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And the frustration continues....

Since my failed colonoscopy on March 7th I've been waiting for the GI to call with the rescheduled date. Well no one called so I called them today. They're saying it will be in June. Ugh! Can this take any freakin longer?!?! No one will treat me as my regular drs seem terrified of every drug available for "treatment" and my regular GI (who I've only been able to see once!) is leaving for mat leave tomorrow. So now I guess I wait until June before anyone will do anything for me. This disease might not even be half as bad (for myself) if I could just find someone to offer me some freakin relief!! Thankfully I was on antibiotics for an unrelated issue up until yesterday and that helped quite a bit, but alas, those are gone now. 👎

When I was first diagnosed every Dr I came across couldn't WAIT to throw some pred at me and send me on my way. Now every Dr I see REFUSES to prescribe it. Since Asacol does nothing for me none of the regular drs are willing to touch my case anymore and seeing a GI is like seeing a freakin unicorn! Ugh!
 
It is very frustrating to be in your situation. I hope you can find a GI and be seen before then. Some of our health systems seem very unhelpful.

I am undiagnosed and need scopes done but can't see a GI until April....I made the appointment early January! Very frustrating as I'm getting more problems and I wonder if only I could be seen and work out what's going on I could be treated!
 
Welcome to health care in Canada - I have had the same sort of delays here in Ontario when they knew surgery was necessary. 4 months before I could even get in to talk to the surgeon and then schedule surgery. Turns out my crohn's couldn't wait that long. Universal medical care is good for immediate issues, but it sucks for chronic conditions. Quality of patient life is not high on their list of considerations (before I get flamed for this, I have had to wait just like stylinmama. In active flare with fistulas I had to wait for 5 months for ANY sort of treatment, pred, pain control, etc, while I was waiting for remicade.)

Head to emerg as often as you need for it so that pressure comes from other doctors to hopefully speed up your treatment. Sometimes they really need the case to be made obvious. Scopes can be done in the ER.
 
Unfortunately (thankfully?) im not sick enough to go to the ER....yet. By the time I get this exam (ordered in November) I'll need massive doses of pred to get this under control. The best part is that I waited for almost 5 months for the first colonoscopy and the only reason it failed is because they gave me the wrong prep instructions! So it's all their fault, and I still have to wait another 3 months. Bs.
 

Bufford

Well-known member
Welcome to Canadian healthcare, getting the right care is not easy with a government run system where they take a broad approach treating patients that is comparable to a production line medical care rather than being more focused and personal in treatment. I would agree with one of the posters above that patient quality of life is not upheld to the level it should be.

When my GI retired I had to go for two years without before getting another, no doctor wanted to renew my Percocete painkiller prescription that provided me with sanity. Things were rough until I finally connected with a new family doc and a new GI. I wish this country offered two levels of care so that if the public one cannot provide at least I could access care if I had to pay out of pocket for it when the going gets rough. Some people here cannot wait and seek treatment south of the boarder.
 
I totally agree Bufford!!! While I can't afford to pay for the test, maybe some of the people in front of me can?!?! Wouldn't that mean they might be able to cut some time from my wait time if those people stepped out of the line? The people who fight this option are insane (or don't have a chronic issue or know anyone that does). How can getting some of the people out of my way be bad for me?
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
Sorry for your long wait
But unfortunately regardless of what they charge - free health care is never free
Either the waits are ridiculously long since the system gets over taxed with not enough funds since everyone uses the system
Or it's not free and those who have ended up paying more than they have to get seen but get seen sooner .
There is no good system since you can't say one person should wait and another doesn't deserve to be seen or that one should have to pay and do without something else and someone else doesn't have to pay .



Agree with seeing the ER early and often
 
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