All I want for Christmas is my Section 8

Well Christmas is almost here. A while ago sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas (I guess that she was planning her shopping list) and I could think of nothing. So I just left it up to her. In past years when I couldn’t think of anything she always seemed to find something that I liked. In recent days I have been thinking that there is one thing that I would like for Christmas and that is having my Section 8 approved by the government. I know that my sister cannot help there. Knowing that it was approved would really do a lot to put my mind at ease over the holidays. It would be nice to have the knowledge that everything was set and ready to go in the New Year. Now I am still left hanging unsure when, or now I must admit even ‘IF’ treatment is going to start.

I called the Hepatologist’s office today to see if perhaps my Section 8 was there and they were just waiting until the New Year to tell me. They will be going on holidays in two days for about a week. No, my Section 8 was not waiting for me there. They did tell me that two weeks ago the government asked for more information. This was new information to me. It is news like this that gets me a bit nervous. I have been told by the clinic that the Section 8 is just a formality and that they have never had anyone refused before. I have had some bad luck with the medical system before so part of me thinks, “With my luck I’ll be the first refused.” I will set a new pressident. A few months ago I was refused a Section 8 to cover the cost of one of the new HIV drug that had just been approved. So I’ll try not to think too much about it but I know that it will be on my mind over the holidays.

I am pretty tired today. I had an ultrasound for my abdomen early today. I planned on getting it done and then going back to bed as soon as I got back home. It was bitterly cold this morning though (-19 degrees Celsius wind-chill) and since I live downtown I live in a wind tunnel. The winds must have been from the north so I was walking into a strong head-on wind the whole way. Even though I had the winds to my back coming home by time I got back I was wide-awake. Nothing like a good blast of cold to wake you up, or sober you up, or cure all kind of ills. So it took a while to finally catch some more zzzzzz’s and get some rest.

The only other news I can think of to report is that the Olympic Torch passed through town last week. I went to Yonge Street and College Street to see the relay. It was to be passed to an 81-year-old man who was the goalie on Canada’s gold medal winning hockey team for the 1934 Olympics (I believe it was 1934). It was to be passed to him at College Street and then he was going to get on a College street car as part of relay. Then just before the torch was to reach us a protest took over the street. So for the first time in the torches’ Canadian relay the relay had to be stopped. See, just like I said earlier, “With my luck.” They put the flame into a bus and then took it over to the city hall. So we did not get to see the relay. My energy levels are too low to have gone over to city hall.

(Protesters prevent us from seeing the torch)


I had one of my insomnia nights and I was actually up around 7am the next morning when the torch was passing by near here to leave the city. So I threw on a pair of pants and bundled up and headed over to see the flame. Unfortunately I was so tired and so cold that I could not change my camera setting from nighttime exposure to daylight. So the slow shutter speed meant that I didn’t get a good shot of it, but I did see it.

(These are two of the blurry image pictures of the torch that I managed to get)


So I will be going to see my family tomorrow. That means that I’ll be off of the grid for a while since I don’t have computer access there. I’ll really have nothing to report until I hear about my Section 8 anyway. For those who celebrate them have a good holiday.

Cheers,

David McHep C