In the middle of December 2014 I was turned down by VIHA (our local health authority in Victoria BC) for a colonoscopy because I have MS with bladder, mobility and spasticity issues which I was told cannot be dealt with by the facility/team doing colonoscopies at our local hospitals.
I was told this by the booking person from VIHA who contacted me to advise me of an appointment for a colonoscopy was coming up.
My GP had written VIHA a letter advising them of my MS issues when he requisitioned for the colonoscopy. It appears the people at VIHA didn’t bother to read that letter and thus being totally unaware of my disabilities, I was quite simply told during the booking phone call from VIHA that I couldn’t have the colonoscopy and I’d have to see a gastroenterologist to see what could be done for me and if I really needed the procedure.
The backgrpound to this is I had a test done back in Sept/Oct 2014 which came back positive for occult blood so that indicates that I need a colonoscopy which is to be done, in a timely manner for this province, which is supposed to be a six to eight week wait (but commonly 4 months).
I had originally indicated that I would rather have this procedure done privately here but subsequently discovered that there is no private facility in Victoria.
I then went back to my GP to find out my options. I was told that there was a CT scan available for this procedure or a regular colonoscopy. I opted for the `ct scan and was contacted by letter of the availability of an appointment but I quickly realized from the description of the prep for the CT scan that it was beyond me.
I then asked my GP to book me for a regular colonoscopy as I’ve already indicated that didn’t work out because of my disability. So VIHA contacted my GP’s office for them to book me in to see a GI specialist.
Well yesterday I got a call from my GPs office telling me that an appointment would be set up for me somewhere in 8 to 12 months! If my GI issues are serious and maybe cancerous I may well be dead by then.
