Canadian Healthcare

beila
beila Member Posts: 97 Member
edited January 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
As both a patient and a doctor in Toronto, I am appalled at the negative propaganda Janh in Ontario is expressing about the healthcare system that most Canadians cherish.
I worked as a doctor for 20 years in the USA, so I am well aware of comparisons of the two countries.

I have no idea what she is talking about!!!
We certainly do not have to pay for Ca 125!!!!
We do not have to pay for anything!
As for waiting months, the usual tests both in Canada & US are CT or PET scans, (why is an MRI even necessary?) and there is no wait....days or at most a week.

I am being treated for USPC at our cancer center, Princess Margaret Hospital; everything done in a timely fashion.
My only problem is that Avastin is not covered for uterine cancer, but I believe US insurance companies do not cover it either .

EVERYONE gets top quality healthcare in Canada, as opposed to the USA, where millions of Americans are suffering without care.

Beila

Comments

  • janh_in_ontario
    janh_in_ontario Member Posts: 151 Member
    #2
    Wow
    Doctors are obviously treated differently than normal people. I most certainly did pay $35 per test - and the lab is the Gamma Lab at 1315 Finch Ave West in Toronto. As soon as I walked in she reminded me it was $35.00. My brother is in Newfoundland and he was put off work on disability in January 2011 - he sees the back specialist on February 12th 2013.
    I am not saying there is nothing wrong with the US system - neither am I saying that the Canadian system is all bad. I think I have been very fair and honest.
    Princess Margaret is definitely the best hospital for cancer treatment.
    I don't know why an MRI is needed - the radiologist recommended it last January but Sunnybrook said it was not necessary. A second ultrasound (10 months later) shows the mass still there and again recommended an MRI. I am just a normal person - I dont know what is best but I have to trust my doctors. My family doctor has agreed to send me for an MRI. He submitted the paperwork on a Friday and I got a call on the Wednesday with a date of December 4th - approximately 10 weeks later. As i said - i think that is good! It is not good by the US standards for test wait time - but I am glad it is not longer.
    Beila - the lady doth protest too much!

    You are overreacting and I am sorry if I touched a nerve.
    All I ever do is tell the truth - and if you read my earlier posts before you were here you will see I had to almost hold my dr hostage to even agree to do the CA125 test- even though I was going to have to pay for it!

    Whatever - stop replying to my posts and posting such childish posts. This forum is too important to be petty. Together we are here to help each other and I for one have received much encouragement and ALOT Of education on this disease here - and it helped me go to the doctor with a little more knowledge and help me get the care I need.

    Peace friend... relax.

    JanH
    JanH
  • beila
    beila Member Posts: 97 Member
    #3
    janh_in_ontario said:

    Wow
    Doctors are obviously treated differently than normal people. I most certainly did pay $35 per test - and the lab is the Gamma Lab at 1315 Finch Ave West in Toronto. As soon as I walked in she reminded me it was $35.00. My brother is in Newfoundland and he was put off work on disability in January 2011 - he sees the back specialist on February 12th 2013.
    I am not saying there is nothing wrong with the US system - neither am I saying that the Canadian system is all bad. I think I have been very fair and honest.
    Princess Margaret is definitely the best hospital for cancer treatment.
    I don't know why an MRI is needed - the radiologist recommended it last January but Sunnybrook said it was not necessary. A second ultrasound (10 months later) shows the mass still there and again recommended an MRI. I am just a normal person - I dont know what is best but I have to trust my doctors. My family doctor has agreed to send me for an MRI. He submitted the paperwork on a Friday and I got a call on the Wednesday with a date of December 4th - approximately 10 weeks later. As i said - i think that is good! It is not good by the US standards for test wait time - but I am glad it is not longer.
    Beila - the lady doth protest too much!

    You are overreacting and I am sorry if I touched a nerve.
    All I ever do is tell the truth - and if you read my earlier posts before you were here you will see I had to almost hold my dr hostage to even agree to do the CA125 test- even though I was going to have to pay for it!

    Whatever - stop replying to my posts and posting such childish posts. This forum is too important to be petty. Together we are here to help each other and I for one have received much encouragement and ALOT Of education on this disease here - and it helped me go to the doctor with a little more knowledge and help me get the care I need.

    Peace friend... relax.

