Understanding the Canadian Healthcare System

In Canada, residents and citizens are recipients of a socialized provincial insurance plan. Although the specific terms of what is covered might differ slightly by province, most of the major aspects remain the same. Trips to the doctor are free and do not include any type of co-pay. The cost for the healthcare is covered through our taxes.

In Ontario, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or OHIP, covers the cost of every doctor visit, visits with specialists, admissions to the hospital, any necessary surgeries, and so on. Certain treatments are limited by their needed frequency. For example, OHIP will cover the cost of a Pap smear once every three years as that is the standard frequency recommended by Health Canada. In the event however that you test positive for HPV or have an abnormal reading, or have a family history that requires more frequent screenings, OHIP will cover the cost of those as well as they are deemed medically necessary to occur more frequently.

Similarly as someone with Crohn’s, I require frequent colonoscopies, more than might be otherwise covered, but don’t ever have to worry about paying for the procedure.

Continue reading “Understanding the Canadian Healthcare System”

Understanding the Canadian Healthcare System
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Warm Weather Modesty: Beach & Pool

Summer is approaching and you’re no doubt excited for the pools and beaches to open! But, men, I beg you to remember modesty when out in the sun.

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Beach Bum? More like Beach Slut
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Immodest Lifeguard: Saving your life, while risking your soul
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Football is a contact sport, sir. You are not wearing the protective gear necessary for such a game.

 

 

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Sir, warm weather is no excuse for slutty behavior.

Men, how can you expect women to respect you and not objectify you when you’re out wearing things like the above?

Ask yourself: Is immodesty worth burning in hell for?

Warm Weather Modesty: Beach & Pool

Shaming Med Use Kills

In the last several weeks, there have been several news articles relating to opiate use and changing definitions regarding drug classification and how doctors can prescribe. As usual this has brought a lot of the stigma surrounding medicine use to the limelight. Whenever these conversations get sparked again, a lot of people start talking about over-prescription, abuse of narcotics, and how big bad pharma creates fake conditions in order to sell drugs. People start talking about patients who abuse the system and end up addicted. These conversations are usually had by people who have no personal experience with chronic pain or the type of conditions being discussed. These same arguments then get used to discredit conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and ADHD.

The shaming inherent in a lot of these arguments not only make life more difficult for patients, but they are actually an example of how “a little” knowledge is a dangerous thing. Take, for example, the frequent argument that ADHD is often over-diagnosed and an excuse to medicate children. Some people have gone so far as to claim that ADHD meds are the shut up and sit still drug and that ADHD itself doesn’t exist.

The first half of the argument is based on two problematic ideas: the lie of more-diagnoses which I discussed in a previous article, and a tendency by certain studies to limit their focus on white males. While there is some indication that ADHD may be over-diagnosed in white boys, in every other category girls, people of colour, and so forth, the opposite appears to be the case.

In white children misbehaviour is believed to be pathological, whereas in the case of children of colour, it is believed to be genetic and inherent. When behaviours that are believed to be disruptive appear in class, white children are often send to counselors and psychiatrists, while black children in particular are punished. We’ve seen this discussed when activists and studies discuss the school to prison pipeline. In many cases the behaviours being punished are the same that are said to be caused by ADHD in white children. Continue reading “Shaming Med Use Kills”

Shaming Med Use Kills

Ask Ania Anything: Part 2

During the Facebook AMA, I received more questions than I could reasonably answer in one blog post. So here is the continuation.

Vworp vworp! You’ve just met the Doctor. You have the choice of any time and place in the entire lifetime of the universe. Where do you want to go, and when?

That’s a tough question, in part because I don’t know enough about the history of potential places to visit. So that would make it difficult to really be able to make a decision. I might ask to see the place that has the most beautiful music. I would have asked to see the largest library in the world if not for that darkness episode. Getting to read the most amazing book in the world might be nice. I would love the just go and explore new worlds.

If I limited it to the history of the earth, I don’t know. Meeting Cleopatra could be interesting. I hear she was a brilliant conversationalist and an amazing leader. I would love to meet George Sand and Chopin.

Honestly the hardest thing would be just choosing one thing. I would love to just be able to explore and see knew things. In particular speak to the people. That’s one of the things I love to do when travelling. Going to a great relaxation resort would be nice too. I could use a vacation, somewhere near a beach.

Continue reading “Ask Ania Anything: Part 2”

Ask Ania Anything: Part 2

Ask Ania Anything

I asked Facebook if there was anything they wanted to know about me, my medicines, or any other aspect of my life. The answers, I told them, would appear in a blog post. I also posted the same to twitter. Below are the questions I received and my answers. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I will do my best to answer.

What do you do to stay positive in the face of constant barrages from your body?

