The 2 Year Sit and Wait Health Care System

After persistence and research, we finally received the referral to the Pediatric Brain Injury Clinic at MacMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton.  And much to my surprise we actually got an appointment within 2 weeks!  Jake was seen by a pediatric neurologist who kind of reminded me of Mr Rogers.  Jake had a rather different way of describing him, but I liked the doctor's manner anyway!

After filling him in on Jake's details, he summed it all up in this way, "it sounds like you have had first hand experience with our 2 year sit and wait health care system".  He summed up our experience perfectly!  From the first time we visited ROCK (Reach Out Centre for Kids in Burlington) when Jake was 4 and experiencing anxiety to the current situation of having to ask over and over again about additional supports for post concussion syndrome, we have been sent away to sit and wait.  The health care system is willing to help you out as fast as they can on your first visit.  They give you a portion of their time, listen to your story, give you some resources and coping strategies and send you on your way.  Granted, they do say if you are still in need in the future to come back, and they will re-evaluate.  But, they are really sending you away to see if things get better.  If so, they have done their job and you have been helped.  They are streamlining their services, because those who really need the help will come back and those who don't will not. 

Time does heal, but not everything.  In our case valuable time was wasted and if we had been seen in the Pediatric Head Injury Clinic sooner, we may have been able to reduce Jake's symptoms sooner and avoided being in the situation we are in now, 2 and a half years later.
But, with all that being said, and having been handled as a "sit and wait" situation, I am glad that we are on the right track once again.   I am thankful to MMTR Health for eliminating Jake's physical symptoms and now I look forward to understanding what is going on in his brain.  He is scheduled for full neuro-pysch assessment in June.