A Canadian With Endometriosis
From: Jill
Date: Friday, July 13, 2007 8:56 PM
To: mmflint@aol.com
Subject: Canadians applaud SiCKO
Dear Michael Moore,
Thank you so much for making the movie SiCKO.
I am a Canadian with endometriosis, a chronic and debilitating disease. I have been firmly convinced for a long time that if I lived in the U.S. I would be dead now, because I have heard the stories of American women afflicted by endometriosis. Frequent complaints:
- they can't get coverage because endometriosis is considered to be a "pre-existing condition" ("It started at puberty and wasn't properly diagnosed for 10 years...");
- they have trouble getting adequate pain control medication because U.S. doctors are extremely reluctant to prescribe Tylenol 3 and other effective drugs ("Are you a drug addict? You seem to be exhibiting drug-seeking behavior..");
- they must pay for needed surgery and other treatments out of their own pockets ("I took out a second mortgage..")
Recently I was rushed to the local ER because of unbearable lie-writhing-on-the-floor-in-a-fetal-position-contemplating-suicide pain. In the ER I received a injection of painkiller and felt immediate relief. Treatment in the ER was free and the prescription for Tylenol 3 cost me only five dollars.
Yes, the Canadian health care system has its flaws. Yes, there are wait times for specialists, tests, and procedures. Yes, drugs, dental care, and some treatments like physiotherapy are not covered but most Canadian employers provide decent benefits. And yes, I do pay taxes - for social services I am grateful to use whenever I need them.
At the screening of SiCKO west of Toronto, Ontario, everyone in the theatre applauded.
Jill
