health care Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

What It’s Really Like Getting a Coronavirus Test

Paula — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:04:00 +0000

This is our story of what it feels like getting a Coronavirus test. Here’s my disclaimer. We live in London, Ontario and we went for Covid tests the week before Labour Day when one of us showed 1-2 symptoms. Waits for testing and actual local case numbers were low then. Now, they have changed. This was our experience getting a Coronavirus test. Why Were We Getting A Coronavirus Test? Three weeks ago, my older daughter, who was just about to start university went to sleep with extreme stomach upset. After a night spent running to the bathroom, we were a little concerned. Sure, it could have been nerves at starting a big life transition. But, with Coronavirus around, you worry. Could it be something more? When She Asked to Get Tested In the morning, right before she was scheduled to work at a local day camp, she told me she still felt awful and wanted to go get tested. So, I checked with a few friends on Facebook to find out what their experience was getting a Coronavirus test and we got ready to go. Why We Went My older daughter worked with children all summer long at a day camp. While they had many safety protocols in place that were clearly working (no outbreaks at any of the local London city day camps. Kudos to the counsellors and supervisors for making that a safe place all summer.) But Still…. But, still, the possibility of her catching something from them was higher than if she’s been sitting at home all summer. For up to date news and statistics on Covid-19 cases and outbreaks look to reliable sources like: Johns Hopkins. I also recommend CBC Canadian news. Monitoring for Fever She took her temperature a few times that first night and in the morning. All normal in that regard and she had no other symptoms. But, still she wanted to go get tested to be sure. This is the daughter that struggles most with anxiety disorder, so, it was likely to be a worry for her until she got tested. experience. So, we googled what time does the Coronavirus testing centre in London open and we got dressed and ready to go. Take Supplies for the Wait I grabbed refillable water bottles for all of us. My two teen daughters and I jumped into the van making sure to also pack health cards and be prepared to wait. My Kobo was in my purse and my younger girl brought her Kindle, while Payton grabbed a book to read. (At that point I was unsure whether Ainsley would also want to get tested to be safe, or not, so we all went together.) Get There Early We arrived just after opening time around 11:15. The Coronavirus testing centre at Carling Heights opens at 11 am. It was the last week of summer vacation and people were starting to return from cottages or camping while students were trickling back to the city settling into residence. There were maybe 11 cars in front of us already. So, not bad at all. It Looked Like a Drive Through, But That’s Just the Start The instructions were clear and the filtering system of driving through a line with your vehicle stating your symptom and showing your health card served to kind of triage people and instruct them on next steps. After easily half an hour in that line we pulled over to the side of the parking lot and awaited a text from the nurses inside. A Text Tells You It’s Time to Enter the Building Maybe 15 minutes passed at the most and the text came saying bring your health card and walk through the front doors of Carling Heights. We were met by another nurse checking to see if we had masks on and spritzing us with hand sanitizer. One more line to meet up with the two nurses screening us before the automatic doors into the arena and we were through. I always worry that because Payton and I both have the same initials that if we go in together our results will get confused. But everything was driven by health card numbers, so there was no need to worry. Social Distancing Once we were inside we waited on chairs set easily six feet apart from anyone else and then another nurse spoke with both of us confirming whether we’d had contact with someone who had Coronavirus and what our symptoms were. I had no symptoms, but on that day I decided to get tested with my daughter in order to be safe and to show her it was not a big deal. Now, the protocols have changed recently, so please pay close attention to those before you go. No need to be tested, unless you fit one of the criteria outlined by public health. Recently, huge lineups in London, Ottawa and Toronto cities have led to long waits and local health units are all providing close guidelines for when you need to be tested. Watch the Crowd Anyways, after that nurse kindly screened us, she deemed Payton a higher priority as I was asymptomatic. Then, we moved to another seating area for about 10-15 minutes. We paid close attention to the other local people waiting for Coronavirus testing only because I was watching to see how long it was taking and whether people were coming out crying or totally fine. Skip the Rumours Rumours are everywhere about what the test itself feels like and my teens had both watched numerous videos of soldiers cringing at how much it hurt and suggestions that someone jammed a Q-tip into your brain when you were getting a Coronavirus test. (I am here to say it is NOTHING LIKE THAT AT ALL. Keep reading.) One of Us Isolates Until Tests Come Back The nurse told us that because Payton had one or two of the symptoms that she needed to isolate in our home until the Coronavirus test results came back. If You are Asymptomatic In fact, I was okay to go about my daily activities they said because I was asymptomatic. My Crohn’s Disease can make me more vulnerable than the average person my age, but I was feeling fine. Finally, we waited together one more time and then we were called in individually to the exam/ testing room. Kudos to all of the community centres that have managed to become makeshift screening centres. My daughter went in by herself, but then a super sweet nurse came out to get me. She quietly told me she felt like my daughter was anxious since her voice got very quiet as she answered questions. So, I asked where to stand and held her hand as they did her test first. She cringed a bit and her eyes watered and then it was over. My Turn Next, came my turn. I have one needle phobic daughter, so I always try to make sure I am super calm around medical personnel. The swab went up my nose super gently and not nearly as far as people suggested. You count to five and it’s done. My nose felt ticklish afterwards, like I needed to sneeze. That was it. We sanitized our hands one more time and threw the disposable masks in the garbage and walked to our van. Waiting for Results Payton spent the day in her room, not a hardship for a teenager at all. I walked around sanitizing everything in the house and then I checked our results online before bed that night. They were not there yet, but I knew 12 hours would be pushing it. The next morning Payton called in sick again and I hit the computer to check the web site for the results. Negative for both of us and it took less than 24 hours for results. Our Testing Experience Was Speedy Thankfully, the Coronavirus testing experience was speedy, efficient and the nurses were super kind. So, don’t be afraid to get tested if you need to. If your kids have symptoms, then get there early in the day and take the test. Good luck! Stay safe and well.

