Medical Tourism

I am a Canadian, who needed an MRI. If you think our "free health care" makes that simple, you would be sadly mistaken. It takes about 4 weeks to even have an appointment booked, and that appointment is months away.

So, since I felt I needed a diagnosis *this* year, I packed up The World's Greatest Husband™ and we headed to Buffalo for a medical weekend. The Border Guard waved us through when Husband said I was getting an MRI. I guess they are used to it. It should be noted that I did need my doctor to fill out a request and send it to the company in Buffalo. But I got the appointment for when I asked for it, about a week after my phone call (I wanted that Saturday, so Husband could come with me). It was easy, and I only waited as long as was convenient for me.

We spent Friday night at the Courtyard by Marriott in Amherst. Yay points! Our stay was free, except for the cocktails we purchased to take back to our room, and, of course, the tip for the housekeeper. It was a spacious room, with nice toiletries, and a comfy couch and coffee table.

I found the indoor pool a little cold, but the whirlpool was lovely, and the ambience of the pool room was quite pleasant.

After that, it was off to Buffalo MRI, for the fastest $600CDN I have ever spent. I don't resent it, though. Having a diagnosis will be worth every penny. The tech was very pleasant, and I got my choice of music during the procedure, which was very claustrophobic and noisy.

Nice Waiting Room at Buffalo MRI

After I got my CD, we crossed back into Canada, and checked into the Radisson Fallsview. Yay points! The room was also free. They warn you that points rooms are on a low floor, with a city view. In fact, they gave me a stunning East-facing room on the 13th floor with an excellent view of the Falls. It also had the Best. Jacuzzi. Tub. Ever. The thing had to be 6 feet long, and was deep enough to properly submerge. The hotel, itself, is very nice, with all the amenities you would expect. Just one note: the whirlpool is a physical part of the pool and shares the water, the posted temperature of which is restricted to between 80 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit. So, the jacuzzi makes a lot of sense.

Stunning Sunrise View from our Room

We headed home the next morning, after a walk around the town. There are so many Falls based attractions that the Falls Park has the above sign to thank you for actually seeing the Falls. We found it hilarious.

One last note: at this writing, I still haven't received the letter informing me of my appointment date in Canada.