Healthcare and hash browns

Turns out I didn't really resign from my job after all - they didn't actually get the e-mail that I sent when I had a good old rant at their system. So I had to forward it to them again, which kind of took the impetus out of resigning in the first place. But then I got the chance to add a little bit more in and take a little bit out, making it less of a rant and more of a strongly-worded argument. I hope. We shall see in a few hours from now.

I got my first taste of Canadian healthcare today. I finally kicked myself up the arse and went to the doctors to have a blood test, since the amount of time I spend sleeping has become ridiculous over the past few weeks, and I still feel tired. In England the doctors tend to sit and listen to you tell them your symptoms, or more accurately not listen to you, but instead write notes or doodle or distract themselves in some way while they listen to your hypochondria. They then tell you, without examining you, that you probably have a virus, or flu, and that they can't give you antibiotics because they don't like to do that nowadays. The number of times I've been told to go home, take a couple of days off, rest and take aspirin is disproportionate to the number of non-virus/flu/aspirin illnesses I've had. Anyway, this doctor asked a lot of questions about my medical history, my diet, my recent exercise, my living arrangements, stress, boyfriends, yadda yadda.... Then I had my thyroid glands checked, my neck checked, my pulse taken, my skin colour tested, my eyes looked at.... I was sent for blood and urine tests at the lab round the corner (itself scarily efficient - go in, take a number, immediately get your blood taken, take urine sample, put urine sample in cupboard, leave) and was told that when I came back to get my results a full physical would be done. Renal function, various tests, I wouldn't be surprised if the guy whipped out a CAT scanner from the corner and started recording brain maps.

All of which is comforting, even if you spend some time hoping they don't tell you you need a prescription, since it's not covered by the provincial healthcare plan. And even better, they cut my age by 7 months after there was confusion over the 09/02/79 or 02/09/79 recording system. However the lab made me go back and tell them they had it wrong, dammit.

After coming home and recuperating by scoffing the only thing I could find to eat in the freezer, hash browns (not hash brownies, as Dan was shocked to hear I was eating), I sallied out to Richmond in search of Nintendo DS systems for my lovely (read: computer game mad) friend in England. Who wanted not one of the things, but two, along with three games. Having found that the website wouldn't let me order two, since there was a limit of one per household, I had to drive to the only store which had any in stock and bat my eyes at the salesman to let me break the rules. $581 later, I came out with what he wanted. I pray to god they get to England without being broken in my suitcase or lost in transit, as my bank account will have a serious malfunction if something happens. Denise and I are planning to try them out before we take them to the UK, just in case they don't work, you know - purely in the interests of science and all that. Although I am generally pretty bad with games that need any quick reactions whatsoever, hence my love of adventure games or puzzle things, where you sit there and work stuff out in your own time rather than getting beaten crapless by some level 6 druid with the stone of Zahfakrakjshf in his possession.

We debated buying a canoe this evening in case the soon-predicted massively shattering earthquake hits here in the near future, so we can ride the waves that sweep the rest of the city, but gave up on the idea. We'll settle for a wheely bin each instead. So then we spent our money on Dominos pizza and The Aviator at the cinema. Which actually was a lot better than I thought it would be, since I have an immediately dislike of Di Caprio in any film he's in, and the fact that the thing was 3 hours was doubly off-putting. But to its credit, the film went quickly, and was very interesting, if a little unsettling in its portrayal of the descent into mental instability. The kind of thing that makes you fear what the next few decades may hold for you.* Or is that just me?

Anyway, on a more positive note: an application form for assistance with paying my healthcare premiums came through the post today, and the Neil Squire foundation sent me the e-mail of someone that I should contact about affiliating myself with them so I can research the MS project, so tomorrow is a day of letter writing and e-mailing. And seeing what my boss says to me when my e-mail finally reaches her. Ouch.....

* On this depressing subject, my mother and her older sister have this pact that if one of them goes doolally, the other one will put them out of their misery. My questions regarding how this will happen without the other being charged with murder, and how this can be accomplished if both of them lose their marbles at the same time, have yet to be satisfactorily answered. But it's nice to know they're making contingency plans.