Keri Gardner has continued her fight to get the help her husband Rod requires to get better. The couple’s journey has been a long battle that started nearly a year ago.
The couple’s journey led them to seek help at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota after doctors in Canada could not give him any diagnosis. At the Mayo Clinic, the family got a lot of answers. Rod has a nine millimetre brain cyst, calcifying in his brain, hemochromatosis (secondary), probable parathyroid tumour, as well as a calcium issue.
After the diagnosis they were sent back to Canada for other tests that he required but were too expensive in the States to have done.
"The problem with trying to get these tests done here in Canada is that doctors do not agree with the Mayo Clinic diagnosis," said Keri Gardner.
Rod was admitted to the emergency in Saskatoon and had some tests done but test results came back normal which was very frustrating to the family.
"The brain mass is located in the middle of his brain and doctors in Canada do not recognize that it will cause any symptoms,” she said. The symptoms need to get worse before they will do anything.
“We are preparing ourselves for when Rod begins to have seizures. There is a doctor in Texas who would operate on the brain mass but the cost would be $100,000. In Canada, there are a couple doctors who would operate but have only done it successfully a few times.
“In order get funding to have this operation done in the States we need a doctor’s recommendation in Canada,” she said.
The couple has looked into the naturopathic route.
"The doctors at the Saskatoon naturopathic clinic were very supportive and tested seven drops of Rod's blood,” she said. “They discovered that his cells are not regenerating and suggest a entire body cleanse.
“We have even tested Rod for a parasitic worm but results are not available yet. The doctors even want to test Rod’s mental health.
“It is all very frustrating but we have not given up and won't until he gets better.
"It has been great to be home but it is a continuing tough balance with doctors’ appointments for Rod and our family life.”
