Gratitude Monday -- Health Confirmation Day

Today I go for a CT scan.
It's being done out of an abundance of caution, nothing more. It's to check to ensure the cancer I had hasn't reared up and spread out.
I am convinced the cure has long since taken, but garnering physical evidence to back it up is never wrong.
I have to go to Red Deer for it and generally that's a pleasant drive.
The test is covered by health care and goes quickly.
It's all good.

Gratitude Monday -- Grateful I Live Here

I am a happy proud Canadian. Always have been. I am grateful I live here.
Right now I am grateful for where I live plus many other things because I had hernia repair surgery a few days ago.
Said problem was discovered in April, diagnosed in May, and gotten shed of in June. That's fast for our health care system.
There was a redundancy protocol in place wherein almost everyone I spoke to from the day surgery room nurse to the anesthetist, the OR nurse, and the surgeon confirmed who I was, what I had, what was being done, and what part of my body it was being done to. It's the kind of thing I can see some patients losing patience with.
No this one.
I am happy each practitioner took the time and trouble to follow the rules and check.
Because of my heart condition I had spinal anesthetic and was advised of this in a meeting with one of the doctors ten days prior to surgery.
I was told what to expect so I could prepare for it, and I researched it, too, as I had an unreasonable fear of it. I said so on the table and was reassured again.
I am grateful for all of this plus the surgery went well.
I hurt, but it's a proper hurt and I am grateful for it because it means the matter was taken care of.
I am grateful it was in Canada because we can be assured the practitioners are properly trained, the OR is properly kitted out, the place is properly clean, and everyone involved cares enough to not want any mistakes.
And, yes, I am grateful because I am Canadian and I don't have to pay for medically necessary procedures out of my own pocket.

Happy Birthday, Canada.
I'll hoist a glass in your honour as soon as the antibiotics are out of my system.

Responsibility And The Insane

I’m grateful that both my parents came from large families. This gives me plenty of cousins. They’re in a variety of ages, and a variety of jobs.
But mostly, it gives more relatives for my mentally disturbed sister to call. That spreads out the frustration.

She is seriously mentally ill and should not be out on her own, but she is. Last winter she took to calling me regularly at the full and new moons of every month. She’s nocturnal; I’m diurnal. The calls commonly came at her schedule, not mine.

Dawn rarely has a point to her calls. It’s her time to complain about how awful things are for her, how unfairly she is treated, how no one listens or will help her, and how she can’t move into any kind of care due to her old cat.

Since our dad died a few months ago and I’ve sent her some estate money, she hasn’t called so often. She has, however, called or spoken in person to many of our cousins about it. Each person is treated to a different version of how she hasn’t received anything.

It is difficult dealing with insane persons. You never know if what they’re telling you is true. In my sister’s case, she doesn’t want help as such. She wants someone to do everything for her while she yells and chain-smokes and tells you you’re not doing anything right.

Our current system offloads everything. Cuts to health care in Alberta has eviscerated the system leaving only the barest of publicly directed help and care available.

Persons who should be in care are turned out on the street to fend for themselves as best they are able. Sadly, many aren’t able. Those who are smart and manipulative, like Dawn, may fool you into thinking they can cope.

Who should be responsible for the insane when the insane cannot or will not take responsibility for themselves?