@tatianac, welcome. This forum does not provide medical advice from Mayo experts. Connect is an online community where patients share experiences and give and get support.

If you would like to seek a second opinion from Mayo Clinic specialists, you can self refer. Start by clicking this link http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

I urge you seek care from a doctor locally in Canada. Do you not have access to a hospital or clinic near by?

Whereabouts in Canada are you? is there a medical school nearby? If so, try these options and I say medical schools because they have the brightest minds and there are so many young ( with me at 70 anyone under 50 is young 😉 ) doctors and health professionals wanting to learn the hospitals that are affiliated with the school are often very helpful. What you will need is here in the US your income tax information and some positive ID like driver's license and then once you see a doctor and have a bill they will help you with the payments. Now without any insurance at all here in the US if you are in severe enough pain you can go to any emergency room and you need no insurance to get treated. With the above information Private hospitals will usually give discounts and a long time to pay a bill at a Medical School Hospital ( and some others I am sure) with government funding and non/profit designation they will depending on how low your income is and how complicated your health history has several financial assistance programs. I have been on financial assistance for over 15 years at a medical school University Hospital but it has been because of how low my income was and I have gone all the way from delayed payment to now total aid they are there for me but it is a once a year reapplying. I have to say I do not know about finances for Canadians/non-US but hey why not see what really cheap medical insurance costs, then you have the insurance get treated and frankly make monthly payments on the balance later. Others who are reading this may be shocked but I believe if you are sick & you need care you must find some way to get help and as long as you pay back things a little delay is something most everyone would agree to. The Medical School where they are learning at the same time are the most open to this - this is just my opinion. I hope I haven't offended anyone I live in Silicon Valley and only have Social Security of $35K (my husband & I) and we squeak by so I live off of corporate financial aid, no State aid- just Social Security Take care all