A Nova Scotia woman battling a chronic illness caused by her cancer treatment says the provincial government’s next leader must help people who require specialized care.
Jennifer Brady has lymphedema and has been embroiled in a battle with the province over her care.
Brady, 46, underwent surgery to treat her cervical cancer in 2020. The surgery was successful, but it left her with a chronic condition that causes painful inflammation of the tissue.
The mother of two says her daily life is affected, from the time she can spend with her children to the hobbies she once loved.
“I used to be a runner. I ran every day religiously. I loved it. “I can’t do that anymore,” he explained.
“Walking my dogs, I really can’t do that anymore. And they have practically taken away everything I love, including my job.”
Her pain has been so great and the battle to receive surgery out of the country so difficult that she requested a physician-assisted death. His request was denied because his condition was not considered “irremediable.”
The only relief she found was the treatment in Japan she received in 2022, which she paid for herself after remortgaging her house. His swelling went down and some of his symptoms eased.
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She would like to have another surgery, but says there are no doctors in the province who specialize in treating lymphedema and there are few options for managing symptoms. That is why he continues to struggle to obtain financing to pay for more surgeries abroad.
Brady confronted PC Leader Tim Houston with his concerns Sunday during the start of his re-election campaign.
“He called me the next morning to give him credit, which I appreciated, of course,” he told Global News.
“That didn’t really result in any significant change for me. “The biggest part of the conversation was him acknowledging that he had heard my concerns.”
She says the government needs to do better at offering out-of-province care to Nova Scotians.
Meanwhile, his medical reimbursement case is currently under judicial review and is still awaiting a decision.
On the campaign trail, NDP Leader Claudia Chender says her party supports Brady and Nova Scotians in similar situations.
“In the case of Jennifer Brady, this is a direct extension of the health crisis we are in,” Chender said.
“How many people in this province have been waiting for years to see a specialist? How many people in this province can’t even find a specialist to refer to?
In a statement, the Liberals say their leader, Zach Churchill, has offered his support in defending Brady.
The PCs say policies for out-of-province funded services are developed with doctors, but they are willing to make changes if the policies don’t work for Nova Scotians.
Meanwhile, Brady waits.
She says her fight is important and could help many others.
“I think an important part of this is that this could happen to anyone. And I guess, more specifically, it could happen predominantly to any woman,” she said.
“Lymphedema is something that is quite common after breast cancer surgery or gynecological surgery because they remove the lymph nodes. “So we don’t really know how many people in Nova Scotia have lymphedema because there’s no research available.”
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