A week ago, Gabriella Patey, 31, was informed that she had advanced breast cancer and should only have months to live.
Armed with the “dark diagnosis” which had also claimed the life of his mother, Patey began to speak to family and friends and to make end -of -life preparations.
“I put a complaint through my bank for serious health insurance and I simply put my name on the list for medical death,” said the woman in the Halifax region.
“I just reconciled. That’s what it was, absolutely devastating. ”
But a few days later, Patey’s family doctor called with shocking news.
“I received another call from my primary care doctor declaring, in fact, there had been an essential patient error at the IWK (health center). And the file with the dark diagnosis did not even belong to me, ”she said.
“I didn’t really believe her. I mean why should I? They had made this mistake once, how could they start again? ”
Initially says that the tumor was benign
Patey discovered a bump in her breast in October 2023, just a few weeks after the death of his mother of breast cancer.
She went to the health clinic of the IWK health center in Halifax over a year and had several ultrasounds.
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“Throughout this process, I said,” You know, make a mastectomy an option because of my story? ” They said, he quotes, “We are not there yet.” »»
She had a biopsy on the fabrics of her left breast at the end of April this year.
On May 17, Patey said he had received a call with “good news”, and he was told that the tumor was benign and had no trace of breast cancer.
“My husband and I obviously celebrated. We said to all my friends and my family, it was such a great relief. ”
Two and a half weeks later on June 4, her family doctor called to tell him that there was an error and that she had cancer. Devastating news occurred only after completing a successful treatment for thyroid cancer.
Patey provided world news with a copy of the result of the written biopsy indicating that “the breast tissue (mass of the upper left external quadrant)” turned out to have an “invasive canal carcinoma”.
She attributes to her family doctor, who also works part -time IWK, for having continued the truth about her diagnosis.
Friday – two days after his terminal diagnosis – His family doctor confirmed that it was in fact an error.
Patey’s laboratory report indicates that “breast tissue (left breast mass at 10 a.m. at 12 noon)” had a “Benin Mammary fabric” and was “negative for the malignant tumor in situ and invasive”.
In addition, his family doctor physically went to the IWK to check the slides.
“A director of the Pathology Department spoke directly to my primary care doctor … and has verbally admitted that it was an essential patient error,” she said.
“They are investigating this, but she can no longer comment because it is an investigation in progress. So no, I do not know if the other woman discovered and they admitted anything to me on paper.”
At this point, Patey is not confident about his biopsy results and wants to receive something in writing.
“The first thing I’m looking for is apologies”
Patey said that she doubted Nova Scotia’s health system in Nova Scotia and that legal action was pursuing.
But the first thing she wanted was an explanation and apologies.
“I called them 17 times. I left several messages. I filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Health Authority. I filed a complaint through patients’ defenders at the IWK, and I received absolutely no answer, no apology, nothing, absolutely nothing, “she said on Monday.
“I would not have even known this error, I do not think, at this stage, if it was not for my primary care doctor who looks at me as if I was a real human being, and I am not only a number in a system somewhere.”
Patey received a call on Tuesday from an IWK representative who confirmed the error and apologized. They said that a written explanation was coming.
Through all this, Patey said that she and her family had been traumatized by what had happened.
“It’s absolutely devastating to get a diagnosis like that. I had to look at my husband opposite and tell her, “she said.
“(We have) all these plans for our future and (I had to) say:” I might not be there to live these plans with you. I mean we mourn to sleep every night.
And the fact that there is another woman and another family affected by this error weighs heavily on her.
“The part that also breaks me with my heart is that there is a poor woman who walks by thinking that she has a benign breast tumor and that she has cancer. She has a terminal illness and that she might have no idea,” she said.
“If it happened to me, who else does it happen and who else will happen? There must be something in place, so it will not happen again.”
In a statement to Global News, an IWK Health spokesperson said that “the concerns of this nature are taken seriously.”
“Due to patient privacy, IWK Health is unable to comment on specific cases,” said spokesman Andrea Slaney.
“However, the concerns of this nature are taken seriously and an official survey process is followed with the commitment of the quality team, patient safety and IWK patients.”
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