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Online Prescription Refill Makes Managing Family Health Easier

Paula — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 17:03:40 +0000

This online prescription refill post has been sponsored by The Health Depot. I received compensation and my opinion is truthful. Prescriptions are the bane of my existence. Let me explain. Everyone here is on at least one prescription. My kids have anxiety disorder and FASD and ADHD and I have Crohn’s disease. I make no effort to hide our health care struggles and challenges. In fact, I talk about them often, because I know we are not alone and other parents need to know they are also not alone. Recently, I found a solution to a BIG health care pain point. Easy Solutions Give Me Time Back The Health Depot and The Health Depot Pharmacy saves me time, money and frustration with next day delivery, reminders that prescriptions are about to run out and the ability to add medical supplies, or health care items necessary to keep your family functioning. Their online prescription refill service is easy, cost efficient and it helps me to get a little more life back. So, I can also enjoy summer a little, while managing everyone’s health care needs at the same time. Why Has This Been So Hard Until Now? Managing our family health care seems like a full time job some weeks. And yet, there’s also that pesky full time job to deal with, as well as the usual parenting, plus advocacy and so much more. Right now, after months of pandemic, online school and social distancing, my kids are also clamouring to get outside, and explore safely within our bubble. We don’t want to miss summer entirely. Some days fitting everything in seems like an impossible task. A Typical Day Take today for instance. As I sit here on an extremely busy work day, I am staring down numerous deadlines, a car repair that needs to be handled stat, several emails I have to return, and a pitch that is due. On top of that, I am juggling pick up and drop off of my oldest girl, who is working this summer during a pandemic. And, of course, one of the kid’s prescriptions is due for refills again. Why Is Someone’s Prescription Always Out? Both of my girls have prescriptions they need daily to manage attention deficits, impulse control and anxiety. But sometimes we are too busy to see that they are almost out. By tomorrow my youngest will be out of the medication that helps her to function in the morning. How did this happen? Easy. I am busy and I have too many balls in the air, along with teenagers, who are still learning they need to LET MOM or Dad KNOW when their prescriptions are getting low. GROAN. Don’t get me wrong. I have a long relationship with our usual pharmacy and their staff are super. But, they are in my old neighbourhood and running back and forth once a week to pickup or drop off prescriptions is costly and exhausting. It easily takes an hour out of a day. Time is money when you are self employed. This is My Pain Point In the last few years, I have often stated out loud that I could really use an online prescription refill service. I have tweeted it and also simply shouted to anyone who would listen. Why isn’t there a simple option that sends us reminders that someone’s prescription is about to expire? Well, finally there is. When I heard about The Health Depot Pharmacy and their approach to simplifying the online prescription refill process, as well as the ordering and delivery part, I was extremely interested. The Health Depot Background Founded in 2019 by Andy Donald, The Health Depot Pharmacy was created to simplify the prescription experience. Offering a seamless approach to getting prescriptions filled, and online prescription refill, which keeps individuals safe, and healthy, The Health Depot Pharmacy eliminates the headache involved in driving back and forth to the pharmacy last minute. What About Service? Here’s what I found….The Health Depot provides free delivery, real-time access to customers’ medication through PharmaConnect, a low dispensing fee, and support with reminders when people are running low on a specific prescription. They offer a team of Pharmacist Specialists (Certified Respiratory & Diabetes Educators and Certified Geriatric Pharmacists) available to help and can personalize medications to the individual. On call pharmacists who are knowledgeable and professional are available all the time. I was extremely impressed with the customer service. AND, in addition to that, they also have an impressive online health care store. NEED I IMPRESS on you how useful that is right now in 2020, during a pandemic? So, How Did it Work? I wanted to test this out with one of the kid’s prescriptions. So I went on line and set up an account with The Health Depot, basically telling them where I live and how to reach me. Then I indicated that I would like to switch a prescription over. A pharmacist called me to confirm and I also got an email and it was switched. That’s right…they did all the work. When you have your prescription with The Health Depot you get an automatic refill notification either by text or email, so you never run out of medication. The Health Depot Pharmacy team also lets you know when you run out of refills and need to renew a prescription with your healthcare provider. Next Day Delivery Often in Ontario The next day, the prescription arrived on my doorstep with a shipment of personal health care products we needed. Allergy pills, Laxative, tampons, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, disposable surgical masks and more. DON’T Miss MY EXCLUSIVE $10 OFF DISCOUNT – > USE: THRIFTY10 discount code at checkout and save $10 off your first order! Link automatically gets you $10 off a minimum purchase of $50. One use per customer. Other Things to Know Low Dispensing Fee The Health Depot dispensing fee is $9.99, compared to $12.99 at many other pharmacies. The online health store, The Health Depot, carries staples and also some GREEN Product lines, like Green Beaver, OWN, Every Man Jack and f.e.t.e Bamboo toothbrushes. There’s also a home health care section – so if you need catheters, enteral feeding supplies, incontinence products, bath safety, post-op or ostomy supplies, they are also available here. Oh and for seniors, people with disabilities, or parents of kids with special needs, if you have something highly specific that you need, they can often order it for you. BONUS!! Shop online and have items delivered straight to your doorstep, with free delivery anywhere in Ontario when shipped with prescriptions, or on all orders of $50 or more. That part might seem like a small thing, but it’s not. For years, I have joked that I should have purchased stock in a pharmacy. We drove back and forth every night often for something – bandages, Tylenol, allergy pills. When the kids were small it was diapers and infant Motrin, now it’s Midol, pads, allergy pills and tampons. Online Prescription Refill Ends Our Prescription Chaos This is genuinely a great idea, long overdue. Everyone here has prescriptions, so it is a constant time drain for one of us to have to go drop off and pick up all the time. During the height of the pandemic I didn’t want to be anywhere near a physical pharmacy. The pharmacist and staff provided quick and personal service. In fact, I was blown away by that because I feel like we’ve come to expect a lower level of service sometimes when doing things online. The Health Depot Pharmacy team has proven that’s not the case. Getting A Bit of Freedom Back So, here’s to getting a bit more life back. This week, instead of wasting time racing around hunting down prescriptions, vitamins, sunscreen or allergy pills, we all visited a cat cafe in Stratford, and I took my daughter to the beach where she smiled so much she told me her face hurt. I haven’t seen that big a smile in about five months now.

