The Wonder Mates Ent

04/07/2024

Amazing initiative, all of my businesses have helped and will continue to help in all ways possible. The head of this project is very overwhelmed so if you'd like to help please let me know and I can arrange collection for you 🥰

03/04/2024

Empty spaces, quietude, emptiness.
None of this makes me concerned, scared or worried, because it is necessary to give room for new things to be created.
If you’ve been watching the videos and the photos lately, you probably seen that it was a whole “dirty mess” for the past weeks. Lots of dirt, pulling apart, throwing away. Lots of tiny pieces, big machinery, small steps, big changes.
I had this frame (second photo) hung at the shop next to me, and here it is again. And it has never been so true.
Stay with me for big changes coming. It’s not all about Lego. The other branch of The Wonder Mates is about community, joining strengths, supporting each other and lifting each other up. Empowerment. What do they have in common to be part of the same tree? Well, they are both part of me, and hopefully, they’ll be part of you too. I like fixing things and providing solutions, filling up empty spaces, so maybe you’ll fit in just right in my upcoming Community Hub (located in Medowie).
I always found my favourite part of business was getting to meet and talk to people and get to know them better. Hopefully through these branches, I can do that again, while providing much needed services and working alongside other powerful chics - and guys too. Let’s bring that back? The conversations?
Have you been through times where you found hard to hang on and needed to read those words? Let me know below ☺️

29/03/2024

G’day ☺️
Swipe for some true rawness in this Good Friday!
Happy Easter 🐰🐣

20/03/2024

Hi there,
As I said yesterday, I’d like to present this branch of The Wonder Mates Enterprises called 1 Brick at a Time. It’s basically an online store - still in progress - in a webpage called Bricklink where you go to buy missing pieces, other people’s creations or even something specific you’re after.
It is not very user friendly and as I slowly learn to navigate it I still have some things posted on FB Marketplace and many things in the house waiting to be posted.
I guess this 🌵🌳🍃🌿🌱☘️🪴 branch of the business has helped me learn that no journey is too long if we just take one step at a time.
Here are the links for you to see what I have available at the moment, lots of items are not listed yet.
https://store.bricklink.com/kamilafares7&utm_content=globalnav #/shop
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https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/profile/100013019766268
If you or someone you know like Lego or are after pieces, set, etc, anything related to this, feel free to shoot me a message ☺️
Thanks for coming on this journey with me!
- See you tomorrow 🥊

Do you or someone you know like Lego? Let me know in the poll and in the comments what kind of Lego you often buy ☺️

19/03/2024

Whatever we choose to post here is just a snapshot of our reality. Not all of it, just a the bit I choose to be seen by. The rest, what’s not pleasant, easy to talk, ugly, gets hidden. But true life, I reckon it’s what happens behind the screens.
I had planned to post today about the new branch of The Wonder Mates Enterprises. And believe me, I tried. What you are not seeing is the videos that I recorded, and all the things that went wrong. The frustration, the anger because the video cut off because I went too long. What you don’t see, is the failure. But what you do see, is acceptance.
Acceptance to be vulnerable.
I went overtime because I took the opportunity to engage with my wife on camera so I could hopefully support her to do her own video assignment she was struggling with.
But more than that, I don’t care if the tech failed or if I had everything go wrong “in business”, because I can always try again tomorrow.
But I am angry and frustrated because I had tickets that I bought many months ago to see this amazing and inspiring woman again in Adeilaide, and I couldn’t make it. And it crashed me. As I said, I’m used to handling curved balls and adapting. But sometimes growing up, having a family, being responsible and being “ill”, means making sacrifices. Giving things up. And to be honest, that really really hit me today. Last year I saw her, and I seized at the end. But I made it, even asked a question. And this year I thought to myself: I’m unstoppable, I’ll make it no matter what. But that’s grief, grief for your own self, for your own health. One day you accept it and you think you are done. And on another it takes something you want more than anything - again - and it just hits you all over again. Like the thunder you didn’t see coming, it hits you and it throws right out. And there you are again, having to re-learn how to navigate and accept this “new” you. That maybe, is not so “unstoppable”.
Does it get easier to watch so many things that make you happy or inspire you to keep going and be better like spending an evening with get taken away? How long can you keep dreaming after watching so many fade away?

