聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Keri Gardner of Preeceville and her family lived a normal live until her husband Rod got gravely ill.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He's been seeing doctors since December and it seems no doctor that he has seen to date can figure out what's going on with him, said Gardner.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e was a healthy, active 46-year-old man who has withered away to a shell of the man I once knew,鈥� she said. He can no longer work or enjoy any activities. His life now consists of sitting in a recliner waiting on trips to Saskatoon to see one specialist after another.
Gardner said her husband is six-feet, two inches tall and has lost 40 pounds unintentionally.
鈥淗e suffers from pain so severely he can hardly take care of himself.
鈥淗e now weighs 169 pounds and lost almost six pounds in two weeks. We are at the end of our rope.鈥�
The couple went to Saskatoon in the hopes to get answers. They drove four hours and waited eight hours in the University Hospital for a doctor, only to return home with the news that it's all in his head.
Two days later, they received a phone call from that same doctor stating some of his bloodwork showed some abnormality. She ordered a CT scan of his head, chest and abdomen and made referrals to a urologist and endocrinologist. 聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The results of these CT scans provided more questions than answers, she said. The radiologist in Yorkton said the CT of his brain, chest and abdomen had no abnormalities, however once he was referred to a urologist, which took 17 days, he was told that he had 鈥減icked up on something.
鈥淭his makes us question the radiologist鈥檚 normal assessment of his chest and brain as well. Our family doctor sides with the radiologist which leads me to believe everybody is too concerned with covering their behinds than finding out what's wrong with my husband.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Regarding the endocrinologist, Keri said that Rod finally got an appointment for mid-September.
鈥淲e all know that an appointment doesn't necessarily mean a diagnosis. More likely than not it just means more tests; tests that take weeks to get booked for.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淩od is losing extreme amounts of weight and is in severe abdominal pain and is 小蓝视频 told he will have to wait up to six weeks for certain tests. My fear is finding out that 鈥榦ops, we dropped the ball; it鈥檚 too late and there's nothing that can be done.鈥�
He has had numerous tests beginning in May, including two scopes, four CT scans, an ultrasound and bloodwork two to three times per week.
鈥淓ach time we see a new doctor, new tests are ordered, all of which takes time.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Rod鈥檚 latest appointment with his family doctor last week ended with yet another referral to a specialist as some of his tests that were done three weeks ago are abnormal, she said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to a urologist that he was referred to in Saskatoon, he needs a scope and biopsy of his kidneys as well as a bladder cancer test.
"Cancer runs in Rod's family and it is a very real possibility.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎fter hours and hours of research, it has been decided that we can't wait any longer on a diagnosis. Rod's symptoms are increasing each day.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She said that Rod has applied to and has been accepted as a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
After speaking with the international representative, she said that the Mayo clinic doctors all work together under one roof.
鈥淭here are no wait times and in fact we should have a diagnosis and treatment plan in eight to 10 business days.
鈥淭hat's a far cry from the health care he is getting in Saskatchewan.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The couple had to send a deposit of $7,000 to the Mayo Clinic before they even travelled there.
"The cost is very high and we are at the brink of bankruptcy. I do think that some of these costs should be covered by our government as the wait times to see the doctors that need to be consulted are extreme.聽Our health care system is broken.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 "I have spoken with Greg Ottenbreit, Saskatchewan minister of rural health, who encouraged me to call Quality Care in Saskatoon," she said. "I was then encouraged to call the provincial claim representative office to inquire about out-of-country health coverage.
鈥淚 was told he needs a doctor to recommend he seek treatment in the USA and this needed to be done before seeking treatment the USA or it won't even be considered.
鈥淥f course, this all takes time. Not only that, but what doctor is going to admit that Canada cannot provide sufficient treatment and recommend treatment in another country?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 am not quitting there though. I plan to keep pushing for change for our broken health care system. The more people I talk to, the more 鈥榟orror stories鈥� I hear.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Rod鈥檚 urologist finally agreed to submit a letter to the review office regarding seeking treatment in the United States, she said, adding that this was the first step in the right direction for the couple.
Rod and Keri are unsure what to expect at the Mayo Clinic.
鈥淚t has been a very exhausting fight and I won't quit. I will be fighting for everyone.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Gardner met with Christopher Thresher, chief of staff to the Minister of Health on August 31.
"I handed over the 6,000 signatures and explained the petition and how the doctors and province dropped the ball on Rod鈥檚 health care needs and provided him with a detailed timeline of all the doctors鈥� appointments in Yorkton, Preeceville and Saskatoon.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽With Thresher, Keri went into great detail of some of the stories people had messaged her in regards to the lengthy wait times for specialists and tests, as well as an emergency room adventure on Saskatoon.
鈥淚t was quite a lengthy discussion which I hope will bring forth some much-needed changes,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s far as funding, he stated it has to go before a review committee however he will expedite the process as he knows Rod鈥檚 first appointment is on September 7.鈥�
