STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER
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I was mulling over BC's health issues with wait times etc. My own thought is that we are a huge land mass with a small population - roughly 5 M. Even Vancouver is not a major city by other countries standards. It is only big when you count the surrounding cities of Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster etc. So we do not have a lot of large hospitals in the Province; the populations don't support that. Until Kelowna got a PET machine a few years ago anyone living in the Interior had to come to Vancouver. A lot of BC towns barely crack 30,000. Many are in the 12,000 range. If you need specialized care or surgery you pretty much have to go to Kelowna, Vancouver or Victoria. That puts a burden on those facilities to be able to accommodate patients from all those small towns. Most of the hospitals down in the Lower Mainland are putting up new buildings and rejuvenating the older ones in order to cover those needs but it takes time.
So yes - there are wait times and the need to prioritize (triage) But I am grateful to have no premiums, no co-pays, no surprise bills. No networks. I can be sent to whatever specialist or facilities warrant it.
I feel so terrible for those who have to duke it out just to get the care they need.
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I am sure traveling for care is a pain is hard too in the winter months. Even in Colorado on the "front range" and not in the mountains we get some snow but when it does it is bad and we hate to go out and have to even go 20 miles to the doctor who is n our own town. In same ways COVD helped with a lot of them since we could do some stuff on tele health which works better than driving anywhere and not worrying about getting in accindent out there on the roads.
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Question for those of you who are a normal weight. When you see a doc filling in for your primary, non cancer doctor or a new nurse for something like a minor injury or infection, are you asked if you are diabetic? I am asked often even though I am not and have never been, this is usually quickly upon seeing me (I am obese) and without even reviewing their files.
I find it rude and bias but want to know if it’s a standard question before I call them on it.
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illimae, I am normal weight & am always asked if I am diabetic. I think it's a standard question. I was asked even when I had my covid shots. I will ask my RN friend who is a diabetic RN what she knows about the question.
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illimae,
I am not overweight and have never been but I am also asked this as it seems to be a routine med screening question. I don’t know why it would be rude or biased as it’s simply an important bit of info for practioners to know. I will say that with respect to weight, those who are overweight are at an increased risk for diabetes so it would be negligent to not ask! But yes, even us thin folks get asked this.
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illimae,
this is what my friend said
Diabetes affects so many body systems, that it is always relevant. For something like an injury to an ankle, it could mean healing and circulation are impaired. Especially to feet, typically vulnerable to poor circulation.
Type 2 diabetes is very common, and with every year older we get, more-so.
The next question should be (if the answer is yes) about how the person's diabetes is managed and what their A1C is.HTH, cheers, dee
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I don't always get asked, but if I do, I say no and give them my most current A1C count. I suppose I will be getting tested for it for the rest of my life. BMI is 27, I'm overweight according to that scale.
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I will defend the Cdn waitlists. I'm so sick of the man in the dog park story. Our surgical wait times in BC are public so these myths shouldn't get repeated - & yet they do.
HIp replacements;
50% of cases are done in 15.1 weeks. Less than 4 months!
90% of cases done in 41.7 weeks - which is approx 9 months. And often delays are not due to shortages but due to other issues with the pts' health. I personally know people who had to do other things to stabilize their health & had their surgery delayed a few months but were initially offerred earlier dates. The system doesn't capture that the delay was not due surgical capacity but rather due to other problems with the pts health..
And it's FREE
One of the hospitals here has also started doing a state of the art direct anterior procedure which is day surgery & has very quick recovery.
So state of the art. Free. And available within what IMO are reasonable time frames. Sure, everyone wants faster but a hip replacement is nowhere near as urgent as cancer surgeries so things get prioritized.
I'm so sick of the slamming of the Cdn healthcare system. That's my rant.
I'd also point out that my impression is that everyone in the US everyone sets up a gofundme the second they get diagnosed with cancer. My social media cancer groups which are US based are all just one gofundme after another.
(edited cause I can't do math when I'm mad lol)
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moth,
Thank you for that! I am not part of the Cdn health system but it is often used, with no truth behind it, to put people in the US off from universal health care. Those of us with good medical insurance are accustomed to relatively short wait times but I for one would not mind waiting longer for non-emergency care. Sadly, far too many US citizens either have no medical insurance or very basic policies. Those are some of the folks putting up GoFundMe pages. I would happily sacrifice the convenience I currently have due to good insurance to be part of the solution that allows all of us to get health care. Sadly, not everyone here feels that way.
When you say that your medical care is free, you mean at point of service, correct? Do you pay for it via taxes or pay check deductions?
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exbrnxgrl, in BC right now there are no monthly premiums or deductions. It's all done from taxation.
I saw this recently, comparing taxes in various areas https://ca.talent.com/tax-calculator
USA net pay 41,329 average tax 20.5%
Canada net pay 40,568 average tax 22.0%
so yeah, we pay more, but not like an *insane* amount more, kwim?