14/03/2024

My name is Kamila and I am the creator of . I didn’t create it. I am it. We are it. No one is born or deemed to be anything, so I decided to become my own hero and do and survive everything they said I couldn’t and wouldn’t.
Sometimes you have to take a step back and readjust. Sometimes you have to pause. Sometimes you have to recreate yourself after losing everything. And learn everything again, because you forgot everything. But that is okay.
Because it doesn’t matter as many times I get taken down in life, I will always work my hardest to rise above. Silence doesn’t mean quitting. Absence doesn’t mean ghosting. It just means that the work that is being the hardest, is being done behind the scenes, and it’s not pretty.
No, failing is not pretty and it doesn’t look nice. Neither does illness. Or prejudice. Or negligence. But as long as we stay took looking for who is responsible and making them accountable, it keeps us from moving forward.
This is The Wonder Mates, this is me, becoming my own hero, and getting back up one time more than I get knocked down. This is Wonder Mates, is not being afraid of showing the calluses in your hands from your hard work, instead of looking for someone to blame. The Wonder Mates is knowing when to stop, when to push harder, but more than ever: to never stop trying. To never stop getting back up after being knocked down.
New things are coming 👊🏻🥊🤜🏻🤛🏻

29/02/2024

29/02/2024

Hey everyone! Let’s catch up. I missed you all, here’s a little bit of what I have been up to and what are the next plans for The Wonder Mates

03/08/2022

Hi, when I was closing, many people reached out asking me not to close and I never got around to answering because I was too unwell to do so. The short and plain answer is: The Wonder Mates Cafe closed down because of MANY experiences I had with professional misconduct. But mainly, the medical system I was told I should trust because I chose to live in a first world country, failed me.

“Be your own hero”. This vision that inspired the Wonder Mates, also saved my life. It's what made me make the bravest choice of my life and make the call to pack my bags and fly home to Brazil 3 months ago, against “medical advice” at a stage where my health was at its worse and I was having nothing but horrible and traumatic experiences in Australia.

Initially I just wanted to be in my mother’s arm. But I ended up getting much more than a hug, I ended up getting answers, and more importantly: my life back. Within a couple of days, I ended up in emergency ICU and within hours, I was able to be properly diagnosed and finally started to receive correct treatment. I found out while in Australia, they had missed out on a cyst in my brain that had expanded and bled out and was now scarred and just causing havoc on my body, I was having pressure in my brain, inflammation and about to have permanent damage to my eyes, among many many other health complications, some from which I might never recover from.

Things that should have been picked up in the past 15 months in the many appointments, hospitals and imaging scans I had done, but weren’t. So of course I don’t want to get anything done in Newcastle anymore, but then because I voice that, I get told to “might as well and just leave then” by a doctor 2 days ago when I said I wanted to follow up in Sydney now I’m back here.

(Continue below ⬇️⬇️⬇️)

I wouldn't have lost my mental, cognitive or physical capacities. I wouldn't have bled out, I wouldn't have lost the shop, my car, all of my financial, my wife wouldn't have had to quit her job, or had lower than her capacity result at uni and therefore less likely to get into the Psych Master Degree of her dreams. I wouldn't have been abused inside of a hospital, I wouldn't have developed a more severe PTSD due to several traumatic experiences in the medical system, or been tagged as a "drug addict" and "opioid seeking" patient and kicked out of several medical practices and so on. None of that would have happened if ANY of these so called “medical professionals” had done their job at all, properly.

People deserve to know the truth about the community they live and trust in, what’s happening behind the curtains. Today it was me and my business, but what about tomorrow?

And then you’d think “maybe it’s just the health system”. But it’s not. I’ve encountered multiple situations where I was faced with professional misconduct and when I question them about it, they just go “we won’t talk to you anymore, from now on talk to our litigation lawyer”. I’ve even had unethical accountants and solicitors. Many! Name it, and I can tell you how they unlawfully affected me, my health, my business or my family.

I’m not saying this because I’m dishing at Australia. Personally, I’ve met many lovely and very strong and ethical people while being here and especially while being at the shop. And so I want to believe this was just a bad phase? I can not believe that after meeting all the lovely people at the shop, those people and those professionals I came across lately represent Newcastle or Australia. I just can’t.

I can’t change a system alone. But I’ll be doing everything in my power to hold each and every single one accountable. And I wish others would do the same because some professionals are just dangerous and to be honest, shouldn’t be around practicing.

