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Today I'm writing from the chemotherapy room at my local cancer centre, so if I rant, I get to blame it on the drugs. All the staff here are second to none, though I hope you never have to find that out first-hand.
The cancer stats being what they are, however, it will probably touch your life in some way, at some time.
I ask you keep that in mind as you read this.
I've received letters from people wondering why I write commentaries about current events, yet avoid politics and health care. First of all, there are many great journalists who specialize in writing about politics, and they do it well. They certainly afford it much more tact and eloquence than I ever could.
As for healthcare, I tend to avoid most of it because I sometimes find it difficult to detach my nurse side from my writer side – and my nurse side has a really big mouth. I both love and need to keep my nursing career, so there you go.
Today I write from the perspective of a middle class tax-paying citizen, and a patient. Do the problems with our mentally stunted government (see what I mean about tact?) and healthcare system get my fire stoked? Yes, yes indeedy they do. The thing that gets me is, some people love to complain about the government and the healthcare system but then cease to do anything else.
How are you supposed to fix something if all you do is complain, but don't take steps to fix it? Let me prattle on for a few minutes and then I'll let the armchair critics get back to their complaining. The rest of you, I expect letters to start being written to the editor, your MP, the health minister, even the prime minister.
Is our government and healthcare system screwed up? Well that goes without saying. Give Parliament a bit of extra time off and the best thing they can come up with is how to change our national anthem. Ridiculous, really. Take comfort though in the fact that we are less screwed up than our neighbours to the south.
I'll use myself as an example. Now cancer wise, I may not be top priority as far as research and treatment, but if I lived in the United States, I would have to pull a rabbit – er – second mortgage out of my hat in order to pay for the scans and treatments I require every six months, never mind the clinical trials and specialized treatments.
Now, do I get as good of treatment here as I would in the States (after signing over my estate)? Well, yes and no. It's a real coin toss. Ask Albertan Kent Pankow about that one, as he sees patients receive Avastin for free while he goes bankrupt to pay for his life-extending treatment, because he doesn't have “the right kind of cancer.”
As someone in the same boat – albeit with a different paddle, I am disgusted by this, and was heartbroken after reading his story.Basically what is being said (sotto voce) is that someone else's life is more important than his.
His healthcare team is concerned about side effects since this drug is not approved for his particular type of brain cancer.
Sure, I understand that, but really, is there a worse side effect than dead, because that's what will surely happen without this treatment. What's the deal? Avastin is widely used in the U.S., as well as other countries. Why does Canada appear to be so far behind where research and advances are concerned?
Kent Pankow is having to rely on the kindness of family, friends, and strangers to help him get the astronomically expensive treatment he requires. Where is the justice in that? My best friend and I were talking about Kent and cancer in general and she said something that hit home. “Robin, why do we have to fight so hard just to live? Isn't living life hard enough?” To which I replied “holy cow, I have to put that in the column. It's just brilliant.” Not to mention true. When did the fight just to live become so difficult? And why?
Well folks, remember as you get back to your day that if you have a job to complain about, you are better off than approximately 1.5 million Canadians right now.
You are also free to complain without threat of death, dismemberment or incarceration for stating your opinion. Be grateful for a change. Start appreciating how lucky you are to live in this country, with all our rights, privileges and freedoms – even with all the screw-ups.
Instead of complaining about everything that is wrong, how about making suggestions for positive change? Remember the old TV commercial with the sun and the wind trying to get a man to take off his coat - “persuasion is better than force.”
Oh yes, and while you're at it, write a letter to everyone I mentioned previously, to help Kent Pankow get the treatment he needs to stay alive, without having to lose everything he has worked for in order to get it.
Please do it for Kent and his family. If the roles were reversed, you'd want someone to do the same for you. Visit www.kentpankow.com to learn more about Kent's fight, or to make a donation toward his treatment.
Minister Zwozdesky and Dr. Duckett, are you listening???
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