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Monday, May 08, 2006

Some Answers......and some more questions

Well, I'm finding some things out that have been helpful. Unfortunately, it's taken me eleven months to get any answers at all that I can live with.

First piece of good news: I don't have to redo my medical exam!!!!!! HOORAY! If I could do backflips, I'd be doing them as I type. I'm very happy about this for several reasons.

Second known fact: There ARE people on my side in the system. I met two of them today. The first I met at the OHIP office, Terri. She's a dear. She was at the first desk directing people where they should go stand in line or sit or whatever. She took a look at the documents I brought with me to apply for my health card, and told me I was missing one that I needed. Unwillingly (and I'll have you know I've never done this in public in a government office before in ALL my life in ANY country I've been in) I burst into tears as she said it. I then started apologizing between sobs, saying that I've been going through this for months, and I'm sorry. She just told me to go to a marked door in the lobby and that she'd meet me there in a minute. So I go in, still wailing (yeah, I discovered all my wail control is gone), and she comes in with a box of tissues and explains it all to me. So nice! And that I just had to get the other letter that CIC has sent me, and when I come back just stand by her desk, and she'll help me next.

So I went home to take Jason to work, then went right back to the OHIP office, stood by her desk, and she helped me right away. Thanks! I told her she had been the most helpful person I'd spoken to in the past eleven months. She said to that "That's terrible." And, well, she had to deny me OHIP because of the contradictory letters immigration has been sending me, but told me before she did it that all I have to do is write an appeal (already on its way) to the general manager, and he should be able to take care of things. She also told me to go to the immigration office in Kitchener and talk to a live person, because it's the best way to get results. So I headed there from her office, and it had closed five minutes before I got there. Undaunted, I drove home, ran up the stairs, and dialed CIC before they saw me coming. I wasn't taking no for an answer! A really nice guy called Alex answered, and I started crying telling him about the whole OHIP fiasco and that every time I called every agent told me something different, and I just want to know what's going on! *sob* *sniffle* So he figured out what was going on. I don't have to get another medical exam, everyone else who works there is a monkey with a phone, and if I have any other difficulties, I can call his extention directly and he'll help me out.

Praise God! I'm so blessed. He's so good to me. Thought I'd share the good news.

3 Comments:

  • that's my gurl!

    By Blogger Tina, at 10:04 AM, May 10, 2006  

  • Judy,
    I'm so glad that you found some people with grace after that whole ordeal :(

    It was so awesome having you there at the retreat, it was definitely filled with moments worth sharing with others! Looking forward to seeing you again :)

    By Blogger Caroline, at 5:06 AM, May 12, 2006  

  • Wow, Judy!! Glad you found some smiling faces and supportive people to help you out. Joel and I have been talking about him moving up to Canada (from Michigan) and going through this whole process of becoming a citizen and everything else it involves... Sounds like a daunting task, but pretty soon we might be able to empathize with you guys!!

    Praying for you!
    Dana

    By Blogger Widsith, at 3:13 PM, June 11, 2006  

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