not much is new. I bought a new digital camera at Henry’s which cost quite a bit, but has some cool stuff like a great zoom. I can’t wait to use it, I don’t have a lot of stuff to photograph right now.
[Correction: It seems the owner of Host Gator owns A Small Orange, but not Host Gator itself. :-)]
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Updates
So I guess the biggest update is that my favourite webhost Draknet has been bought out by A Small Orange. I’m hoping the quality remains. I’ve been with them for 10 years. (Draknet that is.) They’ve been reliable, and very, very good. I used to recommend them all the time. Now I suppose i’ll haev to take down the referral links.
No news from St. Mike’s. The transplant coordinator who was on mat leave came back, and no news. I shall have to call them when I get some time. Work’s been good. I love my new job which is important, but I do work four days a week now. Better than none really.
And the Green Party is still going strong. We grew dramatically in July winning the membership contest, narrowly putting Elizabeth May’s riding in second.
Go us!
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Some light in the darkness
I spoke with Denise today at St. Michael’s Hospital. She is one of their patient advocates, and sounds like a very nice woman. I talked to her for a good amount of time, and she committed to sending an inquiry to the Manager of the transplant program, and she said she would try to get back to me by the end of the week.
How this came about was I wrote a letter to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, who’s lowly clerk replied and gave me Denise’s contact information. Which was surprisingly helpful. I may not need that end of April appointment with my MPP.
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Customer care
So when you use the services of a hospital, shouldn’t you be entitled to good customer care/service?
I find the notion that Ontario hospitals have license to be slow, with long waiting lists, and poor service to be absurd.
I moved to Barrie, Ontario July, 2008. At the time I was on short term disability from my previous employer, but I knew that I would be getting laid off due to events with the company. So a move to my parents basement was a logical, and smart decision.
Shortly after arriving I asked the lovely people at RVH dialysis to refer me to St. Michael’s Hospital in lovely Toronto since transplant services aren’t available in Barrie. It sounds simple enough, right?
Wrong.
After being referred three times, I had an appointment early in 2009, and then another with the surgeon in June, 2009. Nothing since then. And I’m done all the necessary tests.
I’m not even on the list.
They misplaced the CD I had sent them of my CT scan. The surgeons were due to discuss my case fall, 2009 but that was delayed until last week. And as far as I’m aware, they still haven’t discussed it due to their own incompetence of misplacing the CD.
So the hospital here in Barrie sent another CD. Due to the courier company Purolator (whom I am now boycotting,) they didn’t get it until last Monday. The same day I got the bad news. How is it that Toronto hospital’s are given permission to act completely stupid?
Back in 2001, I had surgery at the Toronto General Hospital and there was caked on blood on my hospital bed. My parents had to clean it off, because apparently they couldn’t afford housekeeping staff.
Why aren’t these hospitals taking accountability for themselves? They need to stop blaming the government, and get on with the business of healing people. That’s what they’re being paid to do.
Hopefully my current situation will resolve itself. I’m going on my fourth transplant. So for those of you reading this thinking ‘The list backdates to the date you returned to dialysis’… because it’s my fourth transplant the possibility of me finding a kidney is slim due to having to match my immune system to the kidney. It’s like a needle in a haystack. So I could be waiting three months or thirteen years.
Life happens. And so does St. Mike’s.
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