A Manitoba woman battling cancer is back home after spending months in the United States to receive treatment she can't get at home.
Darlene Kjartanson has advanced colon cancer. When she was diagnosed in 2004, her doctor recommended the drug Erbitux for her treatment.
The drug had been approved for use by Health Canada, but her doctor didn't know if it was available in Manitoba. In fact, the expensive drug is not available in Canada.
In other provinces, including Ontario, patients can purchase the drug in the United States and bring it to Canada, where their doctors can administer it. However, that process is not allowed in Manitoba.
Kjartanson and her husband have spent more than $100,000 of their own money on hospital bills for the treatment, which Kjartanson believes is improving her health, in conjunction with another drug.
"It's shrunk the tumours … they're getting smaller," she said. "I don't exactly know the sizes but it has shrunk. In fact, we had it read twice by two different radiologists, just to make sure."
When Kjartanson's oncologist asked Manitoba Health to cover her expenses, the request was denied. The couple is now in the process of appealing that decision.
"We had some savings, and we just use our credit cards so far," she said. "Now we're just doing the best we can right now."
