Achi news desk-
A Shediac, NB, man is paying out of pocket for treatment his doctors say he needs to treat the side effects of radiation treatments he received while undergoing cancer treatment.
Jeff LeBlanc was diagnosed with stage 4 oral squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer, in 2013.
He underwent 38 radiation treatments as part of his cancer treatment.
He said he experienced negative side effects from the radiation treatment — including losing his teeth and locking part of his jaw — starting in 2015 and progressing over the years.
“When your gums start to split and your teeth come loose … that’s a sign of radiation damage,” he said.
In 2019, LeBlanc’s doctors referred him for hyperbaric oxygen therapy at QEII Hospital in Halifax – across the border in Nova Scotia.
This hospital is the only publicly funded option for this treatment at sea.
A QEII Hospital spokesperson told Global News in a statement that treating “radiation injuries from previous cancer treatments” is one of the most common reasons people seek hyperbaric oxygen therapy at their facility.
LeBlanc underwent 40 treatments over several weeks in 2020, and said he and his doctors saw a positive effect on his health.
“I started to feel a lot better. My gums improved. Even my periodontist asked me if I was going for more as maintenance,” he said.
LeBlanc felt better until March of this year, when he noticed pieces of bone sticking out of his mouth.
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In mid-April, his doctor diagnosed him with osteoradionecrosis, a rare side effect of radiation therapy that can be fatal.
“So he said we need to send you for more treatments (hyperbaric oxygen) because anything else isn’t going to work,” LeBlanc said.
His doctor referred him to MedicaLux, a private health clinic in Moncton that offers the treatment, thinking LeBlanc could be reimbursed by Medicare.
LeBlanc said his doctor referred him there because of the 12- to 18-month wait he could face waiting for treatment at QEII.
When LeBlanc went to MedicaLux in mid-April, staff at the clinic told him Medicare wouldn’t cover the $17,000 bill for the 40 rounds of treatment he needed.
LeBlanc is willing to pay any price for the opportunity to see his two children grow up.
“I’ll do whatever it takes! I’ll go get a loan, I’m maxing out my credit cards!” LeBlanc said on Friday.
“But I’m just finding out… I don’t understand how they can send you to Halifax and that’s fine. But it’s right in your backyard and it’s ‘sorry, can’t help you.'”
He has already started treatment at MedicaLux.
“People with cancer and their families should not have to deal with the added stress of having to determine how they will pay for or access treatment when it is not available in their province or territory,” Michelle Bilton, spokeswoman for the Canadian Cancer Society, told Global News.
“Because hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not available in all centers, it may mean that people have to travel to receive treatment, or pay out of pocket, which is not always an option.”
Nova Scotia Health said Monday that a number of factors such as staff shortages, reduced treatment capacity related to COVID-19 and increased demand due to population growth in the Maritimes are contributing to long wait times.
Emergencies that require the treatment, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, require one to four treatments, while most treatments for chronic conditions like LeBlanc’s require 40 treatments.
As such, only 40 patients can receive treatment for chronic conditions each year.
“The current hyperbaric chamber is over 40 years old. It undergoes routine and emergency maintenance as required, but due to its age and size, the increasing need for hyperbaric oxygen treatment during sea days, as well as our growing population, we are no longer able to meet the needs of the seaplanes in a reasonable time . framework,” said a statement from Nova Scotia Health.
A new hyperbaric medicine unit is planned to be built as part of the hospital’s expansion project, with a completion date of “2028 at the earliest”.
The New Brunswick Department of Health told Global News it was unable to provide a statement in time for the deadline.
Leblanc received over $20,000 in assistance through a GoFundMe campaign and will be able to pay out of pocket for the treatment at MedicaLux.
He opposes the principle of the matter, saying he wants to raise awareness so that others in his position are not forced to pay out of pocket.
“There’s just the financial aspect… and then there’s the right thing to do. Money is just money,” he said.
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