While a harrowing realization, it seems as though in today’s age, it has never been more important to be your own health advocate. Here in Canada, the medical system is a bit of a joke to speak plainly, and I am not the only one who feels this way. Yes, OHIP is wonderful to an extent, but when wait times to see a specialist are usually months, and you still need to follow up with them about results instead of specialists doing their literal job and contacting you, it becomes increasingly frustrating.
I recently heard of someone who was having some health issues. They went for some tests, but because we are told if we do not receive a follow-up phone call to assume things are fine because the test results came back normal, when they were not contacted by their doctor, they thought nothing of it. Fast forward to now, several months later, and this person’s symptoms continued to worsen. They called their doctor only to be informed they have a late-stage, serious cancer diagnosis.
If we are instructed by medical personnel that if we do not hear from them regarding test results to deem things as ordinary and fine, you would like to think that this is the reality of the situation. But, it obviously is not, and it has happened to me, personally. Not to the extreme of the situation I just mentioned, but, nonetheless, we are supposed to be able to trust doctors and medical professionals. Stories like these only reinstate the significance of always being our own health advocate, despite how annoying or persistent we might come across.
Our health is far too important to be irresponsibly handled by literal doctors. Use your voice and demand answers, and if things don’t seem right, seek out a second opinion. It is always worth it.
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