There you have it. I’m finally good and in better shape and maybe one day we’ll meet again ☺️

09/12/2021

Hi there,

It’s been a while, right? First of all, I’d like to take you all for your wonderful and overwhelming kindness and support. I’m sorry I haven’t had the time and energy to thank each and every one of you personally.

Yes, The Wonder Mates may be physically be gone for now, however, I was The Wonder Mates. I was its vision, and its vision it’s still alive: to spread kindness, support and provide a safe place in Newcastle. And I’ll never let that go, I’ll never accept to witness corruption, inhuman and unfair treatment, unethical actions, discrimination and medical malpractice and just be quiet about it. I, Kamila, believe that even if you are not doing the wrong/evil action yourself, if you’re witnessing it and not saying anything about it, it’s just as “bad”. Therefore, I decided to speak up about some things that have been happening around our lovely town: Newcastle. And yes, I know that I’ll probably face some repercussion from this, and some people might think I’m ungrateful for everything Australia has given me, or that I’m judging, you might even think “just go back to Brazil then”. But this is not what this is about.

I should say here: THIS IS VERY LONG. BUT PLEASE, I BEG YOU, READ IT UNTIL THE END.

I have met some incredible people during the time we were open. Some honest, hard working, kind, caring, supportive, loving and loyal people. Which in fact, were the majority of people I came across there. And I’m here hoping to be heard, and hoping to prevent the same thing that happened to me, to happen to other people. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to another human being and I knew that I had withheld information that could have prevented that.

There might be no one even reading anymore, or caring for this page. But I guess there’s always hope, right? If you made up until here, thanks in advance for your time. Please keep reading.

There’s so much I want to share, I've had issues, and I mean MAJOR issues, with services in Newcastle of Accounting, Solicitors, Property Managers, and now, the cherry of the cake: HEALTH.

Would you like to know why I wasn't able to work no more? Or why I haven't been able to pick up the computer and answer messages? Because my health is seriously damaged and have been deteriorating for the past months. Why? Because people, and I mean, many people, have been either accusing me of: faking it, being crazy, being all in my head, being fixated in opioids, not being happy with my diagnose, etc. OR, they've been denying me treatment, doing malpractice and/or misdiagnosing me. Those people, are people who are in the power and in the condition of helping me, health professionals like nurses and doctors. In fact, they have a legal responsibility of helping me, or so I thought?

Please help me understand how are some people capable of seeing another human being in excruciating pain, literally begging for their help and do nothing about. Especially when they have the means to do so. I thought, and I was under the impression, that COMPASSION, was just inherited. But apparently, it isn't. Apparently, it's too much of a high expectation. In fact, another thing is too much of a high expectation: ACCOUNTABILITY.

I have attempted to make formal complains with all parties involved in a calm and sensible manner. Numerous times. I followed all of the "Complains protocols". Would you like to know how many of them owned up to their mistakes? None. Would you like to know what kind of mistakes they were?

1. A GP, who was meant to better informed in relation to bones and such, from my usual practice dismissing how much I was hurting, refusing to send me to The John Hunter Fracture Centre and just telling me that it was "normal", not investigating any further. For me to find out later on that it is actually neurologic pain, not just muscle or fracture pain. It also damage to the ligament.
2. A radiologist misreading an X-Ray and missing out on a FULL-BLOWN ankle fracture. Saying it was healed, when it wasn't AT ALL.
3. My GP not looking at the images, but just trusting on the report, dismissing my pain and swelling and clearing me out for physio - which made me even worse. Apparently having the expectations doctors would see the image are too high?
4. Another GP, after further investigation that was requested my the physio who finally took me seriously and believed me, realising it wasn't healed at all. But again, not doing anything about my pain and just telling me to "go back on the boot". I asked her why it hadn't healed if I had done everything I was told to, what did she say "I don't know".
5. Me having to BEG for a surgeon referral for a second opinion.
6. This same medical practice sending me to an "ankle specialist" who wanted me to go see his buddy for a $500 prosthetics that would might not even work. Then suggesting to do a surgery, if he decided to do so, later on, to reconstruct my whole foot? He saw ligament damage when no one else did? He basically told me to do nothing about it for another 3 months. THREE MONTHS.
7. Me finding out this diagnostic was completely wrong and such orthopaedics were truly unnecessary as I already had inner soles who worked completely fine. Me finding out that proposed surgery was utterly unnecessary. This is actually very correct, from a well known specialist from Sydney who made me walk again when everybody else said I wouldn't.
8. Me bringing this up to the practice awareness, as per their "complaint policy", for then to be BLAMED FOR IT. What did they do? Said that it was my fault that I go seeing a bunch of doctors in Sydney? That I should only see their doctor? I mean, where is my right to get a second opinion? Ah, they also stood behind the specialist they suggested which was very wrong. They also blamed Clarity for doing the report wrong. Did they take ownership? NO. Whatsoever. Was an apology made? No. They just verbally told me they'd bring it up in their "meetings" and say for doctors to start looking at images.
9. It's been 6 months and I'm still not healed. In fact, it has gotten worse, because I know might/will probably need surgery because the bone is so far apart that even if I go back to the boot for a whole year, it won't glue itself back.

