As a 49 year female, independent certified financial planner, I am in the enviable position of having had my business triple during our recent past poor markets. I am poised to expand yet again, hire more staff, permanent and contract. I am contributing to my local economy and my province in this role of small business owner.
The problem is that I cannot walk. At the age of 16, I underwent a repair for a torn meniscus of the left knee. Or so I thought. It seems that the entire meniscus was removed. I have been very active, jogging, cycling, walking, golfing until exactly one year ago today. The doctors I have seen have all agreed that it is probably my relatively good physical conditioning has carried this knee as long as it has. There was sudden severe swelling of the left knee. I foolishly waited my 4 months for an MRI only to find out that the exercises that had been prescribed were understandably incorrect for my problem. Half my knee is that of an elderly person, bone on bone, no cartilage left. It is excruciatingly painful. In desperation last October, I did consult an orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. At that time he could not do much for me given the atrophy of the muscles and the contracture that was present. Two separate rounds of Synvisc has helped alleviate some of the pain. Two weeks ago, I found myself totally disabled because of an overuse syndrome of the right (good) knee. It was more painful than the bad knee. I won't bore you with the long list of all the personal and business tasks that one normally takes for granted that I can no longer perform. If you can't stand, you can't do much!
I cannot risk losing what I have worked so hard to build because of a political agenda that will not allow me to obtain the help that I need in a timely fashion. The solution to my problem is very simple - replace the knee. There are high tech porcelains that may outlast even me. What's wrong with me being treated outside the system if it permits me to remain a valuable member of society? Or is it better to let me risk losing my business, not hiring all those people I'm poised to hire, become addicted to narcotics and anti-depressants. Why would it be so terrible if the province paid for what they normally pay for and I cover the rest myself? How did it come to be that Workers Comp could opt out of the Canada Health Act to better serve the workers and yet small business owners and the rest of Canadians are subject to torture by the very people they elect?
My surgery is scheduled for 14 mothns from now. I cannot and will not wait that long....
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Don't wait ... no one understands the issue better than someone that sees something as precious as their health or the health of a loved being jeopardized by some sort of idea that waiting is part of Canadian healthcare. That is very unhealthy care.
Very eloquently stated Jill. Stories like these need to be told and spread through social media. I find so many people, doctors and medical students included, have become victims of propaganda about our health care system in Canada and how it needs to be preserved.