My experiences:

1. In July 2014, just a year after moving to Canada, I woke up one morning with severe pain on my right side that radiated to both my back and front. I immediately recognized the pain as kidney stone pain because I had experienced two similar episodes back in my home country. I didn’t drive, and my husband was away at work, so I left my two kids playing at home and saw my family doctor. There was a long line, and the clinic operated on a first-come, first-served basis with no appointments taken. However, seeing that I was in tremendous pain, the receptionist informed my doctor. He came to see me and advised me to get some tests done. He also suggested that if my pain became unbearable, I should visit the emergency room (ER) at the hospital. My cousin, whose house I was living in at the time, learned about my condition. She and my brother-in-law came to pick me up and took me to the ER.

Upon my arrival at 11:15 a.m., I had to wait in line to register and undergo a basic health check-up. After 15 minutes, my number was called, and I was asked a series of health-related questions. Finally, I was directed to follow a specific-colored marking on the floor to reach the lobby, where I would wait to be called for further tests, including blood work, a doctor’s check-up, and a CT scan. At that point, I was on the floor in excruciating pain and had started to vomit. My cousin went to speak with the head nurse, requesting that she see me first to help relieve my suffering. Instead, the nurse handed my cousin a few cardboard kidney bowls for me to use to vomit in. It was painful to see a few patients wandering the hallway, holding their IV stands as they waited for their turn for appendix surgery. They had no beds to rest in.

Finally, a doctor arrived and called me to sit in the waiting room. He asked what troubled me, patted my back, and left without using a stethoscope. I was then asked to go and wait in the lobby. It was already around 3 pm. Seeing me roll on the floor in pain, my cousin became impatient and looked out for help. The doctor noticed me and instructed the nurse to give me a painkiller. However, the nurse refused, stating that my blood work and CT scan were still pending. After persistent pleading from my cousin, the nurse had my blood work done.

Ironically, she then placed a painkiller on my palate, even though I had already been vomiting. That medication only made me throw up more, including the painkiller. Despite having nothing in my system to eat or drink, I was still violently vomiting, and I had no idea why. My husband arrived at the ER around 5 p.m., and that’s when I was taken for a CT scan. After the scan, I was asked to wait in the lobby for the results. It was 6:30 p.m., and my reports were still pending. The pain I experienced was excruciating because I had vomited the painkiller. I also started to feel famished, and my sugar level was dropping since I was diabetic and had fasted for the tests.

My husband couldn’t stand to see me in pain, so he angrily spoke with the head nurse. As a result, she injected me with a painkiller. I couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t given me the injection earlier instead of just placing that medication on my palate, which caused me to vomit it out. He also brought me coffee and a bagel.

Finally, my scan reports arrived. I was informed that I had a 3 mm kidney stone. Since it was small, I was advised that it would likely pass by drinking plenty of fluids. I was prescribed a tablet to help break down the stone and painkillers to manage the discomfort. It was 8:30 PM when I was sent home without any further explanation. The next three days at home were harrowing. Back home in India, I faced a similar issue and was quickly taken to a private clinic. There, I was immediately given pain medication through an IV and admitted for three days of observation. Blood tests and a CT scan were conducted at the clinic. “Of course, all services in India are available at a nominal price. Healthcare is not free.”

Now comes the worst part: I had an appointment with a nephrologist six months following the incident. When I arrived for the appointment, the nephrologist informed me that he couldn’t assist me because I had no kidney stone to provide for further investigation into why it occurred. He mentioned that I should have collected rocks using a sieve with every urine I passed. Unfortunately, I wasn’t advised to do this. As a result, my visit to the nephrologist felt like a waste. 

The problem of recurring kidney stones has stayed with me. Recently, I reviewed all my scan reports from my first episode to date, which strangely indicate that a kidney stone has always been detected in my left kidney. However, I’ve never experienced pain on my left side; my pain has always been on the right. And there is absolutely no problem with my right kidney.

2. In 2016, I developed a spur in my left foot, along with plantar fasciitis. The pain was significant and made it difficult for me to walk. I had experienced similar issues before, but the pain and limping had never lasted more than three months. Initially, I didn’t visit my family doctor, thinking the pain would subside on its own. However, as winter approached, the pain became excruciating. I struggled to limp my way to work and back home.

Finally, I saw my doctor in March. He advised me to exercise, scheduled an appointment with a specialist, and provided a requisition for an x-ray of my left foot. My appointment with the specialist was set for November of that year. However, after calling the specialist’s office multiple times, I managed to get my appointment moved up to September.

I underwent the x-ray, which required me to schedule an appointment with a specific radiologist, as not all facilities offered the same services. I took the x-ray report to the specialist in September. He examined my foot, which was swollen at the time, and the x-ray results were also included. Unfortunately, he informed me that he could not assist me then due to the swelling. He advised me to follow a strict diet and lose as much weight as possible before my next visit and then let me go without any further medication.

During this period, I worked at a diamond store, which required me to be continuously on my feet. Since the store was in liquidation, there were very few employees, often leading to 12-hour shifts or longer. During this time, I developed excruciating sciatica pain in my right foot because I had to put my entire body weight on it while standing in the store to avoid hurting my left foot. The pain was so intense that I struggled to walk, sit, or even lie down in bed. It took two full years for the pain to gradually subside and eventually disappear on its own, without any treatment or weight loss.