Share Your Story: Robin McGee

RobinMcGee’s award-winning book The Cancer Olympics describes her fight for medical justice and fair chemotherapy policy after serious medical negligence. For her patient advocacy work, she has been decorated by the Governor-General of Canada.

• 01:27: When I was 46 in 2008, I noticed rectal bleeding.
• 03:28: Her referral was essentially one sentence which was rectal bleeding please assess.
• 05:15: In retrospect, we know now that it was stage four.
• 07:18: There was no kind of restorative justice approach where we could all talk and learn.
• 09:16: The next step for my kind of cancer was radiation and chemotherapy.
• 11:38: The oncologist said you need this chemotherapy right away.
• 13:37: There's a national group that evaluates the evidence and makes a recommendation and expert recommendation.
• 15:08: Did you go into remission?
• 17:02: I lived that way, and I would remain in remission for about 56 years.
• 19:24: I ultimately got five requisitions for a colonoscopy from her office.
• 22:20: It's amazing how interesting this becomes when it's threatening your life.
• 26:08: In Canada, there isn't private malpractice insurance.
• 28:06: The survival outcomes of stage two are massively better than stage four.
• 30:37: It was soul-crushing to live that way.
• 32:23: March 2020 the world shuts down as we all know and unfortunately for me, so too was cancer care.
• 34:02: They all lost their marriages.
• 37:04: In Canada, it is extremely uncommon for patients to prevail in a malpractice action.
• 38:52: What is one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 41:57: I’d like to believe in 50 years, patient safety rights are a civil right.
• 42:55: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.
• 44:25: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• The Cancer Olympics website
• The Cancer Olympics book
• Robin on Facebook
• Contact Robin
• Live Ask The Author Interview with Robin
• Lots of Helping Hands (to get support from your community)
• Colontown