Happy Canada World - Thank you all for your support.

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I believe you can now be directed to the post I wanted you to see from a few years back when I was part of the human flag in Toronto.  This year I will be celebrating more quietly.  I shall post photos.  

Canadian pride at an all time high this Canada Day | Across Canada for ... Wanted to post a photo but couldn't so you get too much. Sorry.....You can just watch the first part for Canada Day or you can see the news for all Canada. Sorry....

A woman's experience with our health system as it is now - Toronto

I hope it is ok to copy and paste a portion of a newsletter I received.  The person is not identified so I don't see the harm.  What I do see is how our health system has deteriorated.  I wasn't aware of how bad we actually were until COVID hit and the amount of disaster stories that were being told at how horrible people were being treated in old age homes.  So many died needlessly and were treated inhuman.  Imagine the military needed to be called in to investigate and aide in how we treated our elderly.  It was shameful.  It was not until I injured myself last summer that I experienced the problems I had when I went to the hospital.  I won't repeat my self because I have told you about it in an earlier blog close to when it happened.  I left the hospital prepared to die at home if I had to.  The security officer apologized to me because he could see the state I was in.  Since then I continue to hear the nighmare stories and am so disappointed in how the quality of life in Canada continues to corrode to help the rich because money is pored into private care rather than the public, taking away nurses where they are needed.  Why should one life be more important than another because I could afford private care if I wanted it?  Not all agree with me because they live comfortably for the moment.  This is why I have copied below, so you can see what is happening here.  We need to know the facts so we can change it.  Having people care for us who are not qualified is not the answer.  Terrible:  

 I have been taken by ambulance to emergency five times in the past seven years to four

different Toronto hospitals.

Given that patient care is no longer what it used to be because of cuts made to healthcare

and a shortage both of physicians and especially nurses, it will not surprise you to hear

that such an experience is hardly pleasant and, from what I have observed, can be

downright dangerous.

Therefore, I will tell you some of the things I observed and what you should do to prepare

yourself in case you ever need to go to emergency. Indeed, there are certain things that

you can do to prevent risks to your health and to make your life easier during that arduous

experience. (However, I am not covering situations where one has been in a car or biking

accident and suffers from broken bones.)

After you arrive, someone from hospital staff will examine you and, if necessary, send

you for CAT scans as well as for blood work. That is, after you have survived the triage.

Each time I arrived by ambulance, I was rapidly triaged. However, in some of the

hospitals, even after triage, it can take several hours before you see a doctor and a friend

told me that he had to wait eight hours before he saw a doctor.

Depending on the location of the hospital, the behavior of patients in the emergency

department can vary greatly. While sometimes the other patients are quiet, in most cases

there is at least one “screamer.” Sleeping is practically impossible. I was very unlucky

the last time as I was put in an area where, by coincidence, there were several patients

who were accompanied by police officers and one was tied to his bed. The screaming,

the swearing, the raging, the verbally assaulting of the nurses were extreme. I ended up

rather traumatized after three days.

What is very different from the past is that there are fewer registered nurses and most

of the patient care is given by PSW’s or Personal Care Workers and nursing assistants.

Another thing that was very annoying is that, because of the lack of nurses, most patients

end up being diapered. Yes! Diapered! At other places, they bring a potty chair next to

your cubicle and this is a great help.

Of the seven times I went to emergency, I was hospitalized only four times and the last

time was for six days because I acquired a serious problem as a result of the lack of

treatment received in the emergency department. I am focusing on that because I have

learned how to prevent some of this in the future if ever I have the unfortunate experience

of returning to one of those places.

When I arrived, I thought that I suffered from low sodium (hyponatremia) which is a

recurrent problem with me that can have serious consequences. However, this was not

the case and they confirmed to me that my sodium level was normal. I could not eat

during my three days in emergency because I had arrived vomiting copiously and my

stomach needed to rehabilitate itself slowly. I was put on an IV feeding which is fine.

However, be warned that you may not be receiving the same medications that you had

at home and you may not be able to take them at the same times as when you are at

home.

