Jessica Morine, 38, can sympathize with Neil's experience. She spent years waiting for treatment for pelvic pain and rectal prolapse, while experiencing painful vaginal bleeding. His only reprieve was being on opioids full time.
In January, she was referred for prolapse surgery and hysterectomy. But the surgeon he was referred to suddenly withdrew in March, meaning he had to be referred again and put him back on Field 1.
With her pain getting worse and not knowing when she would be contacted, she traveled to Mexico to undergo the surgery she needed to start living a normal life again. He paid $14,000 out of pocket.
“I stared at the OR wall in Mexico… and my last thought before they gave me the anesthesia was, ‘I was forced to be here by the Nova Scotia healthcare system,'” said Morine, who lives in suburban Halifax. Spryfield and has two children, ages five and 10.