Dylan Harris, of St. John’s, attributed to a virtual emergency room that saved his life after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (Martin Jones / CBC)
After waiting for hours in the emergency room without finding an explanation for his condition, a man from Sant Joan is grateful to a virtual clinic that saved his life.
Dylan Harris had been suffering from headaches and headaches for months, often caused by sneezing or coughing that could happen anywhere or anytime.
“Just sneezing or coughing would cause a total shutdown. Like, just left. It happened while driving on the freeway, just sneezing and then I’m going to go 100 miles an hour on Pitts Memorial Drive,” Harris told CBC. News.
“It happened once and you said it was pretty weird … and then in a day or two it happened again.”
The blackouts took Harris and his wife, Dominique, to the emergency room of the St. Louis Center for Health Sciences. John’s. But a backlog of patients caused a long wait that gave rise to no answers, only uncertainty about what the future would hold.
“My favorite band is The [Tragically] Maluc. Gord Downie died of terminal brain cancer. No matter who you are, that’s where your mind goes. 100 percent. It’s hard not to, “he said.
TARGET | Dylan Harris tells Henrike Wilhelm of the CBC how a date at the virtual clinic changed his life:
The virtual clinic saved my life, says the man from San Juan
Dylan Harris learned he had a tumor with a cystic mass in his brain. He tells Henrike Wilhelm of the CBC how a virtual date changed his life.
Shortly after her visit to the emergency room, Harris turned to a virtual clinic run by Dr. Todd Young in Springdale. After several tests, meetings, and about six to eight weeks, he learned that he had a tumor with a cystic mass the size of an egg in his brain.
Harris and his partner Dominique say having virtual care available could help people without a family doctor. (Martin Jones / CBC)
“If I hadn’t been diagnosed, I would probably have died while driving, very soon,” Harris said.
“I just met Young face to face last week, and he said the same thing … That could have been the end.”
Harris has had successful surgery to remove the tumor and is now recovering.
I think it opens up a whole new path for a lot of people.- Dominique Harris
Young says Harris’ story highlights the tension across the province when it comes to emergency waiting times.
More than 125,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador do not have a family doctor, according to the province’s medical association, which means more people go to the hospital for treatment.
“I think there’s a common denominator in most ERs now that there are extended waiting times for patients,” Young said Thursday.
“In Dylan’s story, sitting in the emergency room of the Health Sciences Center for an extended period of time with the symptoms he was having, he probably shouldn’t have had to wait that long.”
The Harris say they are grateful to have the virtual care option.
Dr. Todd Young operates a medical clinic in Springdale and owns Medicuro Virtual Health. (Colleen Connors / CBC)
“The continuity of care and the fact that you can establish a relationship with your patients even though it’s done virtually is amazing. I think it opens up a whole new path for a lot of people,” Dominique said.
It is important that the virtual care service continues to grow in the province, Young said. While it’s not the same as face-to-face interaction with a practicing doctor or nurse, she said, it can be a valuable tool in places with staffing issues.
“This is not to replace GPs, it is not to replace emergencies,” he said.
“Virtual is a good option, but I think excellent virtual video attention, where we can definitely do better evaluations and things like that … adds a more viable, professional and secure option.”
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