Wait time for surgery at St. Pauls was about 5 years!

John, Victoria, BC

September 29th, 2018

It is as a result of learning about a non-government clinic that I was able to find a solution to my ongoing pain and suffering. Today I am an active contributing member of society. Without getting help for my debilitating diseases I would have continued to be a burden on the health system.

I have accessed private health care twice. The first time I was seriously ill, thinking that I was going to die. I was seen by a variety of top professionals in Edmonton, none of whom could identify my issue. When I was eventually referred to a doctor at a private clinic in Vancouver, he quickly identified my issue as allergic fungal sinusitis and after a complicated surgery I was on the road to recovery. I was told that the surgery he carried out was not possible in Edmonton where I lived at the time. He advised me that the wait time for him to do the surgery at St. Pauls was about 5 years! While it did cost me a significant amount I was happy to pay for the surgery to get cured. The way I looked at it was that it was the cost of a holiday that I would not be taking. The Alberta government did not reimburse me for anything. As a result of my actions I saved the Alberta health system a lot of money which presumably went to help others.

The second time that I used the private hospital was for surgery on my spine. In Alberta the wait time was significant. When I was finally offered a surgical date it was over 10 months away. At this point I had difficulty walking a block! It took only a few weeks for me to have surgery at the same clinic in Vancouver. Not only was it quick but they offered a procedure that was not available in Edmonton. The outcome was incredibly good. I now have full mobility without any pain.
This time the Alberta government reimbursed me a small fraction of the cost. I was happy to pay the rest in return for the ability to move pain free.

Today I still pay for health services relating to my back and sinus.....physiotherapy, massage and drugs. Why not allow patients to choose the best way for the quickest cure? I was retired at the time of both surgeries so I had to make choices in deciding to spend the money on these surgeries. In both cases I did not hesitate. As my dear mother used to say "without your health you have nothing"

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