Bomb in My Belly

All clear

After a three-hour wait to see my oncologist (or, rather, an oncologist -- I saw a resident today), I got the all-clear. CA-125 was two! Two! and the results from my CT scan last November showed everything to be normal or unremarkable, though I have a phrygian cap on my gallbladder and a circumaortic left renal vein (anatomic variant) which basically means nothing. Just interesting facts to note for future reference.

I have a bone density test next Monday.

Must go to bed, will write again tomorrow.

Oncologist appointment in 12 hours

While I tell myself it gets easier to go to these appointments as time passes, I imagine I still won't sleep much tonight. Of course, that will be in part to the copious amount of coffee I consumed today, but I can't blame it all on the caffeine.

Sigh.

Health care outcomes may be superior in patients cared for in Canada vs. the United States

The United States also spends far more on health care, i.e., approximately 15% of its gross domestic product versus about 10% in Canada. In 2003, Americans spent an estimated US$5,635 per capita on health care, while Canadians spent US$3,003.

via Metafilter.

I already knew survival rates for many illnesses were more favourable in Canada than the States (a major exception to made for cardiology -- if you need heart surgery, you're much better off in the States, provided you can afford the care you need). I researched survival rates in relation to wait lists for care, and learned that despite our (sometimes reprehensibly long) wait lists, Canadians are less likely to die than Americans. But I didn't realize the U.S. spent so much more on health care than the Canadian government -- and Americans don't even have the same ease of access (I know, I know . . . wait lists) that Canadians have.

And the Supreme Court upheld the federal ban on so-called "partial-birth abortions" without concessions for cases where the mother's life is endangered by continuing the pregnancy.

These things are wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.