When Manulife was bad
UPDATE: After posting this on March 7th the same investigator who called the week before phoned back on March 8th to say that she had reversed her decision. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who emailed Manulife, tweeted and posted on Facebook. You have my eternal gratitude. Summary: On November 16th I had…
Read MoreLife is like a bowel obstruction
The dietician was the last person I spoke to when I was discharged from the hospital on Monday (yes, Monday, three days ago, Monday). He was being almost-too-respectful so I kind of felt like I had to shake him down for insight and advice. I wanted to know how I ended up in the emergency…
Read More‘Giving the people what they couldn’t possibly want’: notes from Ontario’s homecare system
Reposted from my column on rabble.ca. When the two young women from the CCAC (Community Care Access Centres) appeared at my bedside the morning I was being discharged from the hospital I could tell they really wanted to help. The senior of the two was reading my chart as she introduced me to the woman…
Read MoreInternational Day of Persons with Disabilities
On Friday I had the great pleasure of joining ARCH Disability Law Centre’s celebration for International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The theme was disability rights and health justice. Dr. Nav Persaud facilitated a panel discussion between Johanna Macdonald, Dr. Jeff Nisker and me about our experiences translating human rights into practice. On this…
Read MoreNine Nights
Nine Nights For the last four nights, I have slept without the constant buzz of the hospital waking me every hour or so. No one has taken my vitals, no roommate has called out in pain, no team of staff has come to infuse me with a stranger’s blood. I am hoping that these last…
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