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9 IVF Facts You May Not Know

Paula — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 12:23:28 +0000

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first IVF baby. Since then, many people have built families via IVF, but Louise Brown will always be the most celebrated IVF baby ever. To mark this special occasion, I’ve put together 9 IVF facts that you might not know just to have a little fun. Whether you are an IVF baby yourself, or have been through the process, you can learn something here. IVF is an incredible advancement of reproductive technology and the procedure has changed so many lives in the last 40 years. Read on for more. IVF Facts Trivia These facts and tidbits are interesting little knowledge nuggets that I found while reading. I thought they were interesting, so I’ve put them all together here just so everyone can learn a little more about IVF. This year on July 25, 2018 Louise Brown turns 40. That’s 40 years of successful IVF treatments globally. AMAZING!! IVF Stands For… Okay, this is an easy one, but not everyone knows it. And what better way to start out the trivia than with what IVF stands for – In Vitro Fertilization. This means the egg is fertilized outside of mom’s body and then reintroduced to the womb. Infertility Isn’t Uncommon Although it can feel like you’re alone, you’re not. 12% of the world’s population suffers from infertility. In Canada statistics are often quoted as 1 in 6 couples. In the USA 1 in 8 couples of childbearing age struggle with infertility. To read more about Infertility check out any of my 9 Things We Want You To Know About Infertility post. Acupuncture Helps with IVF Specialized acupuncture used before, during, and after IVF cycles has been shown to increase IVF success rate. The Age of the Eggs is What Counts Often the general public with limited infertility experience and knowledge might think infertility is related to age. Women waited too long to have babies. We’ve heard all of that before. It’s not technically Mom’s age, but the age of Mom’s eggs that matters. Egg Health is a big factor impacting rates of conception. A woman in her 40’s who uses the donated egg from a woman in her 20’s will have a much higher success rate of getting pregnant. More Sleep Equals Higher Success Rates Studies have shown that getting a good night’s sleep increases the success rate of IVF. Too little OR too much sleep reduces your odds. IVF Rarely Produces Quadruplets or Higher A common misconception in IVF facts is that it can produce a high likelihood of multiples. Actually, the likelihood of twins is the only one that increases. Triplets, quads, and other high multiple pregnancies are usually the product of a completely different procedure (IUI or fertility medications). WHEN IVF is coupled with a single embryo transfer policy the success rates for a health viable pregnancy and healthy baby are high and the process is fairly controlled. Not All Eggs are Good Eggs Just like with unassisted pregnancy, not all eggs will be good candidates for insemination. Out of the 10 to 20 eggs harvested, only a few may be viable for IVF. This may sound frustrating, but the same can be said for natural conception. The percentages are higher with IVF. Other Countries Could Learn from Australia Australians struggling with infertility have an easier time with IVF treatments. Australian Medicare and their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidize IVF cycles. Australia has been supportive of IVF process for many years now. In Ontario, we have the Ontario Fertility Program which helps people become parents by financially alleviating the stress of the first cycle. The Proper Term is NOT Test Tube Baby You’ve all heard someone use the term TEST TUBE BABY. It’s actually offensive to infertile people and it’s inaccurate as well. Babies aren’t conceived in test tubes. With IVF, sperm and egg are introduced in a Petri dish and then left to do their natural job of creating an embryo. A healthy embryo is then transferred into the uterus. Louise Brown was the first IVF baby for her parents and for the world. Four years later, her parents used IVF to conceive her baby sister. Interesting IVF Facts for a Ground-breaking Subject I’ve always found the idea of IVF fascinating. Many of my friends have been through the treatment and successfully built their families in the last 40 years. Having the technological and medical skills to fertilize an egg and transfer an embryo, which will one day become a human, is amazing. I hope you found these IVF facts fun and interesting. This procedure changes lives for the better and really is a miraculous advancement. This post contains affiliate links as a service to my readers. I receive a small commission from purchases made via these links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for reading.