You think this is bad? It gets worse. MUCH worse.

10. A local psychiatrist abandoned me as a patient right at the moment where I was most fragile and had attempted su***de. Why? Because I missed an appointment, why? Because I couldn't walk, literally couldn't walk. Which he was aware that was a symptom. They said they had the right to do so as per the "contract" I had signed. I asked to see such contract, they couldn't show it to me. They then, months later, rang me saying he was WILLING to see me again IF I paid in advance.
11. I started developing some SERIOUS neurological symptoms. I would try to open a door, and I would get stuck to it because my hand would freeze in position and my muscles were unable to relax. I couldn't feel my limbs. My vision was getting progressively worse. I was collapsing and convulsing and going into literal shock because of PAIN. I was having memory lapses, I couldn't breath, I couldn't talk, my body would just keep jerking and throwing itself on the floor and the list goes on. You would think someone would consider the possibility that this is sort of maybe RELEVANT? Nope.
12. I saw a neuropsych in Sydney who was meant to be a "specialist". He then proceeded to A) Verbally accuse me of lying about being abused. B) Got me up from the chair by grabbing me, without ever asking for my permission, and disregarding the fact I told him I couldn't get myself up. C) Watching me collapse and go into shock and proceeding to tell me it was all "mental". All in my head. Basically all "made up" and psychological.
13. I then questioned him how could he be so irresponsible to diagnose me like that without seeing a single blood test or image scan? I questioned him how could he be so disregarding of such serious symptoms which strongly indicated some sort of Sclerosis. I asked him how could he be so sure? He couldn't answer. I left the room.
14. The symptoms kept getting worse, I lost all my muscle capacity, I wasn't able to lift my own cup of water at times, and I couldn't think properly. I felt literally broken. Like something was wrong with me, I could feel it, but no one would believe me. I kept telling everyone that I was getting worse and worse each day and that I was scared of what would I be like in 3 months?
15. I was ordered to do MRI scans to look for MS. My doctor wasn't even aware that in order to detect sclerosis, you must use a machine with capacity of 3.0 instead of just 1.5 like majority of the machines in Newcastle. I had to basically beg for those. My doctor had no idea of what was going on, granted, it was complex. But you'd think that would serve as incentive for people to look it up? Research? Grow better? Nope, not at my practice.
16. My doctor went away for a while. Which is fine. That same week, I was desperate, because no one was believing me and everyone just kept telling me I was the one who had a problem with EVERYONE. I was told that my expectations were TOO HIGH. I was told that I just needed to accept my diagnosis even if I didn't like it/agree with it because doctors were allowed to have their own opinion? I was told JUSTICE IS ONLY FOR THE RICH.
17. As I progressive got worse, my wife decided me to take to the private ED of Lake Macquarie. Even though I was in excruciating pain, going into shock because of it, crying, they didn't get my vain. They just gave me some panadol forte and ibuprofen which I could have taken at home? I kept telling them I knew that type of pain and that it felt like it was in my nerve. The doctor REFUSED to treat me because HIS opinion was the opioids were bad and that "tramadol" was a dirty drug and that he REFUSED to get my vain because it would make me addicted to medication?
I'd like to make a parenthesis here: I have had severe pain before, I have been in medication through the vain and I have never ever became addicted to anything? I know numerous drugs that he could have given me other than OPIOIDS. Nuroflex, for example, is a muscle relaxant, used for severe pain. How did he, the specialist, did not have this knowledge?
18. They then proceeded to give me a referral for a HIP SPECIALIST due to my broken ankle? And also basically forced me to buy a boot, even though I repeatedly told them it didn't help at all and that it wasn't going to work! As I was told by someone who actually knew what he was talking about.
19. I went home with 5 tablets for strong pain. 5. I was meant to take 1 every 4 hours I think? This was on Friday I believe?
20. It got worse. So I rang the ambulance MYSELF and told them I was scared I was going to die. They then came to my house and watch me suffer and proceeded to tell me that there was nothing they could give me? That all they could do was offer to take me up to The Mater.
21. Must I say, this wasn't my first ambulance experience, I'm very much aware that they carry green whistles, morphine and such. Yet, I was desperate, so I went with them.
22. Arriving there, 30 minutes if not more went by, they didn't offer me panadol. Nothing, at all. Even though the ambulance person explained the case for them as I couldn't advocate for myself due to the speech impairment.
23. I talked to the nurse and asked if they were going to investigate and find out what was going on or if they were just going to treat my symptons and send me home? She then said they were not going to investigate. I then proceeded to ask for their phone so I could ring my wife and tell her I was going to discharge myself as they hadn't done anything in 30 minutes and I felt they weren't going to help me. My wife said: don't discharge yourself until I get there and have a talk to the nurse.
24. I told the nurse this. I also said I literally couldn't sign as my limbs were sort of paralysed, so I needed to wait for my wife and such.
25. She then proceeded to say I didn't have to sign, that verbal consent was enough. I didn't give her that, I simply ask her to take me outside to talk to my wife.
