Hi Pam and all

I thought I would just respond about our "system" as it is what frustrates 
this problem even more for this mum and bub.

We are fortunate to have a FREE public health system in Australia where you 
follow a particular procedure of referrals to reach treatment BUT 
unfortunately there are huge wait lists (years for some non-life threatening 
health issues) in some areas of health care - child health being one of 
them. A person/child who is very sick can be admitted to hospital and is 
dealt with for the "emergency" part of their illness very quickly but then 
usually discharged to be dealt with through an outpatient clinic situation - 
very frustrating and long wait times.

We also have a private health system (where you pay dearly for private 
health insurance, once you start paying you have to keep going or you revert 
tot he public system) which you opt to join for most services instead of the 
public system. To see the specialists you may still be on a wait list but 
not as long usually.

If you do not have private health insurance you can still opt to see a 
specialist privately or use private services but it costs a lot.

Hope that helps,
Del
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Del Smith
Breastfeeding Counsellor
Australian Breastfeeding Association www.breastfeeding.asn.au
Perth, Western Australia


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pamela Mazzella Di Bosco" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 1:26 AM
Subject: Desperate mum of 17-month-old


> This story broke my heart!  I cried for this poor mom and baby trying  to
> find someone to listen.  Is it not possible for her to pick her own 
> doctors?  Is
> the medical system set up so she has to follow a chain to  care?  In the 
> USA
> that is true also for certain forms of health  insurance.  I can only 
> imagine
> her frustration and anger as no one is  listening to her, and by the time
> someone does it may be too late.  Can she  go on her own to a specialist 
> who will
> recognize these symptoms more  readily?  I agree that breastfeeding is
> probably the only thing saving this  child and that it is vital she 
> continue, but
> with a pregnancy her supply is  going to dwindle and then what?  At some 
> point
> this is going to become a  drastic situation that they waited to long to
> diagnose and treat  appropriately.  She is doing everything right and the 
> system she
> has to  work within is not working hard enough to find an answer.  If she 
> were
> not  breastfeeding would they maybe then decide something is wrong?  That 
> is
> the  big thing isn't it?  Because she is breastfeeding her baby everything
> must  be about her and the feeding.  What if she was not breastfeeding 
> then would
> they believe that something was wrong because the 'science food' was not
> working?  This is insanity. When normal is not working, something is 
> wrong,  the
> breastfeeding is not the problem and they should be working to find out 
> what
> is wrong not blame the poor mom for doing the one thing that is right.
>
> Joy, please keep us posted if they find a solution for this child.
>
> Best,
> Pam MazzellaDiBosco, IBCLC, RLC
> Florida, USA
>
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