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How to Be a Fertility Advocate #IVF4BC #WeAre1in6

Paula — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:22:27 +0000

Ready to use your voice? Ready to be a fertility advocate? Are you one of the 1 in 6 in British Columbia struggling to conceive? Do you want to help? Then I have good news for you. The IVF4BC infertility patient advocacy group has some thoughts on how to become a fertility advocate. There’s an art to advocating effectively. Using your voice to build a conversation with politicians and policy makers is the start of the process. But there’s a dramatic difference between jumping on a soapbox to preach or shout at someone, and sharing a story passionately and supporting that story with facts. In British Columbia right now, a province in which infertility patients are underserved, there’s a need for better fertility health care. There’s a need for change. That change begins when you choose to become a fertility advocate. If you are one of the 1 in 6 struggling with infertility in British Columbia and you have a story to share, please read this How to Be a Fertility Advocate infographic. Pin it for later, or print it out. [tweetthis]Eight simple ways to help support #IVF4BC here – > How to Become a Fertility Advocate #weare1in6 #bcpoli [/tweetthis] The PDF version of How to be a Fertility Advocate is here, if you want to save it for later and print it out or use it yourself. There are several easy steps and ideas of simple actions you can take to make your voice heard in BC right now as a fertility advocate. How to be a Fertility Advocate Advocacy_Checklist_IVF4BC Contact ivf4bc@gmail.com if you are interested in doing more, sharing your story or volunteering to help. Follow @IVF4BC on Twitter and Facebook too. Visit their new web site first and read up on what the patient group is doing. You can share your story there too. I am a community manager for this group. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Embracing Caregivers #CareforaCarer

Paula — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 13:37:23 +0000

Are you a caregiver for someone with unique needs or health care challenges? I see you. I know you miss many social events, or family gatherings. Perhaps you stopped work entirely to care for someone you love. Or you switched to part time, freelance or contract. Chances are good you have missed your own doctor’s and dentist’s appointments. Maybe, you woke up so bone weary one morning you drove down the street without your glasses. Maybe you forgot to take your own medicine. How do I know any of this? Been there, done that. For years my life has been health care triage. Juggling an overwhelming number of specialist’s appointments, prescriptions and therapies means the one with the most acute needs gets dealt with first. Triage. Years ago, my husband and I adopted two girls from the domestic foster care system. Our youngest has sensory processing disorder and FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). Our oldest girl has generalized anxiety disorder. Both have attention deficit disorder diagnoses and I have Crohn’s Disease. I cared for my Mom too when her health began to deteriorate. Coping with Alzheimer’s Disease was also part of our daily life. One of my hardest days as a caregiver, or carer, happened when I was trying to help my Mom do some shopping. Shopping was her favourite prior to her diagnosis. While tending to her needs, and keeping her safe in the community, my daughter’s school called saying she’d run away. When overwhelmed she’d leave or run away without regard for danger. So I raced my Mom back to her retirement home and ran directly to my daughter’s school to help look for her. Stressed out doesn’t begin to come close to explaining that feeling. Being a caregiver, or carer, is as rewarding as it is stressful. There are precious moments I wouldn’t trade for anything. And there are moments that are the polar opposite of that. It’s a challenging unpaid job and it often makes you feel completely spent, financially, emotionally and physically. Embracing Carers Recently I learned about the Embracing Carers Initiative by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operating as EMD Serono in the US and Canada and I’m thrilled to share. Embracing Carers is a global initiative led in collaboration with leading carer organizations around the world. The goal is to increase awareness and discussion about needs of carers. Carers is a term used to describe someone who provides unpaid assistance to someone in need. While many understand that carers play a crucial role in lives of patients, what’s less understood is the need for resources and support. Simply put, a carer’s own health often suffers as a result of the stress and demands of caring for someone else. Through working with carer organizations, and the multi-year Embracing Carers initiative, Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany hopes to change that improving lives for carers and patients. Did you know? Statistics show more women than men care for loved ones across the globe. That takes a toll on women’s health and wellbeing. Challenges associated with being a carer creates barriers to women’s ability to join and thrive in the workplace. The Embracing Carers initiative plays a key role in raising awareness of caregiving as a global public health priority. Embracing Carers is supported by leading international carer organizations including: the Caregiver Action Network, Carers Australia, Carers UK, Carers Worldwide, Eurocarers, the National Alliance for Caregiving, International Alliance of Carer Organizations and Shanghai Roots & Shoots, China. It has has support of many patient and physician groups around the world. How Can You Help? So what can you do to help? Share this blog post. Post messages of Hope intended for caregivers globally with #CareforaCarer. And if you see #CareforaCarer on Twitter take a moment to hit Retweet. If you belong to an organization or a business that supports carers or caregivers please share your positive programs or examples as well. This post has been sponsored by Merck, which means I have been compensated. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Get Loud for Girls – Mental Health Awareness Week #GetLoud