26. She then took me out on a wheelchair and then when my wife asked what was going on and I told her about the conversation I had with the nurse, the nurse point blankly looked at me and accused ME of LYING. Saying she hadn't said such thing. Then when I questioned her, she just said something like "I'll just leave you to it". And then I was suddenly "discharged". Even though I did not sign the form, or gave her my verbal concern. I rang the hospital and asked to talk to the senior nurse. What did she do? BLAMED ME. Accused me of lying. And said I had refused pain treatment, even though they hadn't offered me any?
27. Sunday arrived and I got even worse, I was in so much pain I was literally gagging. I wanted to go to Sydney. My wife thought I couldn't handle the drive down so she took me to The John Hunter Hospital.
28. Emergency was OK. They treated my pain, they believed me. But then, it took a very ugly turn. They admitted in the neurology award as that was the quickest way to see a neurologist and find out what was really happening.
29. Sorry for the word, but this was a TRUE SH*T-SHOW. It was the worst night of my whole entire existence.
30. First the nurses didn't know what the hell to do about my usual medication. They almost gave me the wrong dosage and they missed out on some even though my wife left them a list - very short by the way - and offered to bring any from home if they didn't have it.
31. What is a reasonable amount of time you think a person who is in so much pain that they are gagging, crying, begging for help and the heart is working so hard to cope that shows in the monitor, should wait? I'll tell you, 3 hours. Which turned into,4, 5, 6, 7, over 8 ours.
32. I was in such condition I couldn't advocated for myself. I didn't have the strength or capacity to press the buzzer for help. I had to use siri to call my step-mother at 3AM so she could contact the hospital. Numerous and numerous times.
33. Did I get any treatment? NO. Why? Because the doctor had her PERSONAL OPINION that opioids are BAD. So who cares about my pain? She then decided to not treat me at all. I mean, what is the obsession with opioids anyway? Again, my family is full of doctors, my parents literally run a hospital at home, I'm NOT a doctor, but I can list here a bunch of medications who help with severe pain OTHER than opioids. Did she know of any? No.
34. How evil do you have to be to see someone in such amount of suffering, look into your eyes, beg you for your help, and then just ignore it?
35. I mean, I do not care for your personal opinion, if you are a doctor and you see someone in such amount of pain, such suffering, their treatment shouldn't be UP to you!! To YOUR personal opinion!! So if you see someone bleeding, but you don't know why, you will just sit there and do nothing but watch?
36. That is bad, sure, but you know what is even worse? To be told by the patient that they had a trauma related to hospitals, that they have severe PTSD about it, to be aware that they are currently paralysed and unable to move away, and then proceed to touch them without their permission? She wouldn't give me any pain medication, because you know, that was wrong, but she thought it was ok to just touch my legs, rub me and then wish me well?
37. And it wasn't just the doctors, nurses also. When I was less paralysed and was faced down crying in pain listening to music, they just rubbed my back? Again, no asking? I flinched away so bad that I almost fell off the bed. What do they do? Continue to touch me against my will and just say "sorry they can't help". No, actually, they offered to put a pillow behind my back.
38. It was then morning, I had been in the worst nightmare of my life, my mother in law had called numerous times, I had begged and begged. Here comes a "senior nurse", who wasn't even meant to be in my ward. Who said he was meant to be there to "solve" things. Here's how he "solved" it: A) He complained about my mother in law's calls. B) He accused me of lying in front of my wife about what had happened overnight. C) He accuses me of being rude and giving him attitude. I'm sorry, am I supposed to be CHAPPY and sound THRILLED when you left me in literal hell for over 6 hours? D) He proceeded to give my wife some attitude. She told him to go take a walk to calm down. He got REAL s**tty. E) He saw me fit, gag, cry, etc. He then freaked out by realising how bad it was.
39. You'd think he would do something about it if he had a tiny ouncy bit of compassion, right? Nope. He actually basically blackmailing by saying: you should take that panadol you were given, because if you don't we just think that your pain is not real or that bad since someone in pain would never say no to any tablet. So even if you want something else, you should take that.
40. Ages later, here comes THE NEUROLOGIST. With another 6 people. I wasn't even I asked if I agreed to have my case reviewed by such amount of people. Ah, you know who else had their head stuck inside my curtains against my will and without permission? The senior nurse.
41. The neurologist proceeds to give me the same diagnosis that the neuropsych in Sydney did. He then said and I basically quote: I don't even need to see blood tests or scans, because I KNOW IT BETTER. It is all mental. This is just FND (Functional neurological disorder), then said he wasn't going to help me with my pain nor give me any tablets because, and I quote: sometimes doing the right thing is doing the hardest thing, and the hardest thing here is to NOT give you any tablets. I'm doing the right thing, I know it better. He also said that Migraines, IBS, etc, were all mental, basically not real. Well, at least not real enough to deserve help.
42. I proceeded to question him about the fact that I had done work with the best PTSD psychologist in town, that I had done EMDR numerous times, that my psych told me she had never seen someone work harder on their trauma than me and that if it was all just mental, it would have disappeared as I got better and not GET WORSE. In fact, I told him I had symptoms PRIOR to my PTSD manifest. She just said my psych was wrong and then when I tried to talk to him about it, and question him about treatment options for my pain, that he couldn't just leave me there in excruciating pain and how it was impacting me and getting worse and etc, he then proceeded to get up and leave the room.
43. This was Monday. I then went to my usual GP practice, Mayfield Medical Connection. Yes, the same one who had missed my broken bone. I begged the doctor for help, again, they saw me be sick, my wife showed them a very distressing video. What did they do? NOTHING. Why? Because of their PERSONAL opinion that OPIOIDS are bad. Again, I was denied treatment because of a doctor PERSONAL opinion AND their LACK OF KNOWLEDGE/INTEREST/COMPASSION. I listed to her a bunch of things she could do OTHER than opioids. A LIST. I begged. My wife begged. What did they do? NOTHING.
44. I was over it. Just over it. But my wife decided to take me to a doctor in Sydney who was very known for figuring out complex cases. I was there for about 20 minutes. HE LISTENED. HE BELIEVED. HE EXAMINED ME. HE ASKED FOR PERMISSION before touching me.
45. Finally, I had a pre-diagnosis: very high chances of having an INFLAMMATORY Bowel Condition (Chrohn's Disease), which was preventing me from absorbing the nutrients properly. Hence my bone breaking when it shouldn't have and not healing. He also has strong suspicious of an Auto-Immune disease who apparently makes my body attack itself and destroy its own nerves. He literally told me that all the pain I was feeling was in fact NERVE PAIN and not BONE PAIN. He also strongly believes I have a neurological condition that makes my muscles unable to relax on its own, hence why my hand would freeze in position. He decided to investigate, ordered several blood tests and etc.
46. I was scared. I told him I had been getting worse and I was scared of where I’d be in a couple of months. I asked him if I gas going to be paralysed. He said that even though we might not be able do revert the damage that was already done, he'd make sure to stop it right there where it was and prevent it from progressing/getting worse.
47. I went back to my usual GP, I firmly asked for some pain tablets. She gave me a very limited amount. I openly asked her if she had a problem with me making complains against her colleagues and if it was going to interfere in my treatment, she says no.
48. She rings me a couple of weeks later, to talk to me about my blood results. She humbly admits she doesn't know how to read most of them and tells me basically there was nothing major apart from a high vitamin level. She then proceeds to assume the alterations on the blood tests were due to medication and my food habits. I was very upset at this stage as I felt like it was all my fault and all in my head, maybe I was just crazy like everyone kept making me feel. Maybe it was just in my head.
49. Later on, I receive a large envelope from the lab titled "urgent". It was the results. They altered ones were all marked with an * and they all had comments next to them. I'm not a doctor, but it didn't take me long to go through them and read the comments and realise they were very in line with what the specialist said.
Here's the thing, at this stage, I had attempted to make complains in all possible ways. I wrote to many higher organizations, I wrote to John Hunter, I contacted my practice's manager. I had let this person know about everything that had happened in hopes to get some sort of accountability and change. Did I get anything? Nope. So here's what I decided to do: put an online complain in their page. And then send an email to the practice directed to THE OWNER.
50. I went to see my GP again. As I needed to know why those alterations weren't flagged with me. I was very upset. I felt as if the consult was very cold and I felt I was treated me differently. The body language was arms crossed the whole time and I was told my review had been seen and that, it did make my treatment "tricky" because it was about the practice and this person's colleagues. I felt dismissed in relation to the altered numbers and I was given a bunch of referrals and scan requests I won't be able to get done up until next year. As well as some tablets scripts I begged for. I asked the doctor why couldn't they think of other things other than opioids. I openly asked and I quote: you went to school for how many years? You must've learnt other ways to treat severe pain other than opioids, what's there? The doctor couldn't or didn't want answer me. I was told the doctor didn't have answers for my questions. And I felt as if the doctor wasn't being able to separate their personal feelings towards its colleagues and their professional opinion.
51. I've had serious issues in Sydney, and my physio, who's not even a doctor, picked up the phone and rang all possible places to make sure I urgently get things done. I've been to Charlestown Medical Centre before and they actively picked up the phone and contacted places to make sure I got the treatment I needed. How come I couldn't get that from my clinic? Is it too much to ask for doctors to care enough to put in some effort?
52. I was in my home the other day and I have received the discharge letter from John Hunter Hospital. Which openly states numerous defamations against myself, I quote: "patient was fixated in receiving opioids". Also "patient discharge herself because it wasn't happy with diagnosis". "Patient was offered treatment, but denied it". And a couple of other things which were not accurate at all. I openly said, as well as my wife, we were desperate and we wanted ANYTHING OTHER than opioids, such as a muscle relaxant or any other available options. How did I feel being accused of being a drug seeker? Not good. Would you like to know why they assume I'm a drug addict? Because I have so much pain that it makes my voice funny and my eyes roll back, I go in and out of conscience and my whole body jerks.
53. Now here's a MASSIVE issue I need to bring up. I've heard a rumour, and I repeat, RUMOUR. I'm NOT accusing anyone or saying it is TRUE, nor that I can PROVE it. The rumour is that the workers from the health area in general, party a lot, hard, and by that I mean, make use of heavy illegal drugs such as co***ne. I openly and bluntly decided to ask a health professional about this so called "rumor", and the professional openly said: yes, that's a very common problem that happens everywhere, not just in Newcastle. The professional said in its circle it didn't happen, however, it was common. 

