A Vancouver Island cancer patient who gave up on the provincial healthcare system in favour of life-saving treatment in Washington State, will get to spend Christmas with her family and ring in the New Year.
Campbell Riversa国际传媒檚 Kristin Logan suspects that would not have happened if she had stuck with British Columbiasa国际传媒檚 backed-up system.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 coming out (of rounds of treatment) and surgery just in time for the holidays,sa国际传媒� Logan said from the University of Washington Medical Centre in Seattle. sa国际传媒淢y husband and my daughter will be down here as well. My brother and my niece will be here. So, wesa国际传媒檒l have a big, kind of, family Christmas.sa国际传媒�
In the middle of her ongoing struggle for cancer treatment, Logan is urging British Columbians to speak out for change and demand better of what she considers the provincesa国际传媒檚 poorly-managed system.
Logan sought treatment for her stage-4 ovarian cancer which was diagnosed back in September. This after six months of reporting symptoms to her doctor. Chemotherapy was ordered, and she was informed there would be a three-to-four-month wait for surgery and six weeks before chemotherapy could start. Then, a few weeks after the diagnosis, she was informed that there was no record of the referral.
Because of the delays and because Logan is a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and a veteran, she decided to go to Washington where her parents live and secure medical treatment there under her veteran benefits.
Logan would have been happy to get treatment in B.C., where she wouldnsa国际传媒檛 have had to endure the emotional impact of getting treatment out of the province and enduring it alone.
sa国际传媒淚t would have certainly been helpful to be at home,sa国际传媒� Logan said. sa国际传媒淲hen yousa国际传媒檙e going through cancer, you know, theresa国际传媒檚 the emotional impact of that and, I mean, there were moments through this process sa国际传媒� I came down here because I was very far advanced sa国际传媒� that I was not sure I was going to live and to continue to go through that and have that scare without my husband and daughter by my side was brutal.sa国际传媒�
Logan has managed to garner public and media attention for her situation and will continue to do so because she knows shesa国际传媒檚 not the only one endangered by what she calls systemic problems.
sa国际传媒淚 think itsa国际传媒檚 time for us to really make our voices heard in every way we can to get these problems resolved. Quickly,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚t is mismanagement, itsa国际传媒檚 bureaucracy, itsa国际传媒檚 too many layers of red tape and not enough looking at whatsa国际传媒檚 going to be efficient and effective in terms of how wesa国际传媒檙e managing and spending on our health care.sa国际传媒�
Her case came to the attention of B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.
sa国际传媒淭he healthcare system doesnsa国际传媒檛 always get it right, and thatsa国际传媒檚 why we have this set up and people can, as well, raise these issues sa国际传媒� and this has been done in this case publicly,sa国际传媒� he told Global News.
His answer infuriated Logan.
sa国际传媒淭o suggest that the system merely sa国际传媒榙oesnsa国际传媒檛 always get it rightsa国际传媒� is a gross understatement, bordering on denial. Our healthcare system isnsa国际传媒檛 tripping over minor hurdles; itsa国际传媒檚 plummeting off a cliff. Wesa国际传媒檙e not dealing with sa国际传媒榦ccasional missessa国际传媒�; wesa国际传媒檙e grappling with a chronically diseased system where inefficiency and neglect have become the norm.
Just 75 per cent of cancer patients are receiving radiation therapy within the Canadian benchmark of 28 days, according to B.C. Cancer Agency data, a drop from 77 per cent in May. The national average is 97 per cent.
Logansa国际传媒檚 case has connected her to others in similar situations. She also drew attention to the case of Dan Quayle, a Victoria man with a Campbell River stepdaughter. Quayle chose medical assistance in dying (MAiD) because he didnsa国际传媒檛 receive chemotherapy and treatment in time.
sa国际传媒淭he stepfather, was just, he couldnsa国际传媒檛 wait anymore. He ended up electing MAiD because he was suffering for so long.
It has also caught the attention of the provincial opposition. BC Unitedsa国际传媒檚 Shirley Bond, shadow minister for health care, has been critical of current developments, including B.C. contracting two clinics in the United States for British Columbians to receive radiation treatment.
sa国际传媒淭he crisis is so dire that we are sending patients to other countries for treatment sa国际传媒� and even then, some patients are choosing to fund their own care in the U.S. because they cannot get through BC Cancer fast enough, sa国际传媒� Bond said.
Meanwhile, Logansa国际传媒檚 treatment at the University of Washington has been encouraging. Chemotherapy is having a big impact on her tumour markers, dropping to levels that have everyone encouraged. She has more treatments to come and will be going in for surgery in two weeks.
Logan and her husband Donovan James are both self-employed business owners. Besides the medical challenge Logan faces, the familysa国际传媒檚 economic stability and security is in jeopardy because they have lost her income.
sa国际传媒淕etting the cancer and having to come down to the States has been extraordinarily financially disruptive,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 been an enormous financial strain.
sa国际传媒淥ur daughtersa国际传媒檚 in university now. The three of us are completely separated. Shesa国际传媒檚 in Nanaimo, hesa国际传媒檚 in Campbell River, Isa国际传媒檓 down here. Wesa国际传媒檝e seen each other very little. So, you know, emotionally and financially. Itsa国际传媒檚 been a huge strain.sa国际传媒�
A account has been set up to help with the ongoing medical expenses not covered by benefits. If you want to help, search for sa国际传媒淪upport Kristinsa国际传媒檚 Aggressive Stage 4 Cancer Fight.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒� with a file from Wolf Depner
READ MORE:
