Fwd: Child and Senior healthcare

Hi Marg.

I do have two experiences right now.

1. My son had an injury in April during a game and has been in constant pain for months with decreased mobility. Doctors have been bouncing him around because his scans came back clean. He has proven complex and even been denied care by the Glenrose. Our physiotherapist was able to get into his med file and see that doctors (more than 1) have been saying that they suspect Complex Regional Pain Disorder or Functional Neurological Disorder. Both can be long term if no care is given. No doctors have spoken about any of this to us and keep bouncing us around expecting that the Glenrose would take care of him. Now we have been told to get a referrral to the pediatric pain clinic. We had one, it was rejected because we were in line for an assessment with the Glenrose. Now we're being told it's a two year wait. During all of this, multiple doctors have shamed him for feeling the way he has even though all of the literature and research have said that it is a legitimate concern and the brain has rewired itself with pain. He can't walk by himself anymore and needs to use a wheelchair. He's missing out on life, but the doctors have accused him of "making a big deal out of nothing" and "being too sensitive." They've made him wait 6-8 hours in the waiting room of the Stollery while he had a pain flare and when we got to the back just to tell us they weren't going to do anything, but please keep coming back when he has a pain flare. Our trust in doctors and in this health care system is severely fractured. I let him scream his pain flares out at home rather than take him to the Stollery. I'm not adding any more trauma to him. 

2. Recently my mother-in-law had an angina attack and was taken to hospital. She needed surgery a for stent to be put in. She was in emergency for 6 days. A surgery she was booked in for had to be cancelled because there was no room for her. She ended up having another episode in emergency, but the nurses failed to catch on. A doctor performing rounds saw and stepped in. Eventually she was moved to an alcove in the Mazankowsi, not an actual room. They did surgery 45 minutes later and then took her back to the alcove. She was released the next morning, still in the alcove. 

I don't know if these will be good enough for what you're trying to put together, but I thought I would try.

Take care.

S.