I was so elated to hear about Brad Wall in Sask. saying he will help fund CCSVI studies. Today on QR77 with Dave Rutherford, Gene Zwozdesky, our health minister of Alberta, was discussing how our Province is looking into the CCSVI phenomena and I was disappointed. Clearly Gene is being brainwashed by the MS Society if he truly believes they want to help prove CCSVI and get treatment in Canada approved. Sadly I was unable to call in and talk to him but I wrote him a letter:
I heard you talking on the radio this morning and I was unable to phone in and speak so I am writing to you now. I believe that first and foremost ALL the MS patients in Alberta should be allowed to have scans to detect CCSVI and the angioplasty to fix their dangerously blocked veins. This procedure is approved by health care and performed on kidney dialysis patients every day across Canada when their jugulars collapse but is denied to patients with a pre existing condition called MS. This is TOTAL DISCRIMINATION and should be rectified immediately.
Clinical trials should then take place to prove a link between MS and CCSVI. The people that should be involved in these trials are vascular and neurological Doctors. Currently, I have only seen nay-saying neuros getting the grant money for studies. Why would you call an electrician when you have plumbing issues?
My next point of contention is I do not for one moment believe the MS Societies of Canada have our best interests in mind. They have fought the CCSVI theory from day 1. The only reason they finally jumped on board was they were losing revenue from donations as folks were boycotting them for their negativity towards CCSVI. When Canadians marched across the country on May 5 demanding our government to take note of CCSVI, the MS Society slithered in and used us to ask the government for 10 million dollars for CCSVI research. The MS Society's behavior has been appalling and they should not be involved in anything to do with CCSVI as they are obviously biased. Lou Ann Metz of the Calgary MS Clinic is one of the neuros who received some of the MS Societies grant money but she is not doing the study to show that CCSVI is real! She and her cronies want to disprove it! How can she be trusted to publish the truth from the research?
Based on BNAC"s preliminary studies we all know that it's just a matter of time before they prove that there is a link between CCSVI and MS. Unfortunately MS'ers cannot wait for years of research to conclude. Alberta should do the right thing and treat MS'ers blocked veins now! Dr. Sandy McDonald of Barrie, Ontario estimated the angio to cost around $1,500.00 per patient. A mere pittance when you compare that to the cost of the often toxic and ineffective drugs that we have been given. This treatment would save billions in health care spending in the long run. We just need to ask our government if they think we MS'ers are worth it or will they continue to discriminate against us until we die?I was lucky enough to have $10,000.00 to go overseas and be treated . I am now 100% MS symptom free.
Ginger MacQueen
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I agree 100% with your criticism of MS society and our government! What a hypocrites!
ReplyDeleteDo you mind sending it to all and even better creating a petition and asking MS patients to send it to their MPs/government and MS Society?
Judging from the number MS patients who have elected to spend their own money for treatment outside Canada, I wonder why no one has suggested a compromise, i.e., patients pay for their own testing and angioplasty. That would help with cost containment which is obviously a major concern for the health care system.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to the bank to do a money transfer to Poland the teller asked if I'd mine telling her what I was getting done. When I told her, her responds was "Isn't the angioplasty something that is done everyday in hospitals" Then she proceeded to tell me how her neighbour was getting a sex change operation and that the government is still paying for it. Meanwhile they tell the public they aren’t paying for it anymore. So we can buy a boob job, have the government pay for a sex change (wonder how many trials they did on that one) but we have to leave Canada to get our veins unblocked and be discriminated against for having MS. The come back and be discriminated against for follow up. My GP told me since I paid for the procedure I might as well go all out and go back to Poland for my follow up. She said they wouldn't know how to check my stent properly. We need a government with some leadership skills. Good for Sask and Mr Wall.
ReplyDelete@ Aleksandra-I did cc it to lots of mp's and mla's. If you want to fwd it also you may. :)
ReplyDelete@gmwallis-Our local group CCSVI Calgary sent out a press release telling the health minister that our group would fund a study but we were ignored
ReplyDelete@d.measor-your GP has an obligation to send you to a vascular surgeon to have your stent checked. It is very easy to compare it to the CD that you are given post op from Poland.
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not surprised by the fact CCSVI Calgary was ignored when they offered to fund a study?
ReplyDeleteBTW thank you for your reply to d.measor about your GP being obligated to send you to a vascular surgeon to have your stent checked. I was wondering how you managed to get a follow up exam locally.
Gerry
Brad Wall has finally changed the image of Saskatchewan from a rural province to a progressive thinking one. Saskatchewan will be noted on the international market as the only province in Canada with compassion for it's sick people.
ReplyDeleteWhat dumbfounds me is the amount of military spending that is going on in Canada. 10 to upwards of 20 billion dollars will be spend on military over the next few decades and this is okay? It makes me understand the reluctance to spend money on medical procedures. Canada needs new leadership and I hope someone good runs, maybe you Ginger.