I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

I pay 50/mos, my spouse pays 62.50 month. It is payable based on taxable income above 21k. The max you can pay is 850/year. It is collected at income tax time. People who are over 65, or on social assistance or disability assistance can get their meds covered with a small copayment. All others have either supplemental insurance which they and their employer pay for, for eyes, teeth, physio, alternative therapy practitioners, or pay the whole shot themselves. So healthcare is not exactly free in Canada (I am speaking from Ontario). But damn close!

If a diagnostic test is required by a health care provider it pretty well will be done, and covered though their are exceptions. If a treatment is considered standard of care then most of the time it will be available and covered. But there are notable exceptions. For example: It wasn't standard of care a short while ago to give herceptin with chemo to early stage breast cancer people. Because there wasn't evidence that it was useful. Then studies started to appear in Europe and other places that indicated that it in fact was very useful. There was a young woman with early stage Her2 breast cancer who had read those studies and she wanted herceptin covered for her and all women in her situation and was told no. It was not standard of care, which is evidence based medicine. She went public, the health minister (a woman). Said no. Then found that a large number of people thought she should get Cancer Care to take a new look at the new evidence. The young woman got herceptin, and so do other women in her situation.

I live in a smallish city, 79,000. In south central Ontario. I have had all of my care through out this cancer thing with the exception of the installation of my port, here. I had to travel to a larger city 45 minutes from here but now they do that here. I really like the facility, it is about 5 years old, the nursing staff, technicians, physician, are excellent. If you have issues, and we all have issues, I don't think people fear speaking out. I know I don't, they are responsive to input from patients. Socialized medicine. Who'd a thought?

Oh Jackie, you are NOT sorry! Not one little bit!

My oncologist had me meet with another oncologist. The new one was running the trial that recently failed me, but she's a breast cancer specialist and had a lot of treatment ideas. She's written to NCI on my behalf asking if there's an immunotherapy trial with Dr. Rosenberg (google this guy - interesting stuff!). She really thinks immunotherapy should be my first choice, followed by another bone biopsy (and subsequent gene sequencing to determine which treatments would be most effective), THEN chemo.

I wasn't looking forward to more chemo. :-)

Oh, and I apparently had a heart attack in the oncologist's office, according to the EKG. Go figure.

Holy Crapola,E

I think we all will be glad when Oct is over and we stop making everyone aware. How is your ankle/foot?

Love to all of you who are the ONLY good thing to come out of this crap-----kad2kar

Pip - I just checked online about the New Zealand mayor - his transgressions were of a sexual nature. Toronto's guy hasn't got stories on that topic (that I've read) but he sure is the gift that keeps on giving for political junkies.

Meanwhile, our Senate stories and the PM's reaction are filling up the news too. News junkies don't need soap operas when the news is so seedy.

I'll throw a few FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFs to the universe on your behalf, Suzie! Totally unfair, wrong, despicable, and unbelievable! Keeping everything crossed for benign results.

We'll wait here with you. Ugh!

E

Hey Bren,

I keep using the ankle for riding and jumping and barn-cleaning and walking and stuff, so it's hurty and swollen. I think the heart attack is just my body being weird. No symptoms, no problems, no nothing except for the weird EKG.

Sampson is my super-special boy. He was a bit of a dick on Sunday but that was my fault - I asked him to do too much in a new situation. Oh well, live and learn.

*New* oncologist copied me on an email she sent off to NCI last night. Keep fingers crossed for a new clinical trial!

E

Thanks girls - my problems are nothing compared to E and Chick - just wanted to vent cos I had no lunch and was stuck there for so bloody long.

E - no more heart attacks. That's really OFF THE SCALE. Ankle - I sometimes need a "brace" which is available in good Medical Supply places - it's plastic with this AIR FILLED plastic on the insides where it touches your ankle on both sides, velcro straps hold it on. Comfortable, and not constricting at all, just SUPPORT.

Suzie - SHIT. To go along with the Phuque all this F ( times a lot) crossing fingers for B9 whatever it is or isn't.

BTW, my feeling is if people are not YET aware, they've been living on a different planet.

For the zillionth time, ENUF AWARE, FIND CURE! NOW.

Lots of FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFs and good vibes flying out from here. (odd combination but that's all my brain can come up with right now) Everything crossed for E, KK and Bren, Suzieq, Chickadee, Yorkiemom, Kam and anybody else who needs the extra help today. Geez - too much going on.

Big F's followed by more hugs for everyone.

Hugs for everyone - what the hell is wrong with the universe this week????  E - heart attack!!!!  Very interesting meeting you had with new onc - sounds promising.

E - seems like you've hit the "mother lode" Dr. Rosenberg is as good as it gets - hope you get on his trial(s) - meanwhile is anyone checking out your heart???  Holding your paw through thick and thin. S.