    JanH
    JanH

    unappreciative Canadian
    doctors most certainly do not get different treatment.
    your experience is very very strange, as are your comments
  • txtrisha55
    txtrisha55 Member Posts: 693 Member
    #4
    beila said:

    unappreciative Canadian
    doctors most certainly do not get different treatment.
    your experience is very very strange, as are your comments

    Putting my 2 cents in here.
    I am a MMMT cancer patient here in the US. I have been on the boards since last year. I do not feel that Jan has stated she is unappreciative of her care, she is just telling what she has gone through with her care. I have never been to Canada so I cannot make any comments about their health care. I do know that telling someone they are unappreciate of any treatment and for stating what their experiance is not nice. My opinion. This board is for people to learn, express their experiance, their fears and frustrations about this disease not to have other judge them. We are all in the same boat with uterine cancer and should be supporting each other not cutting them down. One person may have a different experiance than another, that does not make them different than you just different experiance. trish
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #5
    txtrisha55 said:

    Putting my 2 cents in here.
    I am a MMMT cancer patient here in the US. I have been on the boards since last year. I do not feel that Jan has stated she is unappreciative of her care, she is just telling what she has gone through with her care. I have never been to Canada so I cannot make any comments about their health care. I do know that telling someone they are unappreciate of any treatment and for stating what their experiance is not nice. My opinion. This board is for people to learn, express their experiance, their fears and frustrations about this disease not to have other judge them. We are all in the same boat with uterine cancer and should be supporting each other not cutting them down. One person may have a different experiance than another, that does not make them different than you just different experiance. trish

    ditto Trish
    I have been on this board for nearly 4 years. Occasionally there is a "skirmish" like this. I think Trish said it well. We all see the world through our own experiences. Let's take this info and not get personal and slinging dirt.

    I have enjoyed the dialogue and now time to let it go.

    We all share the journey and fight. Peace.

    Mary Ann
  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,688 Member
    #6
    daisy366 said:

    ditto Trish
    I have been on this board for nearly 4 years. Occasionally there is a "skirmish" like this. I think Trish said it well. We all see the world through our own experiences. Let's take this info and not get personal and slinging dirt.

    I have enjoyed the dialogue and now time to let it go.

    We all share the journey and fight. Peace.

    Mary Ann

    My 2 cents are with Trish
    My 2 cents are with Trish and Mary Ann. We all have enough hurt right now without adding to anyone else's.

    Mary Ann, how are you doing?
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #7
    ConnieSW said:

    My 2 cents are with Trish
    My 2 cents are with Trish and Mary Ann. We all have enough hurt right now without adding to anyone else's.

    Mary Ann, how are you doing?

    Hi Connie
    Thanks for asking. I get second dose of Doxil tomorrow. I feel pretty good going in. I'll let you know. Fatigue hit me hard last time but it may be different this time.

    I was surprised to learn that ca125 does not drop quickly with doxil treatment. Mine shot up 50% (now over 300) but my nurse reassured this is "normal".

    Having faith that all will be well.

    Take care of yourself. Hugs, Mary Ann
  • CindyGSD
    CindyGSD Member Posts: 190
    #8
    janh_in_ontario said:

    Wow
    Doctors are obviously treated differently than normal people. I most certainly did pay $35 per test - and the lab is the Gamma Lab at 1315 Finch Ave West in Toronto. As soon as I walked in she reminded me it was $35.00. My brother is in Newfoundland and he was put off work on disability in January 2011 - he sees the back specialist on February 12th 2013.
    I am not saying there is nothing wrong with the US system - neither am I saying that the Canadian system is all bad. I think I have been very fair and honest.
    Princess Margaret is definitely the best hospital for cancer treatment.
    I don't know why an MRI is needed - the radiologist recommended it last January but Sunnybrook said it was not necessary. A second ultrasound (10 months later) shows the mass still there and again recommended an MRI. I am just a normal person - I dont know what is best but I have to trust my doctors. My family doctor has agreed to send me for an MRI. He submitted the paperwork on a Friday and I got a call on the Wednesday with a date of December 4th - approximately 10 weeks later. As i said - i think that is good! It is not good by the US standards for test wait time - but I am glad it is not longer.
    Beila - the lady doth protest too much!

    You are overreacting and I am sorry if I touched a nerve.
    All I ever do is tell the truth - and if you read my earlier posts before you were here you will see I had to almost hold my dr hostage to even agree to do the CA125 test- even though I was going to have to pay for it!

    Whatever - stop replying to my posts and posting such childish posts. This forum is too important to be petty. Together we are here to help each other and I for one have received much encouragement and ALOT Of education on this disease here - and it helped me go to the doctor with a little more knowledge and help me get the care I need.

    Peace friend... relax.

    JanH
    JanH

    Hi Jan....
    Rest assured...you are not alone...Canadian cancer patients on the Esophagus board are having the same issues.

    Take care
    Cindy
  • janh_in_ontario
    janh_in_ontario Member Posts: 151 Member
    #9
    CindyGSD said:

    Hi Jan....
    Rest assured...you are not alone...Canadian cancer patients on the Esophagus board are having the same issues.