Paula — Mon, 01 May 2017 14:42:27 +0000

I had no plans to write about Mental Health Awareness Week, but there’s this conversation I recently had with a male paediatric psychiatrist that struck a chord. It continues to disturb me, because it rang true. So, I need it off my chest so to speak. I need it out of my head. Get Loud for Girls? You might be wondering why just girls? It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and I want you to get loud for everyone. Get loud for the 1 in 5. BUT, I want you to think hard about whether Mental Health Awareness and Care is equal for males and females, especially when it comes to children and youth. Sit with that for a moment and let me share the broad strokes of this conversation I had recently. I was sitting there in the doctor’s office during a regular appointment for my one daughter. It was a bi-annual thing. The appointment to double check her medicines, her height and weight, and discuss her growth trajectory and behaviour at school and home. To be honest I view these appointments as perfunctory. I resent having to remove my child from school sometimes to discuss her strengths and shortcomings in front of her. It is maddening. But I do it because it is the only game in town, and because she has followup care. She also has a caring doctor that is involved. Does he always understand exactly what I am telling him about her needs? No. Definitely not. But we meandered through half a dozen experts before finding this one. So, here we are on a recent spring day talking attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities, anxiety, gender and lifelong outlook. Towards the end of the appointment, I asked a question regarding my other daughter. My oldest has had anxiety disorder for years. She manages and does extremely well most of the time. We have done all the things, from play therapy to art therapy to medication and youth mental health group treatment and cognitive behavioural therapy. Stressing again that she does extremely well. BUT, that said she needs to be followed. Despite my experience as a parent of children with special needs, and all the health care gaps we have seen and fallen into, I anticipate that a person in Canada with any diagnosis gets care. Diagnosis, treatment and followup care. Anxiety medications are serious. All medications are serious actually, especially in kids. And yet nobody follows her. How can that be you ask? Well when you complete the intensive youth anxiety treatment group at the hospital they discharge you. They suggest your family doctor can follow your child and write the prescriptions out. And that is all well and good. Until your family doctor says – wait what is the follow up plan?- the outlook? the longterm? Then he stops because he questions why there is not continuity of care for a young girl with generalized anxiety disorder. And this is not his expertise. He clearly feels uncomfortable. So a massive chasm opens up again. We begin questioning AGAIN where is this going and why is nobody following this girl? And why is children’s mental health care so bloody hard to navigate and access. Truth. We were told years ago that the expert at London Health Sciences who diagnosed my older daughter would not be able to follow her. SHE works out of Toronto as well and is stretched super thin. We would have stood on our heads and sung the alphabet in Mandarin while juggling flaming swords with our feet to get assessment and diagnosis at that point. While taking care of my youngest girl and gathering her prescriptions, I ask her current specialist who is not accepting new patients, about the side effects of a medication. He confirms immediately that YES, that what you are describing is a definite side effect of a stimulant medication. That needs to be checked out and monitored or she needs to come off of that medication under doctor’s supervision. On a whim, I tell him her story that she has no specialist and the family doctor is leery to even write her prescriptions. He offers to take her referral if I direct the family doctor to do it quickly. But first he says – I am not surprised. Not surprised at all. Family doctors receive very minimal training in mental health issues and treatment, he says. Many doctors will not tell you but the last thing they want to take on is a young girl with mental health issues. Eating disorders, and puberty and mental health and anxiety – all of these issues have them running scared. And they can be hardest to treat in young girls. His words. Not mine. A specialist with decades of experience working in mental health care in Ontario. That one conversation has stuck with me months later. It was my WTF moment? Because health is health and doctors are sworn to help care for their patients, regardless of their diagnosis, age, colour, disability, ability, race, gender…..right? ROLLS EYES, SHAKES FISTS at the heavens. Well there’s theory and then there’s reality. And months of searching for a person to follow a child with anxiety shouldn’t be this hard. His observation actually rings true. It gives me context for all the challenges we have had over the years, which I thought were related to diagnosis. But never ever considered might have something to do with gender. So this week I am getting Loud for Mental Health Awareness Week. I am also getting loud for Girls. BECAUSE if you need health care you should get it and 1 in 5 people have mental health issues or disabilities. Be honest, we all know someone with a mental health diagnosis. I know 5 or 6 people in my extended family alone and 3 of those were/ are girls. The ability to access timely and appropriate mental health care for both of my daughters has been challenging often and I have written about that. Here’s one of the first pieces I wrote about my daughter’s anxiety for Today’s Parent magazine. Change is happening. Awareness grows. But we need so much more still. …We need to invest in is education and training for young doctors. In fact we might consider incentivizing some to step into children’s mental health so kids, and in particular young girls are not left vulnerable and under serviced. GET LOUD and USE the LOUD: So Get Loud. Get Loud for children and adults and Get Loud for Girls. But don’t get loud for a day or a week. USE THE LOUD UNTIL the gaps are filled and girls don’t have to shout, or self harm to be seen, diagnosed, treated and followed.

