Hi BlueIndy,

You're right on about Canadian health care. I had planned to marry and relocate to Ontario. The problem is, I have Devic's NMO (It can be fatal in up to 33% of all patients, during an acute attack.) and can't afford to wait around for treatment. So, I had to end the relationship and return to the States. It broke my heart---but it had to be.

Gracie

So sorry to hear about your medical plight. Having been in the field prior to my diagnosis, I got really tired of patients telling me how great they have it in Canada! Our system is stinks (getting worse by the minute) but it still seems a bit better than yours. Good luck and God speed!

I feel for ya and don't get me ranting *lol* or I won't stop! Slow, inefficient and often cruel...that's my summary of the Canadian health care system.

Maybe Lyrica would help for your problems...

Canadian systems seems a bit like Slovakian...

In here insurance is compulsory, so everyone gets meds, but conditions for getting the expensive meds are tougher... We have private docs, but MS meds can prescribe only certain neuros and, boy, do we need them more than they need us :)

I am so sorry to hear about your frustration! Thank you for giving us an insight to Canada's free health care.

Hi Bluelndy,

I'm in Ontario too. I hear ya on the medical crisis here. It's pretty bad when you have to launch a formal complaint to get your neurologists ofc to return a phone call.

The V.A. gives me Paquinel which is Quinien too...FOr the sjogrens and the MS it is suppose to be immune supppresor as well.

Oh wow Lynxy, that's awful to have to launch a complaint :(

I haven't dealt much with my neuro yet, I was thinking of calling her today but I get the impression she is the exact same way. I was only a dollar sign to her, a number. Perhaps we have the same neuro?

Grace53a, you probably did the right thing, hard as it was for you.

Bigouie, maybe this is the correct drug then but I really feel he didn't listen to me and my symptoms at all. If he did give me the right one it's purely by coincidence.
And that's scary.

HEY RANT AWAY WE R ALL HERE 4 EACH OTHER N HELP EACH OTHER OUT IN SUCH TIMES AS THIS. I FEEL SO BAD 4 THOSE OF U IN CANADA I HEAR ALL THE TIME HOW BAD THE HEALTH CARE SYSTOM IS N FEEL VERY LUCKY 2 HAVE DOCTORS WORKING 2GEHTER 4 ME. I SUFFER TERIBLE WITH SPASTICITY IN LEGS, HIPS N DOWN MY SPINE AT TIMES IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE IS STICKING A KNIVE DOWN THERE I ALSO SUFFER WITH THE MS HUG. I AM TAKING BACOLFEN N SEEMS 2 HELP. JUST AT THE BEGINING IT MAKES U VERY SLEEPY UNTIL UR BAODY GETS USED 2 IT. MAYBE U CAN GET UR DOC 2 GIVE U THIS. HOPE U CAN GET SOME RELIEF SOON. STAY STRONG..

I wish you could shout this from the rooftops for all americans to hear. I have heard this from many canadians (snow birds) who come here in the winter. Many inthe US think that nationalizing health care is the answer--they think they will have free access to the same level of care we have now (which can be not that great as it is)--so thank you for telling at least the people on DS howit is. Our system is not fair, as we all know, life isn't fair. Yes eveyone should have catastrophic coverage. No one should be left without care if they need it. Our system is not perfect, but, at least you can choose your physician and get an appointment. Now I'm sorry for the rant, but I feel so stronly about this and I feel like it falls on deaf ears. Good luck to you.

Quinine does work for general muscle cramping. I used it years ago, but I just bought tonic water and drank it. You are right it is not going to help for MS spasms. I hope you can get your doc to listen to you and give you something helpful. I've been in your position of not being listened to so many times. I'm sorry for you, I hope you can find someone to work with or read your doc the riot act and maybe he will come around. Women are raised to be polite, to not offend, pretend you are a man and you don't care and tell him what you think and what you need.

Good luck
Jan

LOL Jan, "pretend I'm a man". Yes might work too, my family doc is gay and has been much more interested in my husband at appts than listening to me, unfortunately. I just don't take him anymore. ;)

Where I live we don't have a choice of doctors, if you don't have a family doc pretty much since you were born (pre 1980's)...you don't GET a family doc. There is no getting someone else, you have the same one forever, or none at all. If they decide to relocate you get whoever takes their place, no matter if you want that one or not. No choices here. If YOU relocate you don't get one, period. I didn't ever know anywhere in the world HAD a choice, it's news to me.

I think us Canadians are just used to our system, we don't know any different. To wait for an MRI for 6 months is just the norm, no questions asked. To wait to see my family doc for a sore arm, back, the flu, etc...to get an appt for this 3 months away is the norm. To be threatened with losing your family doc if you continue to take your sick kids to a walk-in clinic (twice) is the norm ( this one was told to me today at work).

