Thousands of Canadians must go through Dialysis at least 3 days per week for 3-4 hours per session. Now this is a minimum for some it may very. There are other forms of Dialysis but they are all just as time consuming and intrusive on the patients and families quality, and maybe financial life.
When I was on Hemo Dialysis my schedule was 3 days a week with 3 hour sessions.
A session consist of having two needles about 1 ¼” long inserted into a vain called a fistula. You sit there for 3-4 hours. If you are lucky you may have a television there help pass the time. You may read, watch your own DVD player some just sleep.
This is your life your life resolves around your dialysis times.
Yes, you can travel, but, you must first find a dialysis unit that can handle you. The time schedule must be arranged long before you travel.. Oh, yes if you go to the USA, it costs the patient approx $500 per sessions.
When you start dialysis you do not know when or if you will ever get off, of it.
It all depends, will you get a transplant, or will you die waiting.
The cost of dialysis in over $ 50,000 per patient per year. This does not take into account that many (not all) patients can not work.
This means they are disability payments from the Government or have no income.
For a transplant you can wait from 4-7 years, with as many as 10 years.
The problem with Hemo Dialysis is that it is hard on your heart.
It also helps break down your bone density.
So far the only treatment for Canadians with kidney failure is an organ transplants. I say treatment because transplants are treatment, not a cure.
Many wealthier and desperate Canadian travel to India and China for transplant. That they pay out of their own pockets, They pay some citizen for his or her kidney. In China the organs come from executed prisoners.
When they come home ,however, and have problems they are back on the Canadian Health Care system for help.
Some very wealthy Canadians do go to the USA and pay hundreds of dollars for a transplant.
I have no idea how many Canadian do this, nor do I know how much it costs to look after these traveling patients.
What I can not understand for the life of me, is why our Members of the House of Commons will not even allow Canadian discuss changes to our organ donation laws.
What I have been fighting for more than 5 years is a “PRESUMED ORGAN DONATION LAW” for Canada.
They with their partners in the Canadian Media have keep this fight COVERED-UP for those 5 years.
Why, you would have to ask the Prime Minister, or your member of Parliament.
I doubt any of them have ever even seen the inside of a dialysis unit, I bet non of them have ever gone to the family members of someone in their riding and said, who died while waiting for a transplant, and said, well I did nothing to help your loved one get a transplant. and I don’t feel guilty.
I have only been discussing kidney transplants, But there are lung transplants, liver, heart, the list goes on of Canadian’s needing transplants.
Now what do I mean by “PRESUMED DONOR”?
This is a system of Organ Retrieval used in 10-15 other Countries.
This means that everyone in Canada is an Organ Donor at death,” UNLESS YOU SIGN A NON DONOR CARD.”
As you see this is a total flip flop from what we do now.
When only 2% of Canadians bother to sigh their donor card the number of organs for transplant are too low. To add to this all it takes is one relative to say no and the organs are lost.
I totally understand that there are Canadians who have RELIGIOUS reason why they do not want to donate their organs. Well, I fully support their right to do so. I would never want them to go against their religion.
Some Canadians may also know that they have medical reasons why their organs can’t be used, again a reason to sign a no card.
For the rest of Canadians you can know that when you pass on that you will be saving the lives of at least 7 people. You will also improve many more standard of living, including their families, because the need for organs greatly affects the families lives and finances.
So Mr. Harper and all the other Member of the House of Commons why won‘t you discuss this? What do you have against saving lives? I am not even addressing the $3500 pus per month for anti rejection medications a transplant patient must take.
The only two reasons I can come up with. (Other than you saying, it‘s a Provincial Problem, That’s bull shit) The first reason is that you can not come up with a way to make any of your rich friends richer.
The second reason I can come up with is.
YOU JUST DON‘T, CARE. MAYBE YOU EXPECT US TO PRAY OUR WHY TO A CURE?
Pick one reason MP‘s and tell Canadians why you won‘t help save lives!
I urge all Canadians to ask the Prime Minister and your MP.
DOUG McLELLAN
ORILLIA ON CANADA
Dshapo's Weblog 
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