Let`s say you`re showing symptoms and want to find out what`s up. What do you do?
If you live in Montreal, you can call Clinique l’actuel at 514-524-1001. It`s located at 1001 de Maisonneuve E., suite 1130. There are other clinics that also specialize in sdi`s, but that`s the one I called and it worked pretty well. (For my illness, see the post here. Note the warning at top: I will not give the name of the girl or agency involved in my infection. Don`t bother asking.)
The lady who answered the phone spoke both French and English. When I said I had symptoms, she asked me to describe them and then said I could get an appointment for the next day. It takes longer if you`re just getting tested to be on the safe side. Not that getting such tests is a bad idea. It`s just that symptoms indicate an emergency.
She told me that the service was free with a Medicare card but that I should bring $20 in case special tests were called for. As it turned out, no such tests were called for and the money never left my pocket. The clinic is also quite fast. I was in and out in less than half an hour.
I showed up 10 minutes before my appointment. The place is crowded, as you might imagine. The front desk is manned by four or five ladies, again bilingual. One of the ladies took my name and contact info and gave me a questionnaire to fill out: name, age, what you`ve been up to sexually, etc. A notice on the questionnaire says all the info is confidential.
The lady had told me that my doctor, Dr. O`Brien, was "prompt." She was right. The doctor called my name after about five minutes in the waiting room, led me to a bare little office, listened to my description of the situation, then gave me a quick pants-down exam and wrote a prescription. Then he told me how to give a urine sample, and pointed me to the men`s room and the drop-off site for the specimen.
The biggest problem was keeping track of the place`s various corridors. The clinic feels like being in a submarine, and everyone talks fast. Speed has its price.
I took my prescription to the in-clinic pharmacy. No line and no charge. One drawback, though: the pharmacist`s English was not good and neither is my French. Like everyone at the clinic, she`s got a lot to do, but you`d better make her slow down for a minute so you can be sure of getting clear instructions. Misunderstand the instructions and the medication may not work.
That being said, I recommend the place. If you think you`ve got something, and you live in Montreal, give them a call.
If you live in Montreal, you can call Clinique l’actuel at 514-524-1001. It`s located at 1001 de Maisonneuve E., suite 1130. There are other clinics that also specialize in sdi`s, but that`s the one I called and it worked pretty well. (For my illness, see the post here. Note the warning at top: I will not give the name of the girl or agency involved in my infection. Don`t bother asking.)
The lady who answered the phone spoke both French and English. When I said I had symptoms, she asked me to describe them and then said I could get an appointment for the next day. It takes longer if you`re just getting tested to be on the safe side. Not that getting such tests is a bad idea. It`s just that symptoms indicate an emergency.
She told me that the service was free with a Medicare card but that I should bring $20 in case special tests were called for. As it turned out, no such tests were called for and the money never left my pocket. The clinic is also quite fast. I was in and out in less than half an hour.
I showed up 10 minutes before my appointment. The place is crowded, as you might imagine. The front desk is manned by four or five ladies, again bilingual. One of the ladies took my name and contact info and gave me a questionnaire to fill out: name, age, what you`ve been up to sexually, etc. A notice on the questionnaire says all the info is confidential.
The lady had told me that my doctor, Dr. O`Brien, was "prompt." She was right. The doctor called my name after about five minutes in the waiting room, led me to a bare little office, listened to my description of the situation, then gave me a quick pants-down exam and wrote a prescription. Then he told me how to give a urine sample, and pointed me to the men`s room and the drop-off site for the specimen.
The biggest problem was keeping track of the place`s various corridors. The clinic feels like being in a submarine, and everyone talks fast. Speed has its price.
I took my prescription to the in-clinic pharmacy. No line and no charge. One drawback, though: the pharmacist`s English was not good and neither is my French. Like everyone at the clinic, she`s got a lot to do, but you`d better make her slow down for a minute so you can be sure of getting clear instructions. Misunderstand the instructions and the medication may not work.
That being said, I recommend the place. If you think you`ve got something, and you live in Montreal, give them a call.
