Thumbs up for Canadian Universal Healthcare

Today is Day 10 of staying off my feet and this journey has been physically taxing for the rest of my body, and mentally draining. I think I've been frustrated by not being to help out around the house and needing to rely on my parents and Chris, and crying to Jeff. Thank God I have them!

I am also extremely grateful for the incredible and timely health care that I have received. Here is a quick summary of the medical love and attention.

• Wednesday, July 22 at 9.45pm: I arrive at the ER in Mt. Sinai Medicine hospital and am discharged a "short" 2 hours later. I go home in a knee brace and crutches.
• Thursday, July 23 at 9am: I call the Mt. Sinai Sports Medicine Clinic and am told that someone just canceled his/her appointment so I can come in the following week!
• Tuesday, July 28 at 5.30pm: I visit the Mt. Sinai Sports Medicine Clinic and am examined by a physiotherapist and a physiatrist (Dr. Taylor with the iron ring - previous blog entry) who orders that I get x-rays... so I do before going home. Also, I'm told that the orthopaedic surgeon will be around the next day and that he happens to have an opening. If I don't take it, the wait to see him will be 8 months! Yikes!
• Wednesday, July 29 at 5.30pm: I return to the Mt. Sinai Sports Medicine Clinic and see Dr. Theo (the surgeon) who plays with my knee and concludes in about 1 second that I have torn my ACL. Dr. Theo orders me out of the knee brace and writes a prescription for phsyiotherapy at UofT and an MRI (usually a 2-3 week wait) before seeing him again.
• Thursday, July 30: Not expecting to hear from the imaging unit, I surprisingly get a call for an MRI on the following morning at 6am! I also visit the UofT Sports Medicine Clinic and their doctor examines me and comes to the same conclusion as Dr. Theo. He orders physio for me next week.
  
• Friday, July 31 at 6am: Chris drives me to get my MRI bright and early yesterday.
  

Now, it's just a waiting game. It apparently take the radiologist a week to send my MRI results to Dr. Theo (and confirm the tear).

My knee is still swelling but not as much, and now you can see some bruising. The pain is greater too because I no longer can where the brace for support, which means more tylenol and more ice!

I'm just glad it's the weekend - more guaranteed TLC =)

-ange xx