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 River91裸聊视频檚 Kristin Logan suspects that would not have happened if she had stuck with British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 backed-up system.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 coming out (of rounds of treatment) and surgery just in time for the holidays,91裸聊视频� Logan said from the University of Washington Medical Centre in Seattle. 91裸聊视频淢y husband and my daughter will be down here as well. My brother and my niece will be here. So, we91裸聊视频檒l have a big, kind of, family Christmas.91裸聊视频�
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 province91裸聊视频檚 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 wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have had to endure the emotional impact of getting treatment out of the province and enduring it alone.
91裸聊视频淚t would have certainly been helpful to be at home,91裸聊视频� Logan said. 91裸聊视频淲hen you91裸聊视频檙e going through cancer, you know, there91裸聊视频檚 the emotional impact of that and, I mean, there were moments through this process 91裸聊视频� I came down here because I was very far advanced 91裸聊视频� 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.91裸聊视频�
Logan has managed to garner public and media attention for her situation and will continue to do so because she knows she91裸聊视频檚 not the only one endangered by what she calls systemic problems.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 time for us to really make our voices heard in every way we can to get these problems resolved. Quickly,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t is mismanagement, it91裸聊视频檚 bureaucracy, it91裸聊视频檚 too many layers of red tape and not enough looking at what91裸聊视频檚 going to be efficient and effective in terms of how we91裸聊视频檙e managing and spending on our health care.91裸聊视频�
Her case came to the attention of B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.
91裸聊视频淭he healthcare system doesn91裸聊视频檛 always get it right, and that91裸聊视频檚 why we have this set up and people can, as well, raise these issues 91裸聊视频� and this has been done in this case publicly,91裸聊视频� he told Global News.
His answer infuriated Logan.
91裸聊视频淭o suggest that the system merely 91裸聊视频榙oesn91裸聊视频檛 always get it right91裸聊视频� is a gross understatement, bordering on denial. Our healthcare system isn91裸聊视频檛 tripping over minor hurdles; it91裸聊视频檚 plummeting off a cliff. We91裸聊视频檙e not dealing with 91裸聊视频榦ccasional misses91裸聊视频�; we91裸聊视频檙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.
Logan91裸聊视频檚 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 didn91裸聊视频檛 receive chemotherapy and treatment in time.
91裸聊视频淭he stepfather, was just, he couldn91裸聊视频檛 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 United91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淭he crisis is so dire that we are sending patients to other countries for treatment 91裸聊视频� 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, 91裸聊视频� Bond said.
Meanwhile, Logan91裸聊视频檚 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 family91裸聊视频檚 economic stability and security is in jeopardy because they have lost her income.
91裸聊视频淕etting the cancer and having to come down to the States has been extraordinarily financially disruptive,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been an enormous financial strain.
91裸聊视频淥ur daughter91裸聊视频檚 in university now. The three of us are completely separated. She91裸聊视频檚 in Nanaimo, he91裸聊视频檚 in Campbell River, I91裸聊视频檓 down here. We91裸聊视频檝e seen each other very little. So, you know, emotionally and financially. It91裸聊视频檚 been a huge strain.91裸聊视频�
A account has been set up to help with the ongoing medical expenses not covered by benefits. If you want to help, search for 91裸聊视频淪upport Kristin91裸聊视频檚 Aggressive Stage 4 Cancer Fight.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频� with a file from Wolf Depner
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