The Waiting Game

SO YOU'RE A YOUNG ADULT WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND STILL WORKING YOUR ASS OFF KEEPING YOUR JOB? ARE YOU PAYING LOADS OF TAXES AND WAITING FOREVER TO GET SURGERY?

COME ON DOWN! YOU'RE THE NEXT PATIENT ON 

"WELCOME TO QUEBEC AND GET FUCKED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!"

I read some blogs lately about people (Americans) who got their surgery 1 or 2 months after meeting a hip preserving orthopedic surgeon. That's great if they can get surgery in a "reasonable delay" and that it's covered by their insurance. They don't have to dodge bullets from scumbag doctors who don't want to deal with chronic pain patients. The doctors are more likely to take you seriously because you're paying them out of your pocket and they better do their fucking job or get sued a lot. I'm sure that there are scumbag doctors in the States, but they're not stretched like those in Canada. MDs in Canada are overworked, underpaid, have too many patients and they don't take the time to listen to their patients because they simply don't have the time for it!






An interesting case that was in the media lately was how Lady Gaga, after her Montreal show, decided in February to cancel the rest of her world tour and get her hip fixed. And fixed it she did...about a week later, she had surgery and was wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair made of 24K gold. Sounds like fantasy or sci-fi to me, but it actually happened (see picture on right).









Sometimes I wish I had the money to have my surgeries in a private facility, but 30 000$ doesn't come cheap and considering that I work my ass off every day and throw a good part of my salary to the government (taxes)...I better wait it off (for my finances and future sanity).

 *Note: Diving in a frozen ditch while wearing nothing but a tutu = Canadian version of losing your sanity











If I had seen an American MD, he or she might have taken a better patient history and might have listened more, heard me say the activities that I did and found a diagnosis faster : "elite level contact sports" + "martial arts" + "physically demanding job" = FAI. My family doctor hasn't got the foggiest idea what my personal history is and it's not like she's gonna have more time to take it anytime soon. No wonder she never came close to figuring it out and sent me to the wrong doctors for consults.

It's now been about 5½ months that I've been on a waiting list for my surgery and I have about 3 to 4 more months left to wait. It feels longer for me because I've had pain since 2009 and it just keeps feeling worse and worse. By the time I get my surgery, it'll make it a whole 5 years of symptoms and pain (bring out the champagne please so we can get drunk and forget about all of it). 

The waiting game is long and tough, I'd rather have my hips back and train for a marathon (I really hate running) than play this stupid game. I'd rather get hit by a mack truck or get cancer than have FAI. At least in those two cases you don't wait 4 years of pain for a diagnosis and 8 to 9 months to get treatment, plus the scumbag doctors have no choice but to believe you're in pain and give you something to relieve it.

I hope to get to my "Pain Relief Destination" soon before it's not longer a possibility to fix my hip or that the pain becomes permanent.



To all my fellow Canadians living with FAI and waiting on those dreaded MRI or surgery lists : hang in there and keep your stick on the ice even if our health system is faulty. 

That doesn't mean we have to give up on regaining an active life, without pain or FAI! 

*huge hugs to all the canucks reading this post*




*If you foreigners ever wondered what "Oh Canada" means...just stare long enough at these pictures and you'll figure it out...  

 

  

~ Klau