In the last few weeks, we have adapted to so many changes — from working at home to schooling our kids to strategic planning of grocery store trips. Many of us have also experienced the evolving frontier of telemedicine appointments. Telemedicine may open some new doors for patients with rare medical conditions to access specialists that geographically may have been impossible to see through traditional in-person appointments. That would be an exciting development to come of this current crisis.

If you are a parent/caregiver of a child with neuroendocrine side effects of a brain tumor, the concern over the coronavirus (COVID-19) doesn’t just include worries that he or she may contract the virus. There could potentially be a shortage of medications and concerns over management of the chronic conditions that sometimes require emergency department visits in a normal health climate.

It’s that feeling of dread every time I open the letters from our health insurer. Is it going to be a denial? No matter how many times a denial happens, I go into panic mode. Instantly, I am calculating how many phone calls will be made, how many letters to write, how long will it take. These inevitably come on a Saturday so my panic gets to settle in all the way until Monday.