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Infertility Statistics in British Columbia – It’s Time for Accessible Health Care #IVF4BC

Paula — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:45:31 +0000

Infertility statistics in British Columbia might surprise you. They might shock you. They should be repeated and shared and talked about. 1 in 6 Families in BC struggle with infertility. That means you know someone in your circle that has infertility, or has been through infertility. Maybe they shared their story with you. Maybe they struggled quietly. This upcoming May British Columbia marks two important events. The provincial election occurs May 9th, and the lead up weeks are a time to inquire where the parties stand on IVF funding. When the politicians running for office in your riding come to your door, ask them where they stand on public funding for in vitro fertilization. Share this infographic. You can have your iPad near by with the infographic loaded. The visual helps. [tweetthis]Four provinces in Canada have an IVF funding program – BC does not #IVF4BC #bcpoli [/tweetthis] Let them know that these are the infertility statistics in BC right now. Remind them also that other provinces have a funding program that is working and saving money as well. In fact four provinces have some level of IVF funding program. BC does not. Then remember to tell your story. And the second event is Canadian Infertility Awareness Week from May 7 to 13. That’s also a time to tell your stories and advocate for change. More Infertility Statistics and Facts: Even though only 4 provinces provide public funding for IVF, more Canadians are covered than are not! Population wise more people in Canada have access to funding for IVF than not. That means BC is in the minority of Canadians. A round of IVF can cost $7,000 to $10,000. When people struggle to pay that cost, they will often transfer multiple embryos. While multiples are adorable, they also carry greater lifetime health care costs. Twins and triplets are often born prematurely and spend weeks in the Neonatal ICU (NICU). Maternal health can also be compromised. The optimum health outcome for women and infants is single embryo transfer with public funding for IVF. Healthy children are the future for every province. Children grow into smart consumers, taxpayers, caregivers, policy makers, politicians and business owners. They build the future. That’s why it’s so important to keep talking about funding IVF with single embryo transfer. IVF funding with SET builds healthy babies, healthy families and healthy futures. [tweetthis]59 % of BC infertility patients say cost was a barrier to treatment #IVF4BC #bcpoli [/tweetthis] What You Can Do To Help: Be sure you are registered to vote in the upcoming election. Talk to representatives when they come to the door. Tell your story and ask them where they stand on IVF funding. Sign the petition if you have not already. http://bit.ly/2kaoQx0 [tweetthis]Follow @IVF4BC for more about this subject and conversation. #infertility #IVF4BC #BCPOLI [/tweetthis] Follow – > http://www.twitter.com/ivf4bc/ Follow or join the Facebook conversation here _ https://www.facebook.com/ivf4bc/ I work with IVF4BC to share their advocacy work and as such I am compensated. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Jubilee Ministries, Lusaka #TTOT #vaccineswork

