Robin McGee has been here before. When she was diagnosed with a recurrence of colorectal cancer on Monday, it marked the third time she’s been told she has cancer.
But this time, the diagnosis came in the midst of a pandemic, with the health care system in a partial shutdown to prepare for cases of COVID-19. “What would normally happen is that a patient who has a recurrence is sort of clicked right back into their team,” said McGee. “But I’m having trouble making that connection because of the crisis.” All non-essential surgeries and procedures have been cancelled in Nova Scotia as officials brace for COVID-19 patients to start arriving at hospitals.