Nova Scotia woman fighting chronic illness says health-care system is failing her
Global News
A Nova Scotia woman fighting a painful chronic health condition says the next leader of the provincial government needs to help people who require specialized care.
A Nova Scotia woman fighting a chronic health condition that was caused by her cancer treatment says the next leader of the provincial government needs to help people who require specialized care.
Jennifer Brady has lymphedema and has been locked in a battle with the province over her care.
Brady, 46, received surgery to treat her cervical cancer in 2020. The surgery was successful, but it left her with the chronic condition that causes painful tissue swelling.
The mother of two says her everyday life is impacted — from the time she can spend with her kids to the hobbies she once loved.
“I used to be a runner. I would run every day religiously. I loved it. I can’t do that anymore,” she explained.
“Walking my dogs, I really can’t do that anymore. And just everything else I love, including my job, has essentially been taken away.”
Her pain has been so great, and the battle to receive out-of-country surgery so difficult, she applied for a medically-assisted death. Her application was denied because her condition was not considered “irremediable.”
The only relief she’s found was treatment in Japan that she received in 2022, which she paid for herself after re-mortgaging her house. Her swelling decreased and some of her symptoms were relieved.