Paula — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:19:21 +0000

I have learned many tricks to keep from crying. But none of them work in this community in Western Lusaka, Africa. On an October day when still jet lagged we meet three Zambians changing Lusaka one heart at a time. Making an impact by ministering to the needs of Zambians in a community that sits on the outskirts of Lusaka. This is a neighbourhood devastated by AIDS and HIV. And this is the story that breaks my heart the most during our stay in Zambia. It’s our first day here and we have travelled all over Lusaka, Zambia. We started the day early and went from appointment to appointment, to learning lunch and then to UNICEF and more. Shortly after 3 we are all heading to the outskirts of Lusaka. Garbage is piled in mounds lining both sides of the road all the way out of town. The smell of burning garbage makes it’s way into the bus we are riding in, even though the windows are closed. There is no sign of a church nearby. Our driver hops out to ask numerous people if they’ve heard of Jubilee Ministries. To say that this place, this church, is off the beaten track, is the biggest sort of understatement. Jubilee Ministries church is down an unpaved road so narrow that our vehicle barely gets through. People line the side of the road in the western Lusaka neighbourhood. We drive through a market on the way and see people getting haircuts too in a barber shop built of recycled materials and plastic tarp. Many sit to the side of the road selling big piles of coal for home use. The air is smoky and it’s hard to inhale, but after numerous left turns and right turns and a phone call to the church, we finally come up beside the minister we are hoping to find. This is a stark contrast to the Lusaka we saw during the day. The centre of the city, where we were earlier today, has some moderate infrastructure. At least enough to handle the government offices and the NGOs that cluster there, making central Lusaka a hub of business activity for Zambia. We sit in a small room off site and the trio talk about the ways the church here had to change to meet the needs of the community. At first it was a church doing important work building membership and faith and then they saw that HIV and AIDS was devastating the membership. “We used to use our church for prayer,” says Wasifaru, a community outreach pastor. “But because of the HIV and AIDS issue we lost a lot of lives.” “We used to think it was not our issue. Jubilee Centre helped give us faith to sensitize us to what HIV is. We asked for guidance and then we understood HIV was also our issue.” Jubilee then also found their members had a great deal of food problems. When the father of a family passed away from AIDS, the wife had no income or job and the children would be unable to go to school. Food becomes impossible to buy. So Jubilee now provides food supplements to help. Malaria is also still a huge issue in Lusaka. Jubilee Ministries helps provide mosquito nets for families. All of that is important and impressive and yet none of it compares even slightly to the care given daily to people here suffering from AIDS. The AIDS and HIV positive status of people in this community is still very high. Some progress had been made but it is slow coming. Wasifaru leads us to the cement home of a family he tends to often. There are eight people living here in this space, a family of eight, and six of them diagnosed HIV positive. Sometimes progress is so small it is hard to see. The youngest two children in the family are not HIV positive. They are well. They are healthy. We crowded inside the tiny cement home and listened to the grandfather speak of his pain. Pain so awful that he begged to be taken to the doctor to ask to have his eyes removed. Wasifaru took him to the hospital at his request and the doctors told him there was little they could do. So he visits daily and prays and listens to what’s in this man’s heart and on his mind. I have learned many tricks to keep from crying. But standing inside the home of this man, flanked by his pastor Wasifaru from Jubilee Ministries I realize none of them work in Africa. And I remembered too that sometimes it is okay to cry when you are broken in pieces by a story. Sometimes hope and progress seem small, but stories of good people doing powerful things can be found everywhere. Here hope is the three in the picture, plus the two youngest grandchildren of the man who are not HIV positive. Now Babies born to women with HIV receive HIV medicines after birth and that sometimes is enough to give a child a chance. Many clinics carry HIV tests. Shot@Life campaign is an initiative of the UN Foundation and aims to ensure that children around the world have access to life saving vaccines. Shot@Life supports many partners like UNICEF and USAID on the ground in communities like Lusaka, Zambia where amazing groups like Jubilee Ministries give people hope, compassion, and support with complex health issues. You can help support Shot@Life by becoming a champion and advocating for better access to childhood vaccines. I travelled to Zambia as a guest as a result of the fellowship I received from Shot@Life and the UN Foundation recently.

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Best Provinces For Fertility Treatment #CIAW #IVF4ON

Paula — Thu, 12 May 2016 12:22:39 +0000

Canadian Infertility Awareness Week is upon us again and infertility advocates have accomplished a great deal this year. Funding is in place and many Ontario infertility patients are now accessing their funded round of IVF treatment. That’s a huge success for Ontario patients and advocates and frankly it saves money and helps to create healthier families. Over 50 different clinics across the province now offer government funded fertility treatments.We are already seeing the first pregnancies as a result of the Ontario IVF (in vitro fertilization) funding program. Conceivable Dreams patient group thought it would be worthwhile this year to take a look at what other provinces are doing and not doing to support infertility patients. In Canada 1 in 6 people of reproductive age struggle with infertility. Are clinics accessible in each province? Are there any clinics in certain provinces? Is fertility treatment accessible or affordable in each province? That remains an important question for each province. Fertility Treatment by Province Consider this a bit of a state of the country infographic. Ontario comes out on top for a few reasons. Ontario has now got one fully funded cycle of IVF for patients that need IVF. Ontario also is the province with the largest number of fertility clinics. Why does that matter? Because if you are a patient living in London, Ontario then you have a couple of clinics to choose from right in your city whereas if you live in Alberta there are far fewer options and you are likely to have to travel to get any fertility treatment necessary. People in rural and urban areas both have access to treatment in this province. Quebec still has some coverage. They were once the envy of the country and sadly that’s no longer the case. Now Ontario has overtaken that position. While Quebec was once the leader in Canada in its support of infertile patients, it dropped behind Ontario since it stopped fully funding IVF in late 2015. However, the province still offers some financial support through its continued fertility drug coverage, and newly-implemented sliding scale tax credit for expenses related to IVF, which is based on income level. Alberta and BC have no coverage despite advocates and patient groups striving for support there for many years. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland both have no clinics and no coverage. That’s the worst case scenario for fertility treatment and infertility patients in those provinces. Hence why they came in dead last in this infographic. Manitoba has a tax credit that is accessible and New Brunswick has an IVF grant up to $5,000. [tweetthis]Ontario also is the province with the largest number of fertility clinics. #IVF4ON[/tweetthis] Canadian Infertility Awareness Week was started in 2007 by the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada to raise awareness and hope for Canadians struggling with infertility. This year, the initiative runs from May 12-20, 2016. [tweetthis]Ontario is the best province to live in if you need fertility treatment #IVF4ON #CIAW[/tweetthis] In 2012, the most recent year for which statistics are available, a total of 27,356 cycles was reported at Canada’s 32 IVF centres. These cycles resulted in 5971 live births. (CFAS web site) People can visit conceivabledreams.org for more information or contact their local fertility clinic. I am community manager for Conceivable Dreams and as such I am compensated. My opinion is all my own and it is also 100 % truthful. I often write about fertility and infertility matters.

