Vocal ICU (Intensive Care) - Could It Be Administered Remotely?

Given that we live in a digital era, more and more we have been asked if we provide Non-Surgical Voice Repair Services remotely, i.e., via Skype, FaceTime, WeChat and etc.

This trend started a few years ago and, at that time, I thought that people were simply joking…! I thought “they could not be serious”, as any vocal disorder could represent a serious internal problem.

In fact, I just came back from my travels in the Middle East and unfortunately ended up (due to one of my relatives’ serious medical problem) in an ICU section of the hospital. In fact, they did not call it ICU (like in North America). They call it the “Internal Medicine Department”.

It confused me at first, but after thoroughly thinking about it, I understood the total meaning of the name “Internal Medicine”, which totally matched the description. All of those people in that wing were cared for 24/7 and all of the monitors (which they were connected to) were also supervised 24/7.

Respectively, I treat all voice disorders as any complicated internal health problem would be treated, as a lot of the time, the loss of voice (for example) could represent a very serious internal dysfunction, such as (even) cancer.

So given the complexity of the above, do some people really think that it could be addressed remotely?? If they do, they themselves (nevertheless) need to have their head examined. (in fact and sadly, with that comment, I’m not even joking!)

Let me give you one example, which occurred a couple of years ago, but, to this day, I still cannot get over of that phone call. My caller was a “distraught” mother of a 15 years old teenager, as she identified as a pop star. Her pop star daughter had seen 5 ENT specialists who had granted her with 5 very serious diagnoses. You name it, she’s got it!

My heart immediately opened up to the child with serious vocal problems, which were not only impeding on her vocal performance, but also on her social life and teenage life in general. I began my presentation with respect to how I can approach treating all of those serious vocal disorders, obviously presuming that we are talking about the mother and the daughter taking the trip to Toronto Canada and “landing” straight in my studio.

After the extensive conversation with whole bunch of very valuable explanations from my side, her last question to me was, “Can we do a FaceTime please?” That question left me “speechless”. I could not believe my ears…

Instead of asking me how soon I would be able to accept and embrace her daughter in order to literally save her life, she was asking if I could deal with all FIVE MAJOR vocal problems (possessed by her daughter) via phone or computer! Go figure!

Nowadays, people think that any problems could be solved from the distance and not in person. Please think again! Will you ask a masseuse, chiropractor or hair dresser to attend to your body or to your hair via computer? I’m afraid that some people are already thinking about it. LOL! Maybe we should also have all the hospitals closed and conduct all the surgeries, CAT scans and MRI’s remotely? Wouldn’t that be something?

For those people who think so, we suggest to purchase something along the lines of a Gear VR, or even better, an Oculus Rift!

Those gadgets would give these people a perfect illusion of the virtual world, but eventually, they will have to come back to earth and “smell the coffee” (so to speak); i.e., have a hard-core check with reality, which will allow them, finally, to get off of their couches and start dealing with the real world and the real problems, one or two of which, in fact, could be enhanced voice or vocal problems.