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Insurance can be a real bitch in the US. We are in the group of people that have too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to be able to afford insurance. I chose to wait a year after it became clear that something very bad was going on because I didn’t have insurance. My husband has been on Medicare for over 20 years but with Chronic health issues meds in particular run into the hundreds
monthly. No money left for health insurance for me. After my husbands disability insurance ended our income went down enough to qualify for the women’s Heath Cancer Medicaid program. That’s when I was able to get diagnosed. They paid for everything until I turned 65 in Feb. but by that time my cancer was advanced. Now I’m on Medicare which is great, but if I have to go on any of the heavy meds I’m royally screwed.Medicaid can be great, but it’s managed by state and every state has different rules. It really a loan, not a giveaway. More so in some states than others. My care is excellent, everything I need is only a 50 minute drive away. Overall, I’ve had it pretty good but there’s an awful lot of people in this country who are not covered in any way. I don’t think people are against universal healthcare but who’s going to pay for it, and who would manage it. Congress sure doesn't know how to balance a budget. I don’t know what the solution is, but something definitely need to be done. Especially drug coverage.
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Thank you for the responses. I only suspect it because of the eyeing my body look and obvious surprised reaction when I say no. I don't find it at all rude or unnecessary without the “hmm, really?, No, you're sure?" additional comments.
After a previous gyno complaint about a mild ovarian pain and being told that an ultrasound would be “useless because it can't see through all the fat", I've become a little unsure about what is clinical vs criticism.
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The man in the dog park was not a myth. I don’t know what part of Canada he was from
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illimae, I started getting the diabetes question around the time I turned 50 (I'm 60 now), and was asked if I was diabetic by every single one of the multitude of new doctors, nurses, etc. that came with my cancer diagnosis last year. I'm very lean, always have been. My understanding is that it's a standard question for menopausal and post-menopausal women, because menopause can wreak havoc on blood sugar levels, and we are at higher risk (regardless of weight) for developing diabetes.
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illimae,
With those kind of comments, I’m not surprised that you have your antenna up. They were totally uncalled for.
Goldcity,
Yes, how to pay for it is certainly a concern but most people I have spoken to who oppose universal healthcare usually scream, “Socialism!” The sad part is that I think more than a few misunderstand what socialism actually means
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I'm on a Medicare Advantage program - socialism at its finest! The only premium is the amount I'd have to pay for Medicare Part B anyway, so slightly over $100. No pharmacy premium, either. I think of that as a tax since I don't see it. There have been several cost decreases since I've had this insurance, and now they've eliminated some of the referrals to make it easier to use. I couldn't afford the supplemental plan premiums, which also require a separate pharmacy plan. It's just a shame a person has to wait until they're old to get on a plan like this. At least the Affordable Care Act has helped a lot of younger folks get insurance they otherwise couldn't, but there are still too many people with no coverage.
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My older sister rant and raved about socialism/communism last election. If the democrats win blah, blah, blah. Next topic of conversation she said she was having firewood delivered. She gets it for free (she heats with a combination of wood and gas). HEAP pays for her wood. I said, I hope you enjoy your free socialist heat. She didn't get it.
Drug prices will never come down as long as lobbyists from the drug companies keep paying off congress persons. Medicare should be able to negotiate drug prices. They are buying in bulk and buying lots of the more commonly used ones.
ctmbsitka, I get Prolia every 6 months. The clinic charges $4000 some odd $. Of that I pay $325.00. It's a simple shot and I asked if Dr. could give me a script for it and I would give it to myself. NOPE! I call bullshit.
This country is not a democracy it's a republic.
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Wrenn, I was too stunned to call her on her shitty manner but I did not go back and told my PCP who knew her and referred her, he couldn’t believe it either.
Additionally, her office was on the 19th floor of a building and I’m afraid of heights, I got such an eye roll when I asked her to close the blinds. I think she had a problem from the start.0 -
illimae,
She should consider a career change or maybe medical research. That way she wouldn’t have to deal with people!
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Good grief illimae! Totally unacceptable. I can’t recall being asked and am at normal weight although I was heavy for many years. (That’s another interesting irony. I spent most of my youth and early adulthood very overweight. At 38 something clicked and I decided I needed to get the weight off. Fast forward eight months after spending a lot of effort on body image and I found the lump. I ended up bald with part of a breast! Ha! Of course, there is a good chance that I found the lump because I lost weight. I’ll never know…)
Moth, thanks for defending our system. I think by the time you factor in the cost of medical coverage which we don’t pay for our tax levels would be pretty comparable. Of course, the one caveat is that we are lulled into a false sense of security in some ways. It was a bit of a shock that there are so many things not covered (like Faslodex and Ibrance) if you don’t have extended health benefits. If I had it to do over again I would have purchased extra coverage years ago.
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I didn't have the best day. My coworker, who is also basically my best friend, unloaded on me this morning about how my work attention to detail and initiative has declined in the last month or so. She wanted to tell me this "because no one else will". But then she says this is not something that has been talked about with others in the office.
