Victoria man frustrated, heartbroken that wife has fallen through cracks of medical system
Posted October 17, 2019 4:30 pm.
VICTORIA (NEWS 1130 — Laying his heart bare online has led to an outpouring of support for a Victoria man trying to find solutions for his wife’s ongoing — and deteriorating — medical condition.
Andrew Townend says he took to Facebook in frustration and desperation after seeing his wife suffer.
“Her mental health has degraded significantly over the last seven months,” he says. “It’s been a long journey.”
All along, they have suspected a traumatic brain injury is behind her anxiety and depression symptoms. But so far, despite multiple hospital stays, they haven’t been able to get a diagnosis or treatment.
He says the medical system is not set up to deal with complex symptoms like his wife’s.
“Our medical system, from what I’ve learned is great if you have something acute. Like if you’ve got a cancer growing you need cut out — or if you’ve got a heart attack it seems to be really set up for that,” he says. “If you’ve got something chronic that requires a multi-modal approach to fix then you really fall through the cracks.”
Townend is hopeful that a long-awaited appointment with a neurologist will give them answers.
And a flood of personal stories and suggestions in response to his post has equipped him with a list of questions to ask.