(I honestly don't care what people do with their free time, really. No judgement, whatsoever. However, I wonder how can someone who is meant to handle other people's lives, can be so reckless with their own? And yes, maybe this is a "free time" sort of thing, but I can't wrap my head around the fact that someone who does this in a frequent basis, doesn't get permanent changes to their system. I don't know how to feel safe knowing I could be trusting my life to a system that has no idea of who's treating me. Is it really that hard to implement some sort of random drug testing? Also, how can someone be fully aware of this and just be quiet and complaisant about it? So just because you're in the same field, you'll have each other's back no matter how wrong it is or how it may affect others? I don't know how to be ok with this.)

54. I then said: how am I supposed to feel safe knowing I could be trusting my life to someone who makes use of such heavy drug? The professional said there was no answer for that.
55. Here we are, today, December 9th. I received an email from the practice manager basically dismissing me again, and wishing me Merry Christmas and New Years. Even though I explicitly said this email was not directed to this person, but yet, to whoever was above/in charge, and I expected a call from such person by the end of the week.
56. Now, this was an interesting call. I felt like there was no compassion, the person did not take ownership for anything and what I heard was "I appreciate your suffering, however..." I was asked what were my expectations in relation to going forward and what I wanted as an outcome. I tried to explain the situation, however, the first thing such person said was "we don't need to go into details as your review says enough". So from the start I felt like I was being shut down.
57. Now hear me out. This is where the REAL ISSUE comes up. After venting at this person, I then brought up the RUMOUR just like I mentioned above. I then asked if this person was aware. I felt this person was very defensive and was told the person was sure it wasn't a problem at their clinic as they "knew" their staff. The person then proceeded to put words in my mouth by trying to make me verbally agree to be accusing their staff of doing such thing. I then proceeded to repeat that I was talking about a known issue, a GENERAL issue, NOT in relation to their practice in specific. I kept being pushed towards the same thing. I then pushed the person back by asking how could they be 100% sure it wasn't a problem at their clinic since they had admitted to have never done any drug test there. I said as an outcome, in order to feel safe, I needed to know they'd implement some sort of drug testing. This person was very strong about their position: NO. This not being a possibility at all.
This brings me to the following issue: if you're told that such problem exist, if a professional from the area confirms it, why would you bluntly ignore it? How am I suppose to trust someone or a place who just ignores such massive problem?
57. I then proceeded to question them by saying that if I had to be treated like a drug addict because of their "rumours", why couldn't they use the same ruler towards their own?
58. The solution I was offered was a call back next week. I then told this person if this call was just going to be full of blame an excuses just like every other contact, that this person shouldn't bother to do so. The conversation was ended with "Thanks for the warning".