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Nine Things We Want You To Know About Infertility – #IVF4ON #ONPOLI

Paula — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 15:17:55 +0000

It must be spring because everyone is suddenly pregnant, or posting a photo of their new arrival on Facebook. At this time of year with Spring, plus Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Infertility Awareness Month all wrapped up in one big bundle, family is everywhere. The triggers for infertility patients are seemingly endless. Even I am feeling it this year and we adopted our children 13 years ago. I guess that’s proof the emotions of infertility never go away. With spring comes the constant reminders of people who have suddenly succeeded at getting pregnant. That’s hard for so very many people waiting, or in the process of undergoing treatment for infertility. Excruciatingly painful for people who have just experienced a miscarriage too. When the winter clothing comes off, the pregnant bellies are everywhere. Other people have a choice in how and when they start a family. Some people get to choose to have 4 children, or 5 children, even just one child! For infertility patients, choice and control disappears. This year I decided to ask infertility patients in Ontario what they want people to know. They had so much to say that I am going to break this into a two or three part series. This is part one: Nine Things We Want You To Know About Infertility: These are their words: 1. Jill – I’m not embarrassed. I just keep it from people because it seemed like too much pressure when we are going through treatment. [tweetthis]Jill – I’m not embarrassed about infertility. I just kept it from people because it seemed like too much pressure when we are going through treatment #IVF4ON #onpoli [/tweetthis] 2. Mel – It affects every single aspect of a couple’s life, stress, health, finances….it can be incredibly isolating at times. To have even one of those stressors removed for example, the financial burden, would help exponentially. [tweetthis]It affects every aspect of your life #IVF4ON #onpoli [/tweetthis] 3. Emily – It seems so taboo.. But once we mentioned that we did ivf, it must’ve just opened up the flood gates for questions and inquiries.. And it gave them hope, even just a glimpse of a positive light, and reassurance that there’s nothing to be ashamed of.. We are beyond grateful and blessed with twin girls. 4. Stephanie: So many people say “why don’t you just adopt?” Adoption can be a very expensive, long and invasive process too. Sometimes longer than fertility treatments, and much like fertility treatments- you are guaranteed nothing. We also want the opportunity to experience pregnancy.. Rather than suggest adoption – which we all know about, ask us if we have explored other avenues? [tweetthis]Stephanie – Rather than suggest adoption – which we all know about, ask us if we have explored other avenues? #ivf4ON #onpoli [/tweetthis] 5. Jennifer – it’s not always a female problem. Almost half of infertility is male factor. Let’s get talking about that too. [tweetthis]it’s not always a female problem. Almost half of infertility is male factor. Let’s get talking about that too. #ivf4ON #onpoli[/tweetthis] 6. Lara – Never ask ANYONE “when are you going to have kids?” Since 1 in 6 have problems with infertility, you can be pretty much guaranteed that you’re going to make this comment to an infertile couple eventually, and it’s like a kick in the gut every time. [tweetthis]Lara- never ask anyone when are you going to have kids. 1 in 6 struggle with infertility – at some point you will ask someone this will hurt. #IVF4ON #onpoli[/tweetthis] 7. Christina – it is not God’s wish that I be childless. Stop saying things like – maybe it’s meant to be… [tweetthis]Christina – it is not God’s wish that I be childless. Stop saying things like – maybe it’s meant to be…#ivf4ON #onpoli[/tweetthis] 8. Erin – People who have had a child still suffer the same emotions as those who haven’t. Secondary infertility is just as devastating. [tweetthis]Erin – secondary infertility is just as devastating #IVF4ON #onpoli [/tweetthis] 9. Emma – The insecurities, stress, and overwhelming emotions with the illness of infertility don’t just disappear after you have one child (especially if conceived with help- IVF). Are we blessed to have one? ABSOLUTELY! Does that mean our hearts don’t want more? Heck no. The struggle doesn’t end- it’s still there taunting and haunting you. [tweetthis]The insecurities and overwhelming emotions of infertility don’t disappear when you have a child. They are still there #ivf4ON #onpoli #IVF #TTC[/tweetthis] In Ontario Infertility patients have a group called Conceivable Dreams to help advocate and support people going through the process. If you are struggling with infertility in Ontario you can follow this group on twitter (@IVF4ON ) We tweet and share our messages with #ivf4ON #onpoli hashtags. You can follow some of the advocacy and events for infertility patients in Ontario by watching this site: http://www.conceivabledreams.org/ I am community manager for this group and as such I am compensated. I support infertility patients in Ontario. All of the patients mentioned here were happy to give voice to some of their feelings this month. If you want to be added to our private Facebook support group email me inkscrblr@rogers.com please indicate subject line (Infertility) in your email.

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