I've been through a lot this past year, including brain radiation, and I actually don't think I'm doing a half bad job considering. But it would be reasonable to expect my work and speed to decline somewhat due to all this. So yeah, I would agree I'm not doing as well as pre-MBC treatment, but why point it out in such a hurtful way? I don't need this. I told her how it made me feel. I know she is stressed out and unhappy at work, but she shouldn't lash out / take it out on me. I hate it to effect our friendship but I have been trying to "get over it" all day, and it's not working. I could go on LTD, I just hate to lose the health insurance and our budget would be much tighter. But is it worth it to spend 8 hours a day working and then be told quite rudely I'm not up to par? I thought I was being helpful not a burden as we're already understaffed and that's not my fault or problem.
Alternating between sadness and anger on this one. Any advice? I already can't help feeling like a burden to everyone with all my "special needs".
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Illimae,
I don’t remember being asked about being diabetic but my PCP did write in my notes that I needed to lose weight, but couldn’t tell me to my face? What a putz. I’m trying to find a new one.
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Kikomoon I don't believe your coworker can qualify as a friend with that behavior. I cannot imagine any reason to berate someone that has been through significant treatment. Obviously your coworker was dealing with something else and dumped on you. How immature and insensitive. Do not let this bully push you out, only go out if you wish to do so. I am sorry this person has added toxicity to your work environment. I think you have to discount their comments because they were rooted in some other issue.
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Kikomoon, is it possible to get ACA insurance or Medicaid and apply for SSDI to cover you, if you choose to leave work? I struggled a bit too with brain mets. When I couldn’t remember or figure out how I filtered raw data for an important budget spreadsheet, I gave 3 months notice for my employer to find someone for me to train to take that over. I was fortunate that working for the state allowed me to medically retire with insurance in place and while it was hard leaving the friends and routine, being retired is really great, especially no alarm clock and freedom to do whatever I like.
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Thank you Rah and Mae for your replies. Well I went in person to the office today and things were fairly normal. I know she was just having a miserable Monday. I do think I need to work on my communication, I'm always open to constructive criticism and making changes to improve my performance. So I re-finished the thing I was working on for her and re-sent the wrap up email to be much much clearer, which probably could have spared me the drama in the first place. Not excusing her behavior but she admitted she should have approached it differently and she feels like our superiors do not listen to her concerns or appreciate her. She feels like everyone else (not just me) gets special attention. So yeah, she has some issues and I want to be there to listen. I am not the only one she goes off on occasionally, even our boss has learned to brush it off / ignore it. She is fabulous at her job. Her going off Is probably why he doesn't listen to her though.
Then, my other coworker gave me something to work on where I have to use my brain and be creative, and that's good. So obviously, she thinks I'm doing fine. Everything I do gets checked, in case I do start making mistakes. Although we all try to check each other's work before it goes out the door.
Mae, I could do long term disability and ACA or DH's health insurance although it's not very good which is why we're on mine. Actually with all my treatment it's probably a wash for me, but The occasional health concern for him would be pretty expensive. I think the ACA has better options. I just hate to take a pay cut now and tighten my belt before I have to, but I am starting to really think about it. I will run the numbers again.
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Kiko, glad to hear the situation is working itself out. Your coworker friend might do well to take a class or course or read a book on how to make her work accomplishments more visible to the higher ups/management/boss/superiors. The work that women do is often minimized or unacknowledged. Women's concerns are often trivialized. There are strategies that can be used to help correct this and it could lead to less frustration on the coworkers behalf. There are so many subtle ways that others, especially men, take credit for the work a woman does including stealin their ideas and passing them off as their own. Women are conditioned to accept non-recognition, not make waves, stay in their lane, know their place. She could learn some new techniques to help avoid some of that rather than take it out on you.
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Alice-that made me laugh. Thanks. GoldensRBest-I think MORE wine might be the sollution. Here - I thought I was doing cancer wrong, when I'm actually probably doing wine wrong! I'm going to conduct my own medical expirements ASAP!
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Met with the NP today at the surgical oncology office. I was in and out in record time. 23 minutes. My BS is out on medical leave. She had a fall and is injured. I liked the NP, just read her notes, no errors. I had no concerns, no pain today, and she was fine with me waiting another month or three to get the mri order done she had to give me. Due in Jan 2022 but I don't go back until May, so not going in January. She was fine with it as long as I have it done by May! Yes, really like her. I scheduled my next appt with her. Only thing was the nurse took my BP 3 times. I do not have high blood pressure but it was 160/80. Best be a fluke and nothing new!! Big surprise, I have been worked up over many things lately, one of which was meeting her. I have another appointment in a few weeks, lets hope that reading will go back to where it usually is. Hope you all have a good weekend. So glad to get another appt behind me!!
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ctmbsikia - I'm glad you like your NP. I had a situation where I didn't like mine and it was stressful. I have an NP in my new office that I abslutely adore and it matters!
About the BP thing, I'm usually around 110/70, but I had the same weird reading in the office once. The nurse kept asking me if I was upset, stressed or if I just sprinted across the parking lot! None of those things were happening! But, my BP was oddly high for some reason. That was a year ago and it hasn't happened since. I think you're right, it's probably just a fluke.
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