Let me regale you with a tale, a not so age-old Dickens tale: a tale of two walk-in clinics. It was the best of wait times, it was the worst of wait times, “it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,” it was the epoch of near instant service, it was the epoch of waiting forever.
Everyone loves a parade, except the media — they’d prefer a protest
Fall in! Attention! Present soap box! Ho! It was a stunning sight. On Sunday, more than 4,000 peace officers paraded onto Parliament Hill to honour their fallen colleagues. Motorcycle police blazed the trail with their red and blue lights flashing, and the pipe bands followed, leading companies marching in dress uniform, buttons polished, and ceremonial swords glinting in the sun. …
Know the rules before riding away on your bicycle
A 76-year-old man was recently charged with driving a bicycle on a sidewalk after he was struck by a motorist. Can we assume that he knew it was called a sidewalk and not a sideride? Is this a question of a lack of knowledge or breaking the law knowingly? Should the motorist also be considered in this equation? Following the …
When your relationship with food is no longer healthy, get help
I don’t often read the advice column, but recently a headline of the Ask Amy column caught my eye: Anorexic worries parents by refusing treatment. The column was about a young adult “not ready to make a recovery from this disorder,” choosing anorexia as “the lifestyle I want right now” and tired of her parents’ “nagging.” The denial of the …
It only takes a couple of minutes to save a lot of lives
Recently, I was surprised at how few Ontarians had signed up to be organ donors. I guess I always thought that everyone subscribed to the concept that if you’re dead and don’t need the organs anymore, why not donate them? Perhaps the process is overly complicated? I went to www.beadonor.ca and clicked on the “register now” button to find out. …
Relay for Life luminaries represent stories of those affected by cancer
My neighbour asked me last week if I’d be going to the Relay for Life. When I heard the music still going strong into the wee small hours on Friday night, I put on my walking shoes and went over to the John Rhodes Community Centre, awed by the number of people still there. For those who haven’t been to …
Take the byte out of bullying and be glad our antics weren’t documented
With anti-bullying day recently behind us, I have to wonder if we’ve really achieved all that much in light of a story I heard recently. Here’s the story: a mother was called by her daughter’s teacher about an emergency with her daughter. Mom was panic-stricken, but the school told her not to worry as her daughter was not hurt. Mom …
Find peace of mind in getting your tests done, whether for lumps or lead
Like the classrooms of yesteryear, I’ve received a reminder that: some tests are easier than others; some test results are easier to wait for than others; and avoiding these tests won’t improve the situation. If you’ve been following my columns, you’ll know that last month I was told I had to get a lead test for my water, and a …
Cancer is no laughing matter — but humour gets the message out
When I found the lump, I was not pleased. (I wish I could tell you I was talking about a lump in my signature gravy or in my cream of wheat.) As I checked and re-checked my 38-year-old self, I had five thoughts: * My kids will have to grow up without their mom. * Could I lose my partner …
Lead testing and websites are enough to make one a hypochondriac
PUC Services Inc. is offering me a free tap water test. It seems their “records indicate that lead service pipes may have been used in homes built between 1943 and 1948. Based on the age of your home, it is possible that lead may have been used in the water service pipe for your home.” The word “lead” alone had …