This brings us to today. The 9th of December of 2021. Here I am, once more, literally BEGGING to be heard. BEGGING to be helped. BEGGING for some COMPASSION? BEGGING for some direction. I have attempted to talk to numerous local media, no one had any interest in hearing my story. In fact, people seem to be interested in doing the exact opposite: shut me down. Shut me up. Blame me. Guilt trip me. But I refused to be shut down.

Here's my issue with this whole thing: the past months it's been me. My life, my health. But it isn't just about me, is it? It's about this whole community. I'm scared that if I don't speak up, and something happens to another human being, and that could have been avoided if I had spoken up, I would never be able to live with myself.

I seeked legal advice, and I was given an advice which in my opinion wasn't professional at all. It was very much fear based, I was told that I basically didn't have the right to speak up and tell my story as the people I was going to face were bigger, powerful and filled with money, therefore, they would hunt me down and take everything I had in court with "defamation claims". At the time, I had a very weird feeling, I didn't appreciate it. It didn't sit well. However, I didn't have the mental capacity to follow up. I recently found out that this solicitor in case, shouldn't even have agree to meet with me as there was a very relevant conflict of interest involved in this person's advice.

So there you go. Here's what I wish as an outcome for all of this: accountability. I'd like to see people speak up about their experiences, I would like to see people being held accountable for their illegal actions such as denying treatment based on their own person opinion and not giving me another option, causing me bigger harm. I would like to see this made public, because I feel it is a matter of public health.

I've been told me Australians tend to not like conflict, so they just "let it go". People love to tell me"it is what is is, move on". But I just can't. It's not about revenge, it's not about me wanting attention, it's just a LITERAL CRY FOR HELP. PLEASE, PLEASE SPEAK UP. PLEASE help me make some kind of change.

Here I am, questioning my own sanity, wondering: what kind of a s**t person must I be to not deserve the tiniest bit of humanity? To be denied treatment? To attract such bad experiences?

Who cares about my mental health, or my character, or how I feel about myself. Because on top of all of this, I was accused of being, and I quote: abusive, disrespectful, impolite, rude, passive-aggressive, drug seeker, among other things.

Here's a disclaimer: I have not mentioned anyone's personal names and I have not accused anyone of anything. I just spoke about how I FEEL in relation to the situation and what happened. And mostly of these experiences were witnessed by other people than me, so not, it's not just my personal opinion, it's facts. Yes, I do mention some places names, because yes, I do think people should be aware of what they might be walking into. I believe that's my freedom of speech.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.