Garry’s Journey
Garry is a 67-year-old retiree whose hobbies include music, kayaking, fishing, trail walking and wildlife photography. Garry found himself battling a frustrating and fragmented healthcare system following his prostate cancer diagnosis. What should have been a straightforward path from diagnosis to treatment, became a frustrating journey of long waits, extensive travel, and inadequate care.
Garry was first diagnosed in London, Ontario. It took several attempts and repeated blood tests that showed rising Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels. After lengthy and agonizing wait times, he was finally able to secure an appointment with a surgeon. The delays were further exacerbated by a planned move from Woodstock to Petawawa. The hospital, aware of his relocation, inexplicably scheduled crucial scans after his move date, forcing him into a cycle of lengthy trips back and forth which sometimes took up to 6 hours.
Following his move to Petawawa, Garry struggled to find a new family doctor, meaning that he had no choice but to remain reliant on his family doctor in London which made communication with the hospital where he lived more complicated.
Garry was officially diagnosed on August 12th
A referral to Pembroke hospital resulted in almost a two month wait for an initial consultation, where he learned his cancer was worsening. This initiated a new round of arduous travel between Pembroke and Ottawa, a two-hour journey each way. Early morning appointments often required overnight stays in hotels, adding financial burden to the already considerable emotional and physical strain caused by his diagnosis.
The following January, Garry finally received the surgery that he had been waiting for. He believes the prolonged delays significantly contributed to the aggressive growth of his cancer, necessitating more extensive surgery, including the removal of part of his bladder and some lymph nodes. The accumulated costs of travel, accommodation, and parking, combined with the emotional toll of navigating a fragmented and backlogged healthcare system, compounded the challenges of his cancer journey.
Garry underscores the critical need for improved communication and coordination within the healthcare system, urgent action to address wait times and backlogs and a recognition that timely access to quality care is not a privilege but a fundamental right.
There are far too many similar stories as people in Canada are waiting to be a priority. Cancer Action Now is working to bring forward challenges experiences by people in Canada living with cancer in accessing timely, high-quality cancer care, and calling on policy makers to make cancer care a priority.
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