Someone I know who doesn't want to be identified:Three years ago a friend had two seizures about a month a part. The first one we did not pay much attention to, but the second was very severe. The doctor he saw gave him medication for what they thought at the time was epilepsy. Then he waited approximately three months to see a neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, before his second visit to hear the prognosis, that neurosurgeon moved to another province. He waited another three months to see a second neurosurgeon, and another three months to have an MRI. Nine months later he found out that he did not have epilepsy but in fact had a brain tumor over his left ear located in that portion of the brain responsible for speech and motor abilities. It is now three years later, he still has no clue as to whether it is malignant or benign, as the Canadian health system suggests that it is inoperable. That further, an operation to remove it is very risky as it may severely impair his speech or motor abilities. In the mean time, he is impaired by the drugs to help control the seizures. He is currently working on his Bachelor of Commerce but the side effects of his drug are so debilitating that it is not uncommon to seek help him with his homework till midnight every night. He is tired all of the time. Now we discover that there are alternate forms of treatment, and that the tumor is in fact quite operable and a routine procedure in the United States. The diagnosis from the Canadian physician is correct given the Canadian Health Care System. Had we owned this new Extended Health Care product available to Canadians, it would have him less than $400 a year U.S. at his age, and he would have received expert attention within 7 to 10 days. There are thousands of these Types of Stories in Canada. |
More on this:
|