Fwd: My Alberta HC Experience

I say the post on the AB Resistance Facebook page that you were looking for Albertans HC Experiences.

I have severe lower back issues (C3-5) my family doctor couldn't provide any help except to prescribe pain meds. He said I should get an MRI but if he requested it, they probably won't do it.

I contacted Caleo Health about seeing a doctor there and was informed that there was a $300 fee in order to see the doctor.

I've been on permanent disability for 17 years so funds are tight as I have not had any increase in disability income in all of those years.

So, I took money out of my savings to see the Caleo Health Doctor. The $300 was for seeing a chiropractor at Caleo who took my information and made the referral to see the doctor.

The Caleo doctor requested tests including an MRI to determine the best course of action.

The office informed me that they had a date for my MRI, it was almost 2 years away. (April 2027) I was given the choice of waiting until AHS would pay for it or I could get it done the next week for $550 out of pocket.

As I could not get any treatment until I had the MRI, I again used my savings to pay for it.

I've had steroid injections in both my right and left side of my back multiple times since then and am now being tested to see if I would be a candidate for abrasion therapy.

Before I started seeing the Caleo doctor I was taking massive amounts of Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Gabapentin and Naproxen every day. I've been able to drastically reduce the medication doses since I started getting the injections.

If I had not got some inheritance money when my dad passed away, I wouldn't have been able to pay out of pocket for the doctor or the MRI and would still be living in severe pain.

The other experience I have is taking my elderly mother-in-law to the Red Deer ER.  She has been admitted numerous times in the last few years. Our average wait to see a doctor is 6-8 hrs. The longest time was 25 hours.