Of course I've heard of Americans getting an MRI within weeks of needing one, but I thought this must be only for the super wealthy.

I do know we can get an MRI for our pets in a week.
I wouldn't mind using a pet MRI machine if it meant I didn't have to wait, why don't they offer this?

Boy you have blown my mind on this one. In Australia there are some Dr's who wont take new patients as there books are full but the majority will.
For our local family doctor I can generally phone on the day & get an appointment that day if I want it. Sometimes I have rung & said it is urgent (only when it really is) & I go straight down there & see him within the hour. The dr I go to is what we call "bulk bill" which means I dont pay anything as our medicare (government health levy) covers it. Some Dr's dont bulk bill so you can be out of pocket anything from $10-40.
Neurologists & specialists are a different matter & the wait can be anything from 6weeks to months & the out of pocket amount varies for nothing to over $100.
It is the same with some dr's who dont listen at all to others that are very good & caring.
mri's & other tests vary in length of waiting time from weeks to months & this often depends on how urgent your dr has marked it & also varies on different parts of Australia too. Again the amount out of pocket varies too. Some people in country towns often have to travel 4 hours or more to get to the specialists or hospitals.
Take care of yourself & try to be assertive with your dr & ask questions about medications etc.

Wow AueSue, you have blown MY mind now...do you really get in that fast?!?!

Where I live there is such a shortage of docs, they are all overworked and overbooked...in my town we feel lucky if we get into one at all in the next 3 months (my docs typical wait time, even for a pain related cause), 6 to 8 months for an appt for a physical or non-pain cause.

I was extremely lucky to slide in in one day, the nurse deemed me mighty urgent, (and I think she like me too). It was a waste though, I didn't get my issue across good or fast enough and feel he mis-diagnosed me.

I don't know if this is a Canada wide happening, I live in a town of about 5000 people so it's not a huge city by any means. Though maybe it's better in the cities?

Now, its my turn, WOW. I've lived in 7 diffent states and different towns within the states, and I've NEVER experiened aponything even close to what you are relating here. I have been to crappy docs, but only once or twice and then I decided to move on. I have good insruance that is true, it is through my husbands employer, but i've never, personaly,seen people turned away. Some of the hospitals I've used over the years hand you a form that states their payment policies based on family size and income. So if you have a large family and a low income you immediately are placed with a social worker type person who works with you, and your payment plans for the lower dollar that you will owe are worked out and such. I would say the biggest issue I have with our system is that if you have no insurance and you do not qualify for lower payments, you are billed for the "full" amount a doctor can charge, which is always more then they have contracted with the insurance companies to pay for a service. For example, the bill $100, the insurance has contracted to pay $75 for that service, but if you don't have insurance they bill you $100. That is not "fair" but it seems to be the way it is done right now.

The only system that was slow and cumbersome was when my husband was in the military. Their system is similar to a national health care system. At least it was 20 years ago. LOL!

I think of the saying "be careful what you wish for" when I hear folks say we need National health care. Because once we get there, theres no turning back.

Clearly, from other posts about this subject, there is controversy in the US about our system. Its been pointed out that many canadian docs leave because of the rich US right next door. I have a different interpretation. On the whole, doctors are compensated well in the US, but they are not, on the average, overcompensated for their jobs. It is the working conditions and the govenment imposed "rules" that you speak about that drive them out. Not only is a system where one cannot switch doctors at will, degrading for the patient, it is degrading and unrewarding for the doctors. They are not machines either. I have NO docs in my family, so anyone who thinks I am in it for them is wrong. I do have a friend whose husband is a doctor, he is my age 53 or so, and I have seen him beat down as our system has changed over the last 35 years. Yes, he lives well, and is compensated well, but he has counselled his children to NOT go into medicine.

I'm sorry i've gotten off subject and rambled a bit, but my husband is standing over my shoulder and wants to get me going out the door to accomplish some tasks for the day. I'll check back later to see who might dissagree with me and will be happy to support my opnions, even if I didn't completely coherently tie it all up with a nice bow here and now.
Peace to all and may all those who call themselves earthlings remember we have that in common,

Jan

I live in Ottawa. My MRI wait time was one year. The Minsitry of Health's website states that the MRI wait time is 90 days. I actually wrote a letter to the Minister of Health asking him why if our average wait time is 90 day, why did it take a year to schedule my MRI. Still no reply from his office. My husband wants me to do an open letter in the news paper. I just might...

As for our doctors...any specialist appears to be a 6-9 month wait on a new referral. Dermitologists (sp?) is up to 1 year. Physciatrist is over a 1 year wait. If you don't have a GP you will never get one. The GP's who are retiring in the Ottawa area do not have anyone to take over their patients. My GP will be retiring anytime now. I hope I have my dx nailed down before he does!