    Take care
    Cindy

    Thank You
    Thanks Cindy

    I am sure Beila doesn't realize that Doctors most certainly do get treated differently - and I would expect nothing else. I am an IT Manager. I have an IT colleague come to me for something I treat them differently than the Sales people - it is natural.
    I also looked at other forums just to make sure I wasn't losing it... perhaps Beila can do the same and agree with me that our system is not perfect.
    Let's move on to what we do best - helping each other through this field of landmines we have found ourselves in.

    In peace and caring
    JanH
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #10
    janh_in_ontario said:

    Wow
    Doctors are obviously treated differently than normal people. I most certainly did pay $35 per test - and the lab is the Gamma Lab at 1315 Finch Ave West in Toronto. As soon as I walked in she reminded me it was $35.00. My brother is in Newfoundland and he was put off work on disability in January 2011 - he sees the back specialist on February 12th 2013.
    I am not saying there is nothing wrong with the US system - neither am I saying that the Canadian system is all bad. I think I have been very fair and honest.
    Princess Margaret is definitely the best hospital for cancer treatment.
    I don't know why an MRI is needed - the radiologist recommended it last January but Sunnybrook said it was not necessary. A second ultrasound (10 months later) shows the mass still there and again recommended an MRI. I am just a normal person - I dont know what is best but I have to trust my doctors. My family doctor has agreed to send me for an MRI. He submitted the paperwork on a Friday and I got a call on the Wednesday with a date of December 4th - approximately 10 weeks later. As i said - i think that is good! It is not good by the US standards for test wait time - but I am glad it is not longer.
    Beila - the lady doth protest too much!

    You are overreacting and I am sorry if I touched a nerve.
    All I ever do is tell the truth - and if you read my earlier posts before you were here you will see I had to almost hold my dr hostage to even agree to do the CA125 test- even though I was going to have to pay for it!

    Whatever - stop replying to my posts and posting such childish posts. This forum is too important to be petty. Together we are here to help each other and I for one have received much encouragement and ALOT Of education on this disease here - and it helped me go to the doctor with a little more knowledge and help me get the care I need.

    Peace friend... relax.

    JanH
    JanH

    Sorry for interrupting!
    I hate to intrude as I am a member of the head & neck cancer group! I came to visit your board as my sister has just been diagnosed with cervical cancer! I am from Northern Ontario Canada & Yes I did have to Pay for my own ct/pet scan as head & neck cancer patients are not approved for pet scans in Ontario! Plus I had to pay for the pump for my feeding's & also my food! You really must research the different cancers & how they are treated in each province! I have the receipt's to prove & claimed some not all on my income tax! Please do your research as not all cancer's are treated equally! This Is The Truth! This is caused by our government also! Just wished to clear the air! Get the fact's straight for the province that you live in! As we know breast cancer is number one in funding etc! It truly does not matter what profession you are here we are treated the same according to the cancer you have!
    God Bless You All!
  • janh_in_ontario
    janh_in_ontario Member Posts: 151 Member
    #11
    rozaroo said:

    Sorry for interrupting!
    I hate to intrude as I am a member of the head & neck cancer group! I came to visit your board as my sister has just been diagnosed with cervical cancer! I am from Northern Ontario Canada & Yes I did have to Pay for my own ct/pet scan as head & neck cancer patients are not approved for pet scans in Ontario! Plus I had to pay for the pump for my feeding's & also my food! You really must research the different cancers & how they are treated in each province! I have the receipt's to prove & claimed some not all on my income tax! Please do your research as not all cancer's are treated equally! This Is The Truth! This is caused by our government also! Just wished to clear the air! Get the fact's straight for the province that you live in! As we know breast cancer is number one in funding etc! It truly does not matter what profession you are here we are treated the same according to the cancer you have!
    God Bless You All!

    No one interrupts
    I am so sorry you are going through this nightmare. God bless you and your sister.
    It is a rollercoaster ride - and I hate rollercoasters.

    JanH
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #12
    janh_in_ontario said:

    No one interrupts
    I am so sorry you are going through this nightmare. God bless you and your sister.
    It is a rollercoaster ride - and I hate rollercoasters.

    JanH

    Jan
    Thank you so much! I am doing well! I will be visiting your wall quite often! The more knowledge the better! I hope you don't mind!!! I just thought I would clarify what I experienced with out healthcare here in Ontario!We are very limited to healthcare as we are short on family Dr's up here in the north!We have health care connect but it took me two years to find a family Dr. & it was through a kind friend that one accepted me! Having cancer with no family Dr. is not easy! Long wait times at the walk in clinics with no personal care! This is a fact! I live three hour's north of Toronto! Wishing you all my best!

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