BC's Declining Healthcare: Man Sells Everything to Pay for Brain Surgery in the US

[TOMapleLaughs]

No, our public healthcare isn't flawless.  Likely because it's slowly being privatized through neglect.  

B.C. man sells everything to pay for brain surgery in U.S. after being denied in Canada

Canadian system maintains surgery unnecessary for certain patients

 

After suffering debilitating headaches and pain for 10 years, a B.C. man desperate for relief is selling everything he owns to pay for brain surgery in the U.S. because he says no doctor in Canada will perform the surgery he needs to remove a cyst. 

CBC News investigates  

"It's pretty much hell. It's pain everywhere. Your face goes numb," Tom Kettering told Go Public.

The Abbotsford man spends most of his time in a dark bedroom with sunglasses on, hoping the pain in his head won't get worse. He's had to stop working, sell his business, and rarely goes outside.

"It's to the point where I start vomiting from the pain. It feels like a slow death. I keep waiting and waiting and it just gets worse and worse," he says.

Over the past decade, he has seen many doctors and been prescribed a multitude of medications for what was initially diagnosed as migraine headaches. 

He says his headaches don't come and go, but are a constant source of pain.

No help from medical system

Kettering says none of the medications worked and doctors told him an MRI was unnecessary.  

He and his wife, Christina Jones, paid for two private MRIs that showed a cyst on the pineal gland in the middle of Kettering's brain. 

Doctors told Kettering and his wife the cyst couldn't be causing the pain. They also said surgery to remove the mass was out of the question.

"One doctor said it's not ethical to cut into your head for no reason. I said there is a reason — there are symptoms. It's completely taken away any quality of life. He can't function anymore," Jones said.

"I asked the neurologist in Vancouver, if this is not causing the problem then what is? He said, 'I have no idea.' He said, 'You've tried everything — at this point I don't know what to tell you.'"

Surgery might offer relief

The couple learned there is a surgical option available in the U.S. that has helped others with pineal gland cysts. No Canadian doctor will do the surgery and Canada's health-care system won't pay the $100,000 to $200,000 cost of having the procedure south of the border.

Despite the high cost, Jones says they had no choice but to book the surgery with one of the two American doctors who do it.  

"We sold everything we can sell to this point — we've got the house for sale. People are trying to donate, family and friends. It's a huge expense ... but when it comes to quality of life, you can't put money ahead of it," she says.

Student praises surgery

Go Public has found more than a dozen Canadians who were diagnosed with a cyst on their pineal gland and went to the U.S. for surgery. All said they no longer have symptoms. Many are now fighting provincial governments to retroactively pay the cost of their procedures.

Calgary university student Kristina Waldmann is one of them.

"I was in pain all the time, severe headaches all the time, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, visual problems. I had to stop going to school, to work, to my volunteer position. I was stuck at home in pain — not able to do anything," she says.

After four years of trying to go through the Canadian system, her parents re-mortgaged their home and held fundraisers to pay for the procedure in the U.S.  

Waldmann's surgery was done at a Texas hospital in March. 

"As soon as I woke up, the visual symptoms were gone. Months later, I have my life back," she says.

Access to neurosurgeons part of problem

B.C.'s Ministry of Health told Go Public it will cover the cost of the surgery — in or out of the country — but only if it is recommended by a Canadian neurosurgeon. 

Kettering never saw a neurosurgeon. He had to wait two years to see a neurologist and has not been able to get an appointment to see a neurosurgeon.

That may point to a larger problem, according to Dr. Brian Toyota, the head of Neurosurgery at Vancouver General Hospital.

"It's a matter of patients being able to see neurosurgeons. In that way, I do think Canada and the provinces could do well by [having] more neurosurgeons," he said. 

"That doesn't mean that more neurosurgeons will take out lesions that they shouldn't, but patients can sit down face to face with someone who's trained to know not only how to take out a lesion in the brain, but when to take it out," he says.

A cyst on the pineal gland can be complex and often requires consultation between neurosurgeons.

Toyota says he can't comment on specific cases or on why some Canadians are forced to go the U.S. and pay a lot of money for surgery, but says the issue is not a failure to correctly diagnose the problem.

He predicts as many as 700,000 Canadians have pineal gland cysts and don't even know it because they have no symptoms. Surgeons here do operate on this type of cyst, but only when it can be proven they are causing severe problems, and he says that is rare. 

Canadian system slow to take action 

Dr. Hrayr Shahinian will perform Kettering's surgery on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles. He says he's operated on dozens of Canadians since he began offering the surgery in 2007. 

He agrees with Canadian doctors that cysts rarely cause problems, but says when they get to certain size — the physical implications are serious. 

Shahinian believes patients with pineal gland cysts get left behind by the Canadian medical system because the surgery isn't considered urgent. 

