Safe Births and Sad Stories

 Here's Your Local News
Sep 192011
 

Today, CBC Manitoba highlighted concerns about the new Birth Centre from a woman who lost her newborn son in 1996, due to medical complications. I don’t know Ms. Dorber, but my heart goes out to her: it appears hers was a very sad story. Still, I’m disappointed over how this dialogue emerged. The CBC article highlights that “some are questioning” the Birth Centre’s “safety.” To support that, they present Ms. Dorber’s concerns: it’s clear those fears stem from her own experience of tragedy. But while living through tragedy can indeed impart a certain kind of wisdom, it doesn’t make someone [...click for more...]

Share

The Terrible Silence on Substance

 Here's Your Local News
Sep 152011
 

As James Turner wrote, the first step is admitting there’s a problem. Here’s a problem for you: when the tests come back, the news is bad as can be. That dark mass they found, it’s cancer. It’s eating at your insides. “What do I do now?” you ask the doctor. “I’m in pain, I’m sick, I can’t eat.” The doctor pulls out his prescripton pad. “In that case,” he says, “Here’s a script for some painkillers. Take them every day. I’ll see you in four years.” If that was it — if that was all he did — you would [...click for more...]

Share

Giving Birth to a Better System

 Here's Your Local News, Musings
Jul 312011
 

After months of anticipation, Winnipeg’s new Birth Centre is hiring staff. This is an incredibly exciting thing, and a tribute to the many women in the community and at the Women’s Health Clinic who have long lobbied government to create such a space. Hats off to them — not just as a woman who believes strongly in diversifying birth options, but as a citizen who really likes finding new ideas to improve our public health system. Some months ago I wrote about one of my small fixations on the subject: seniors and weight-training.* But I have other favourite projects in [...click for more...]

Share