Then here comes the kicker. On my third day in emergency, in the morning, a nurse

arrived with about 10 pills that she said I had to take right away. Fortunately, I had

brought with me the list of the medications that I take as well as the time of the day when

I take them. Furthermore, I am a person who does not react very well to medication, and

I have to be started on a very low dosage to make sure that I don't react negatively and

become very sick.

However, the nurse wanted me to take all these pills at the same time, including several

new ones. Because she had brought them all together and because most of them were

white, neither she nor I could figure out which was which. I told her that I was not going

to take them and I finally was able to find the one that I take in the morning and I took

that one. I also told her that it would be a good idea if I got some salt which I take when

I’m at home.

She said "I don't know what you're talking about and I will have to ask the doctor." Now,

asking a doctor is not something that happens immediately and can take a whole day.

As a result, when I was transferred to a ward upstairs, I was diagnosed with suffering

from low sodium. And, remember, I had arrived with a perfect sodium score. In other

words, I had acquired an iatrogenic illness something that happens to about 25% of

people who go to hospitals.

I was put in a very nice room with two elderly ladies like me. It was peaceful and the

nurses were pleasant and competent. And it is only at that time that they were able to

10sort out my pill situation. I was still on IV feeding for the entire duration of my 3-day stay

in Emergency. And I was finally taken out of these diapers and given a potty chair next

to me!!

However, don't expect a nurse or an assistant to come running to you if you press on

the call button to ask for help. You may have to call four times in a single hour to see

anyone to help you unless you decide to start yelling. And, ladies, this is the second time

that I noticed that male patients received a prompter response than us women.

How to Prepare Yourself

Have someone with you.

The most important thing for a patient to arrive at emergency or to a regular ward is to

bring a friend or a family member who know about your case. The friend can go and get

help when you need it. But, especially, he or she can advocate for you when your

medications are not the proper ones or when care is not arriving on time.

Actually, when I go to visit my doctors at the hospital, including some specialists, I always

bring either a friend with me or my nephew. I have noticed that doctors give me more

information and pay more attention to my real needs when I am so accompanied.

Your list of medications

What probably saved my life the last two times I went to the emergency room was that I

had my list of medications along with the time of the day when I take them. This was my

saving grace.

Have a carry-on emergency bag ready

After my second hospitalization, I prepared a carry-on emergency bag in which I have a

change of clothes because generally I have left in my night gowns. Little by little, I have

added the following items to my emergency bag -small toothbrush and toothpaste,

hairbrush, small mirror, and whatever other objects related to your physical grooming

that are important to you.

Also important may be a bag of digestive cookies because meals come three times a

day and you're not always hungry at the same time. Chewing gum may be helpful along

with a pack of anti nausea pills, such as Gravol Ginger.

11Bring your own meds

Now I have finally learned my lesson and I now include these 7-day little pill containers

in my emergency bag so that I can take my pills in the correct order if I ever go back to

the hospital. That way I can be sure to take the right meds and not develop a hospital

created disease. Every month, I take all of these pills and exchange them with a new

batch so that they don't expire in terms of their viability.

Finally, bring your cell phone and a charger. The nurses generally are very cooperative

and help you plug it in somewhere. And keep it in your bed with you.

It's also important to think about what NOT to bring with you. Leave as many jewels

behind as possible. Bring maybe $20 to $40 in cash. No credit or debit cards. Nothing

expensive that could be stolen."

Festival of Authors

Please come and say hi to me at the Toronto Festival of Authors.  I shall be there from 11:00 to 5:00 pm, tomorrow Jun 28 and during the same time Sunday Jun 29.  Location will be at a tent at 73 Queens Park, Victoria College at the University of Toronto.  I shall be signing and selling my books including Ominous.   I will be with the Crime Writers of Canada.  I shall report Monday on how it all went.  We have Canada Day approaching as well so the celebrations have not stopped.  Today I attended a strawberry lunch festival celebration and the strawberry short cake was amazing.  My table also won a prize for answering a strawberry list of questions where we were narrowed down to three tables.  It was a team effort with lots of brainstorming so winning was fun.  Monday there is a bbq and Tuesday - well - Oh Canada.  If you are visiting from anywhere please come and say hello.  If you tell me that you have read my blog, you can get a copy of Hey Guy Buy Me for a tooney.  Bye bye for now.

