It can be a challenge getting timely treatment for common ailments like the flu—-but it is nearly impossible for those with more rare conditions.

Jolene Van Alstine,42, from Regina has been diagnosed with Parathyroid Hyperplasia. It comes with a multitude of symptoms like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and an inability to regulate body temperature. Her partner, Mike Sundeen says that means their home has a constant room temperature of only 13 degrees Celsius.

Sundeen says an earlier surgery provided some temporary relief, but the symptoms soon returned.

Van Alstine and Sundeen were at a news conference on Wednesday hosted by the provincial NDP. Leader Carla Beck says people on the surgery list are more than just numbers. She is asking the government to invest additional resource revenue for more medical specialists to shorten the wait for a diagnosis.