jasdip - Very sorry that your brother is still in pain. But, no doubt that the pain of being downsized is even worse. At a certain age it makes things very difficult. I hope he is able to find a new job soon. jannie - sometimes wait times all depend on where you live and what you are going to have done. But they can be very lengthy in Ontario - Toronto is not good. old joyful - my husband turned 65 in Dec. but will continue to work until age 67. He has 2 eye drop prescriptions - that is it. He will have to pay the $100 deductible to the ODB this month and first go through it for reimbursement of his eye drops - but there is at least a $25.00 differential between what the ODB will pay and the cost of each of the eye drops. He then is to submit the excess cost to his office plan insurer (they pay up to 90% of generic drugs) - BUT he can't claim the $100 deductible. He does have to pay a considerable amount for his office family plan and I am 2 years younger than he is. My B-I-L worked for the government - he can claim the ODB $100 against his government continued benefits. My husband works for a private company. I currently have 2 prescriptions and am being weaned off of them. The ODB would not cover them anyway - and except for the odd sinus meds that is it for me. But at 65 I will still have the deductible (and my birthday is in Aug. - how convenient!). I know for a fact that the ODB is going to stop covering some drugs that many seniors take. In the hospital, yes drugs are covered, and you were VERY lucky to have had an MRI so quickly. I know I would be waiting a long time. Re the ODB I actually called them up to ask if they seriously expected people still working to go through them first. Obviously I do not want to find myself having to take multiple drugs or having procedures at age 65 - especially since I am allergic to so many things. But it does get frustrating. I have a terrible cold - and of course am allergic to antihistamine and decongestant!

she's lovely...I hope you have printed this picture, put in in a frame and set it in her hospital room, with a litltle note introducing your mother to them.....its a good thing to remind the health care providers who they are helping...

Oh, I'm so sorry. You had such good and hopeful news last I heard. I'll be thinking of you; must be so very hard to see your mother ill and not be able to help.

I just got home 1/2 hour ago from seeing Mom. The last time I wrote, she had recovered from being in CCT, and in very critical shape, on life support. She's been back on the surgical floor, and is on a regular diet of food. She hasn't eaten for so long, her stomach is probably the size of a walnut, a few mouthfuls and she's full. I took her in a Smoothie last Sunday and she loved it! She's also had watermelon and cantaloupe and loves that as well. Once again, they figure she's in good enough shape that they want her to come to our local hospital. They frankly need the beds, and unless she's having surgery, there isn't much more they can do for her there. In one sense they're right, for sure, but the care she is getting is beyond wonderful. Remember the little fellow who pushed her bed to the window to watch the sunset? Well he's popping in all the time to see how she is, and just to talk to her. She's been there so long, they just pop in to visit. We laughed......one girl went in and said she would "ask the book of knowledge; she would know." So she asked mom if "Don" was working today. Mom said, Yes, he was off yesterday, so he'll be in today. Sure enough, when the shift started, there was "Don". The girl who asked, said that she Knew Mom would know. LOL Anyway, she's improving (except today was a bad day). So every day is not like the next; there are still hills and valleys. Even when she comes to our hospital, her Dr. where she is now, is the one calling the shots, and she'll be sent back, if something were to go wrong again. He's made that perfectly clear, and reiterated that today when he came in. Just the matter of waiting on a bed. Oh, my step-father was there today as well, and the two of them gave me my birthday gift early. ( a new laptop, cause mine is on it's last legs). I cried.