It is a scorcher!!!!!!

Oh boy, is it hot, here.  Some people from Texas said they found it very comfortable here.  Me?  Not so much.  It's the hotest in 10 years.  What a start, first we have the biggest pollution in the world for a day when smoke from the fires out West came to town.  When I entered the house, I felt like I was getting oxygen.  Breathing and smelling smoke was odd.  Now we have had a few days of heat waves and some pools closed because the life guards were too hot.  Enough complaining.  Now the positive.  Went to another festival last weekend but I didn't stay too long because I need to be able to breath.  I took pictures of the food trucks, not my cup of tea but it was great for kids who got free rides.  Next weekend I am supposed to be selling my books at the writer's festival so please come and see me at Victoria College at the University of Toronto.  I will provide you with the address again further into the week.  I still did not sell my house though people were saying they were interested.  Is my town refusing to let me go?  I am missing my big tv and the small one I have been watching is becoming easier to watch.  Due to global warming but they call climate change not to scare people I have decided to buy a fountain for birds at my next house.  My eye is once again on a house closer to the falls than any other I saw and it is so cute.  But, I have learned my lesson.  I will not go and look at it or any other until I sell my house right here in Toronto.  With one of five people I understand using the food bank, it is no wonder people are having problems with buying a house.  But, it is the biggest city in Canada and people want to come here, so come please.........so I can go.  It is time for a new chapter.  I am too busy here, so many festivals and things to do.  I just want to slow down walk along the falls and have high tea with a not so croweded theatre or show or festival........Yup........slowing down......with a cute barbie house.  Bye, bye for now. 

Italian Festival Sunday and Big Garage Street Sale Saturday

 First I want to tell you about the garage sale.  I only bought one small decorative mug (designer) of a beautiful koala mom and baby.  But, I bought a lot of my favourite authors' books.  It was difficult finding books I hadn't read but it all goes to a good charity - the Historical Museum - so I came back and bought more.

Sunday,  after mass consisted of being at the Italian Festival.  I had a small dish of home made gnocchi which was authentic enough and can be found at any legitimate Italian restaurant in Toronto, but the sauce failed the grade, probably from not cooking it enough.  I had to wait about two hours for it and was informed it was worth the wait and I would get a free espresso.  It was not worth the wait and I did not get any espresso ( because they didn't even sell it).  It certainly wasn't worth the 16 or 17 dollars I spent but it did have a line up without any Italians in it.  I won't name the place but they are not from Toronto.  I don't like to give bad reviews but I certainly won't name it for compliments.  The band stand was fun and everyday Italian men and women sang and dance with gusto.  There was also a pasta eating contest where those who didn't finish eating their bowl could take it home.  Even though I had lots of fun and met many interesting people, there were simply too many people and I actually got dizzy from sensory overload from my final resting place to my car.  Complaint I heard was that it was too multicultural and they want "Italian" only.  All in all, I did have a good time but due to the growing enormous crowd throughout the day, I am going to have to pass in future.   However, it is worth going if you are from out of town or a tourist.  The garden umbrella and tree is my home which is still for sale people and my coffee break and lunch break relaxation spot.  I also like watching movies there and attending seminars in the summer.  That's all folks!!!!

Dr Nick Carleton - notes

 I cut and pasted Dr Carleton's research interest:

Research Interests

• Anxiety Disorders
• First Responders and Other Public Safety Personnel
• Potentially Psychologically Traumatic Events
• Traumatic Stress
• Fundamental Cognitions
• Psychometrics and Statistics
• Transdiagnostics

    A while ago I provided you with notes from this psychologist.  Hold and behold I found some references for you to look up especially if you are with emergency services but in general this is interesting for everyone.  There is also a link for sleep deprivation which I find is a common complaint.

www.pspmentalhealth.ca

sleep 101 toolkit

- self monitoring

www.rcmpstudy.ca

www.saskptsis study.ca