When it comes to TTC...

idreamofnumber2 · 01-10-2009, 07:56 PM

I'm jealous of how the some US states handles it. It may very be because you have to pay for it but it is so much easier getting things accomplished and being "in-the-loop". I've heard of some people getting their test results sent to them via mail or they can log on to website to get the results.

Here we really have to fight and have long waiting times to get what we want and sometimes, we never get everything we want to achieve our goal.

Anyone have any thoughts?

elsewhere · 01-15-2009, 04:29 PM

You have every right to have a copy of your results. We don't get them in the mail, but when I see my doc, I ask for a copy. She or he is always happy to copy 'em for me!

Emaline · 01-15-2009, 05:25 PM

The best medical service I've ever received was from a private clinic. I had to pay for care, but they called me with results, gave me precautionary tests, and set up any appointments. I guess that you get what you pay for sometimes with the free medicare. Plus, from what I've heard, AB is actually one of the better provinces for health care! Here in NB it is horrible.

BeetleGirl · 01-17-2009, 09:59 PM

I have lived in Ontario, Alberta, & British Columbia.
The furtherwest I move, the worse the quality care I receive.
I don't know if this has to do with funding, lack of amenities or what but I incredibly loathe our system. (JUST MY OPINION!)
After spending $70000 to get pregnant with twins, and losing them in the second trimester due to negligence has definately jaded my opinion. Especially with the medical butchery that was done and left me to never have biological chidren.

Had I been receiving care in the U.S. it is likely this wouldn't have happened. I would have been sent to a high risk OB, had testing started at the first signs of infection and would have been immediately treated with simple antibiotics.
Add in the fact that we chose to do chromesome testing through the U.S. after being told that it would take 6+ months for our results. Less than a week later, we had answers from the Women's hospital in Buffalo.

The U.S. is always ahead of us when it comes to medical break throughs. Look at hypothyroidism. Two countries side by side both with very different testing criteria. I was treated after a many year battle according to the American standards, and can say I have no regrets and feel better.

Finally, my dh has lived all over Canada & the U.S. and would move back across the border if immigration would approve our visas. He has worked in some of the top hospitals and universitys and still with their system, would go back. He gets pretty frustrated with our pathetic bandaid solutions up here. "oh you hurt??? Here's some pain pills" Don't bother to getting to the root of the problem and unfortuantely too many people learn this after they lose someone dear to them and it's too late. But hey, you get what you pay for.

canadianmutation · 01-22-2009, 02:05 AM

Both systems have good and bad points and every hospital has idiot doctors.

In the US, my dad went un-dx'd with breast cancer for over 6 months until my mom made him see a new doctor.

I needed surgery here, and was admitted that week for removal of my gallbladder.

I guess its all about where you live and how hard you fight for things- I've had decent care in SK for Hospital (unlike AB) but I was treated much better for things like Ultrasounds/specialist appointment times in AB compared to SK. You always have the right to ask for a copy of your results or even a copy of your charts. I have also found that the more you B*#ch about something the sooner you tend to get care in either system.

one-hit_wonder · 02-10-2009, 05:42 PM

I've not had good experiences with Medicare.

No doctor diagnosed my PCOS for years, despite my repeated requests for help. They just shoved bcp in my face. And the bcp added 15 lbs to my frame which I've never been able to lose.

The main reason why we've been TTC for 7 years, with no baby to show for it, is because we've had to wait years to get into IF clinics, then wait and wait to cycle. E.g., one whole year to get into Heartland Fertility. Since 2004 or so (I can't remember offhand), I've only had 4 Clomid cycles, 1 IUI, 1 IVF, and 1 FET. That's it. It takes so long to get anything done.

And we have had a monstrously difficult time getting diagnostic tests. In Manitoba, I had to beg for a simple HSG and laparoscopy. In both MB and Ontario, we had to beg for male factor testing, which wasn't uncovered for the first SIX years of TTC. A simple swim-up would have pointed to the problem, but no, it wasn't deemed necessary by Heartland. McMaster refused to do any testing (e.g., DNA assay), even though they were the ones who discovered the male factor.

Finally I'm at a private clinic where I get whatever I ask for. The new RE has ordered everything necessary - I didn't even have to ask. Plus, the kicker is that ALL that extensive male factor testing my DH is getting is costing us only $200 out of pocked. WHY couldn't the previous clinics have ordered the tests????

I can't find a primary care physician in Ontario. Have called and called, looking for a doctor. But I have received good care in walk-in clinics, and haven't had long wait times to see specialists (e.g., sleep disorder clinic, urologist for DH).

So yes, it's all frustrating. My sympathies to everyone here.