Vancouver Island woman seeks cancer treatment in U.S. after struggle for local care

A Vancouver Island woman with late-stage cancer says B.C.’s care system is broken.

Kristin Logan said she waited weeks after her diagnosis for treatment that never came, and that she’s worried many more cancer patients in the province are slipping through the cracks.

The Campbell River mother is battling stage-4 ovarian cancer, and says she relishes a challenge — but not one like this.

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“I just had a procedure done yesterday to drain the fluid from my lungs,” she told Global News.

Logan was diagnosed in September, about six months after she started reporting symptoms including extreme bloating, breathing difficulties and pain in her rib cage to her doctor.

In September, she learned she had fluid in her lungs during a trip to the emergency room, and her husband pushed for more tests.

“They did a second scan of my abdomen and pelvis and that’s when they found a bunch of fluid there too, and as well as thickening in the peritoneum lining … that indicated I might have cancer.”

With the stage-4 cancer diagnosis came the promise she would receive immediate treatment. But a referral in September led to an October appointment and word of a three-to-four-month wait list for surgery.

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She said doctors ordered chemotherapy for her, only to be told weeks later there was no record of her being referred for chemo.

“This is a very aggressive form of ovarian cancer, so we didn’t have that time that we lost,” she said.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said he couldn’t comment on specifics of the case, but noted patients can lodge concerns with B.C.’s patient care quality offices.

“The health-care system doesn’t always get it right, and that’s why we have this set up and people can, as well, raise these issues — and this has been done in this case publicly,” he said.

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As a dual citizen and former US Air Force veteran, Logan has been able to get treatment in Washington state for the past few months, something she believes has kept her alive.

“I would not be having this conversation with you, I would not be here anymore without a doubt,” she said.

“This cancer is lethal.”

Getting help in the United States has caused financial strain, prompting the family to launch a GoFundMe campaign.

It has also separated Logan from her family, with her husband left behind in Campbell River to care for their daughter.

But she said there was no choice, and she’s relieved to finally be getting the chemotherapy she desperately needed.