"In Canada, they keep taking MRI after MRI after MRI and you see the tumour growing and growing every year and they don't do anything. Then the patients end up coming here and have to fight the system to get their money back," he says.

A study recently published in the medical journal of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, found more than a year after surgery, 94 per cent of patients who had this kind of cyst were either pain-free or had an improvement in their symptoms.   

 http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/britishcolumbia/story/1.3306722 

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Brian Day, privatization champion, has put in a constitutional challenge in BC, meaning if he wins, care won't be given to those most in need, it will be given first to those who can pay.  

Obviously the main problem with health care in BC under the Liberals has been under-funding, a lack of doctors, which has led to longer wait times, a degrading of health care, which has in turn led to a call for additional privatization, as patients are dying.  Even though the Liberals have raised MSP premiums, service and wait times have only increased.

The trial is underway.

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2014/03/10/dr-brian-day-vs-the-bc-government-and-anti-privatization-foes-legal-case-twists-turns/ 

 

Brian Day has recently lost to a pro-public healthcare doctor in an election to head doctors of BC.  

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dr-brian-day-loses-run-off-election-to-head-doctors-of-b-c-1.3120581 

 

The debate is ongoing.  It should be interesting to see what happens.

[Electro Rock]

Perhaps we'd have the money to properly fund our healthcare if we didn't have to send so much to Quebec and Ontario?

[taxi]

Perhaps we'd have the money to properly fund our healthcare if we didn't have to send so much to Quebec and Ontario?

The bigger issue is our own demographics and general lack of economy.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I believe federal health transfers were recently modified by the Conservatives to benefit Alberta more.  

[Alflives]

The bigger issue is our own demographics and general lack of economy.

The biggest issue is that healthcare is open and free to the masses.  Why should those who don't contribute to this economy benefit from healthcare?  This is a philosophical issue, as much as an economic one.

[taxi]

I believe federal health transfers were recently modified by the Conservatives to benefit Alberta more.  

Equalization payments are based upon the GDP per capita of each province. Most recently, both Alberta and BC have been givers. Ontario and all the provinces eastward, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, have been takers. The Federal government through about 2010-2014 was essentially giving Ontario extra money on top of that to help them deal with the financial and manufacturing crisis. That ended in 2014. 

Quite frankly, it's absurd that Western provinces are financially supporting Ontario. It's the capitalist centre of country and both BC and Alberta have shortages in manual and service labour. If the manufacturing sector is collapsing in Ontario, then the workers should move to Alberta or BC. Likewise, Canada should not be propping up the financial and banking sector in Ontario.

[TOMapleLaughs]

The biggest issue is that healthcare is open and free to the masses.  Why should those who don't contribute to this economy benefit from healthcare?  This is a philosophical issue, as much as an economic one.

Could be wrong here, but isn't it if you don't put into the MSP, then you will find it incredibly difficult to get healthcare in BC, especially 'open and free' healthcare? 

 

Equalization payments are based upon the GDP per capita of each province. Most recently, both Alberta and BC have been givers. Ontario and all the provinces eastward, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, have been takers. The Federal government through about 2010-2014 was essentially giving Ontario extra money on top of that to help them deal with the financial and manufacturing crisis. That ended in 2014. 

Quite frankly, it's absurd that Western provinces are financially supporting Ontario. It's the capitalist centre of country and both BC and Alberta have shortages in manual and service labour. If the manufacturing sector is collapsing in Ontario, then the workers should move to Alberta or BC. Likewise, Canada should not be propping up the financial and banking sector in Ontario.

I don't think partisan politics should affect the level of healthcare available in varying provinces.  It's ethically wrong.

[taxi]

Could be wrong here, but isn't it if you don't put into the MSP, then you will find it incredibly difficult to get healthcare in BC, especially 'open and free' healthcare? 

 

I don't think partisan politics should affect the level of healthcare available in varying provinces.  It's ethically wrong.

Ontario has more than enough money to pay for its own healthcare. It's an issue of priorities. Visit Toronto and see the amount of wealth the financial industry creates. For those people to then plead for economic assistance is absurd. It has nothing to do with "partisan" politics. 

[TOMapleLaughs]

Ontario has more than enough money to pay for its own healthcare. It's an issue of priorities. Visit Toronto and see the amount of wealth the financial industry creates. For those people to then plead for economic assistance is absurd. It has nothing to do with "partisan" politics. 

Again, what's wrong with fair and equal healthcare?  Whining about who gets what should be irrelevant.  Hopefully the Liberals fix what's been broken.  They appear to have a nation-wide mandate to do so.

[Alflives]

Could be wrong here, but isn't it if you don't put into the MSP, then you will find it incredibly difficult to get healthcare in BC, especially 'open and free' healthcare? 

 

I don't think partisan politics should affect the level of healthcare available in varying provinces.  It's ethically wrong.

