Not so special after all...

When Derek and I travelled to Sunnybrook to listen to what they had to say, they gave us the impression that what they offered there, we couldn't get elsewhere. Wrong! Lakeridge has offered and been every bit as helpful as we feel Sunnybrook would have been. Lakeridge also has an online tool that helps us to keep our appointments straight. It's called 'Your Portal'. I am given my own identification code and password so I can login from anywhere and view my appointment calendar. One thing Sunnybrook does offer that Lakeridge doesn't (I wish they did), is that all your results are posted online for you so that you can print off any report you want. You don't have to ask for any copies of the reports - they are right there for you. I don't have a nurse assigned to me at Lakeridge to oversee all my appointments and to make the phone calls for me, but I haven't really felt the need at this point. As I go along, the appointments i need are already being scheduled by the doctor's or the nurses. Not sure why I would need another nurse following me around. The idea and thought is nice, but maybe not so necessary. Sunnybrook also felt really old (I know that shouldn't matter) and Lakeridge feels brand-new and dare I say, cheerful. I know, weird thing to say about a hospital but they did a great job designing the Cancer Centre. The chemo centre is circular in shape and state-of-the-art. Each room has it's own television, a big, comfy chair that relaxes back into a bed (like a hospital version of a giant Lazy-Boy), and chairs for the person you bring with you (not quite as comfortable but they certainly aren't plastic tub chairs). You aren't in a hospital bed and the room is really bright but doesn't have the clinical, cold feel to it. We have the option of going to Sunnybrook for surgery, radiation and reconstructive surgery (any or all of them) but I have a feeling we might just stay where we are. I think we've made out just fine at Lakeridge!