Continue reading “Ask Ania Anything”

Ask Ania Anything

That Doggy in the Window

Over the last week, I’ve been taking my girls Tsuki, my 11 year old Schnoodle, and CJ, my 8 month of Chihuahua to the dog park on a daily basis. They love it, they get great exercise, and CJ gets to work on being well socialized with other dogs. Today’s trip was planned to coincide around a tutoring appointment Alyssa had. I would drive her to her appointment, go pick up a free drink from Starbucks, hang out for a bit, before picking her back up again and heading to the park.

CJ the Chihuahua

Grey Schnoodle Looking skeptical
Everything was going as planned until Crohn’s once again got in the way. I had to go to the bathroom, but had both my dogs in the car. Stuck and desperate, I blasted the air conditioning until I parked, then wrote out a quick note for any worried passersby: “Bathroom Emergency. Dogs have fan. Back in < 2 min”. I cracked the two front windows about an inch, enough to let some air flow, but not enough to let my small dogs escape into traffic. In addition, I left the doors unlocked, just in case.

I ran for the bathroom and did my business. From where I was, I could hear it when Tsuki, and then CJ started barking loudly. I finished up as quick as I could, all told about a minute, maybe a minute and a half. As soon as I got out of the bathroom I was accosted by an older woman, who asks me if those are my dogs.

I could already sense that this was about to be trouble, but I answered yes.

Continue reading “That Doggy in the Window”

That Doggy in the Window

Immodest Muscles

If you have an internet connection and are friends with women then you have probably seen today’s featured Immodest Man before. His name is Brock O’Hurn aka Brock O’Manbun. He’s made quite a name for himself lately. Apparently he has nice eyes.
Men, ask yourself what would Jesus do? Not White Jesus though because, as you can see White Jesus is a hussy.

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Brock could use our style tips guide. Your hair isn’t made for that style, hun.

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I’d be looking down too if I was as slutty.

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Calvin Klein underwear have been talked about here before. Calvin Klein? more like Satan Klein, amirite?

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To be truly clean, you need Mandesty.
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You won’t be able to have ice cream in hell, son.
Immodest Muscles

Tall Barbie: A Review 

Previously I had reviewed Curvy Barbie. Today I review Tall Barbie.

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Barbie Fashionistas, Fab Fringe (image is of a Brown skinned doll, she is black long sleeve top with floral print on, she’s wearing blue shorts and black booties. Her hair is red and in a curly Afro.

Original Barbie is 11.5 inches tall. This Barbie is about 13 inches tall. One of the reasons I wanted to buy this doll was because unlike most Barbies, she has short hair. Plus, she’s sporting a curly Afro!

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In addition to the new body types, Mattel has also added new face sculpts. This doll has a wide nose and full lips. Her eyes are light brown and she has a medium skin tone.

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Tall Barbie comes accessorized with black Booties and a white wrist watch

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Mattel will be releasing other tall (and curvy) dolls with fashions but for now, these dolls have to make do with the outfits they’re wearing. Tall Barbie does fit into Original Barbie’s clothes but since she is a few inches taller, the clothes are a bit shorter.
Original Barbie can fit into Tall Barbie’s clothes but as you can see above Original Barbie has a thinner waist so Tall Barbie’s shorts a bit big around that area on the Original.
Tall Barbie also has wider flatter feet but she is able to wear Original heels, however because her feet are flatter she isn’t able to stand upright with them on.

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Tall Barbie wearing Original Barbie heels. Because her feet are flatter, she ends up leaning forward when wearing these.
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Swapped outfits

Like most Barbies, Tall Barbie is not articulated.

Just like Curvy Barbie, Tall Barbie has been a big hit here at home. TJ and I are both tall and we both have curly hair. TJ is thrilled to see a doll with features closer to hers. My daughter has named her Savannah.

 

 

Tall Barbie: A Review 

Neko Immodesty

We’ve discussed Mandesty and cats before, but I didn’t think we’d have to discuss virtual cats. This young man is cosplaying as Tubbs from Neko Atsume.

He didn’t get an accurate cosplay. Tubbs, as the name suggests, is a fat cat. Why is this man showing us his body? He really just wanted an excuse to act slutty. I bet he’s never played the game. If he did, that sashimi wouldn’t be there. And Tubbs doesn’t wear flip-flops!

Immodest men are bad enough, but fake geek immodest boys? The worst.

 

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Men if you act this way, women will treat you like regular fish instead of gold-fish.

 

Neko Immodesty

Living with Dignity too!

In the wake of elbowgate, the attention surrounding what has been going on in parliament has been displaced and an important bill ignored.

The bill being discussed right now is in response to a Supreme Court ruling that states that patients have a chartered guaranteed right to end their lives with dignity. In the coming month the laws regarding doctor assisted suicide will become void, and so parliament is in a rush to pass a bill that would more specifically outline what that would mean.

The discussion around the right to die with dignity is one fraught with emotion on both sides. I would like to admit from the outset that I am not as familiar with the contents of the bill as I should be. I plan to change that, but I wanted to offer my own opinion on this issue.

Continue reading “Living with Dignity too!”

Living with Dignity too!