Go to any emergency room in a major city, and you will see it full of people who pay nothing into the system.  They can't pay, don't pay, and never will pay.  It's not an economic issue; it's a social one.  Do we provide health care to those who don't contribute at the expense of those who do?  Would the man in the article need to go to the States if there were not 'those who don't pay' taking up medical resources?  It's a social question.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Go to any emergency room in a major city, and you will see it full of people who pay nothing into the system.  They can't pay, don't pay, and never will pay.  It's not an economic issue; it's a social one.  Do we provide health care to those who don't contribute at the expense of those who do?  Would the man in the article need to go to the States if there were not 'those who don't pay' taking up medical resources?  It's a social question.

I don't think this is 100% correct.

[Alflives]

I don't think this is 100% correct.

There is no 100% correct answer.  We have private health care here too.  The wealthy can get personal care in Canada; it's just costly. 

[taxi]

Again, what's wrong with fair and equal healthcare?  Whining about who gets what should be irrelevant.  Hopefully the Liberals fix what's been broken.  They appear to have a nation-wide mandate to do so.

BC is paying to Ontario and BC has shortages in its own healthcare. Meanwhile the financial sector in Ontario is rolling and the manufacturing sector in Ontario is highly government subsidized. You don't see a problem here?

And what's "fair and equal" about any of that? We aren't talking about providing fair and equal health care across economic lines, but correcting an unequal distribution amongst provinces. 

[TOMapleLaughs]

BC is paying to Ontario and BC has shortages in its own healthcare. Meanwhile the financial sector in Ontario is rolling and the manufacturing sector in Ontario is highly government subsidized. You don't see a problem here?

And what's "fair and equal" about any of that? We aren't talking about providing fair and equal health care across economic lines, but correcting an unequal distribution amongst provinces. 

Every time the discussion of healthcare funding comes up, a game of pointing the finger ensues.  "The feds aren't responsible, it's provincial."  "That province is getting more and it's not fair."  

Clearly the system is fundamentally broken.  It needs to be repaired, otherwise a complete US-style privatization is inevitable.  That should never be allowed to happen in this country imho.

[taxi]

Every time the discussion of healthcare funding comes up, a game of pointing the finger ensues.  "The feds aren't responsible, it's provincial."  "That province is getting more and it's not fair."  

Clearly the system is fundamentally broken.  It needs to be repaired, otherwise a complete US-style privatization is inevitable.  That should never be allowed to happen in this country imho.

That's great...but why is BC sending money to Ontario?

[Electro Rock]

The bigger issue is our own demographics and general lack of economy.

Which are brought on to a large extent by our essentially being a colonial cash cow of Ontario and Quebec.

That's not to say our local leaders aren't due some of the blame, for example almost making a point of attracting so many homeless people and junkies from across the rest of Canada.

Think how much that costs us in terms of medical and social benefits as well as property crime. Its in the billions, annually. 

If we weren't wasting so much of them we could probably see to it that folks like the guy in the OP, or myself, don't have to go down to the U.S. on our own dime for medical treatment.

[TOMapleLaughs]

That's great...but why is BC sending money to Ontario?

Why is Alberta going to be getting more health transfers?

 

Why are people trying to alienate the west again when we know the alternative 'western' government was way worse for westerners than the national one?

[taxi]

Which are brought on to a large extent by our essentially being a colonial cash cow of Ontario and Quebec.

That's not to say our local leaders aren't due some of the blame, for example almost making a point of attracting so many homeless people and junkies from across the rest of Canada.

Think how much that costs us in terms of medical and social benefits as well as property crime. Its in the billions, annually. 

If we weren't wasting so much of them we could probably see to it that folks like the guy in the OP, or myself, don't have to go down to the U.S. on our own dime for medical treatment.

I don't disagree.

BC, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are sending money to Ontario, but it really should be the other way around for a number of reasons. The corporate finance and manufacturing sectors in Ontario are dependent on industry in the West, no the other way around. As you say, BC definitely gets the short end of the deal when it comes to migration of not only drug addicts but retirees as well. Combine that with the troubles in our real estate sector (which attracts largely passive investment while pricing out locals who pay taxes) and the incoming baby boom retirees and you've got a recipe for disaster. 

[Electro Rock]

Ontario is declining fast economically, and Quebec's been an economic zombie for over 40 years, both are deeply in debt. Where else are they going to get the money from?

[canuktravella]

the problem with a monetized health care system is everyone who cant afford private care  has to wait yrs to get fixed while these corrupt corporations make millions off people dying.  Funny how you can get a mri in malayasia for 200 us  plus have specialist tell you exactly whats wrong with you in 3 hrs where in bc its a 6 month to yr wait for mri and  then more time to see specialist  its absurd. Our politicians should all be shot  and throw in a ditch  corrupt pos