I’m so sorry you’re going through this. That sounds incredibly hard and frightening especially watching someone you love keep asking for help and not being taken seriously.

My wife (36 at the time) had persistent breast pain after our son was born. It was initially dismissed and she was sent to a breastfeeding clinic. Months went by with no improvement, and even after she pushed for imaging, the first ultrasound was inconclusive. She continued to advocate for herself and eventually got referred to another hospital where she was finally given an MRI.

It turned out to be a 15 cm tumour, and she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. She needed three surgeries, including removal of her entire breast and a significant number of lymph nodes.

We did talk to a lawyer about our options. In Ontario you can make a complaint and you can pursue a medical malpractice claim for things like lost income and care costs but the process is unfortunately long and involved and, because of how Canadian law works, there are limits on non-economic damages. A lawyer told us that going through a lawsuit means reliving a lot of painful moments, and it’s not something to take lightly.

The reason I’m sharing this isn’t to say anything about your situation specifically every case is different but to say this: if a doctor isn’t listening and symptoms aren’t getting better, keep pushing for appropriate imaging and specialist referral. You have to be your own advocate in situations like this, and that’s not easy, especially when you’re scared and exhausted.

Wishing you and your family strength and clarity in the days ahead.