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.

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.

I did the overhaul after I decided I wanted a more issue-focused blog, and blogs seem to account for a large number of personal websites. This is a good thing, and gives a person the opportunity to express themselves in a new way.