SENIOR WELL-BEING

HEALTH “STORMS”

WHEN THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY COMES

I always say it’s important to have a plan for a healthcare “storm” because they come at any time, to anyone, at any age. My now six-year-old grandson was born with a congenital heart defect requiring open heart surgery at 6 months old. All the prenatal checks leading up to his birth showed nothing, but there we were as a family learning about everything, seeing doctors, and praying. A friend of mine was 39 when her husband fell over 20 feet at work onto pavement and sustained a traumatic brain injury. I was 31 when I heard the words “You have cancer”. A single mom and sole source of income for myself and my children suddenly deciding if I could afford to go out on disability and how I would manage. Most recently it was my husband…

I knew my husband has not been feeling well, but my stubborn man kept dismissing my urging him to go to the ER. When I walked into our bedroom on that Saturday morning a couple weeks ago and found him laying across the bed in agonizing pain, he could no longer dismiss my concern. He refused an ambulance, so I drove him (crazy decision and NOT recommended, but I did) and quickly announced to the first person I saw that my husband was having a cardiac event and required urgent care. They performed a stat EKG and blood work. He was in fact having a heart attack. He was likely going to require an angiogram and stent(s) but it was Saturday morning and they were going to “watch him”. He couldn’t eat

BY CATHLEEN FAVARO

or drink for long periods of time in case they decided to do the procedure sooner.

Then mid- afternoon, when they were not going to do anything, they would allow him food and drink. This went on for 3 days with the procedure not happening until Monday afternoon with an anticipated discharge for Tuesday afternoon. His coronary artery was 90%-95% blocked. It could have been “the BIG ONE” the cardiologist said. What a blessing he is still here! Ignoring

the symptoms in hopes that it would go away DOES NOT work.

When I am in situations like this, the healthcare professional version of Cathy is present. Calm, cool, and asking appropriate questions while understanding healthcare is not provided at record breaking speed like you see in medical dramas on TV. My husband hates going to the doctor or hospitals. My ability to remain calm helped him to remain calm(er). My soothing energy helped him relax as he was facing his fears and mortality. Because I wasn’t being controlled by my emotions, I was able to temper my husband’s emotions, treat the providers with the respect they deserved, ask appropriate questions, advocate for my husband in his time of need, and learn a few things I didn’t know prior to this experience. In the end, is that not a wonderful gift to provide for your loved ones? After hearing from the cardiologist what was happening inside my husband’s body; after I knew what we had not known and the plan for treatment; then emotional wife Cathy was able to cathartically release the stress.

To cry, thank God for sparing his life, and start processing the recent day’s events.

I don’t share all this to scare or depress anyone. I share it to help paint the picture that we all think “it won’t happen to me”. But it does! We all experience a health crisis at some point in our lives with ourselves & loved ones. When these unforeseen

“storms” arise we have the tendency to take on that “fight-or-flight” response. Stress and fear take over and we react emotionally and potentially inappropriately. Being unprepared creates fear of the unknown coupled with potentially unrealistic expectations often leaving those trying to help us or our loved ones in the firing line. The staff in healthcare facilities often shrug it off, understanding it is what it is, but that does not make it okay.

I’m certainly not saying the story always ends with a happy ending. Honestly,

“I always say it’s important to have a plan for a healthcare “storm” because they come at any time, to anyone, at any age.”

my husband’s situation doesn’t have an ending. He never liked taking medication and now has a pill box. He must alter his diet and lifestyle. The changes and adjustment coming home is also quite challenging. It is challenging enough to change your lifestyle habits when you WANT to.

You prepare for a start date and plan for the changes. However, when faced with a life and death situation being told to change and being unprepared for it, it is even more challenging. This is why I have decided to add a new subscription service to my website with monthly newsletters, members only videos, free access to my webinars, and other added seasonal gifts and surprises to help people throughout this process. My goal in my business is to partner with you before that happens. To help you develop a better understanding for wellness and how our environment, diet, and medical history impacts us throughout our lives. Providing you with a plan for the unforeseen and how to effectively advocate for yourself and your loved ones. To remain cool, calm, and collected in the face of fear and the unknown to better process what is happening. To help you be informed and make informed decisions.

To learn what we can do to prevent illnesses, understanding warning signs, and become more informed consumers in our medical system. The past few years changed how care was delivered to an extent. As time goes on, we now see there was some lack of information, some misinformation, and some of the “conspiracy theorists” may not have been as off point as it looked in the midst of the chaos and stress. With wellness taking a spotlight and health “storms” always coming, it’s time to get back to facts and live our best lives! I hope you join me!

September 1st is also the relaunch of my Podcast on Spotify called Plan For Wellness! Subscribe today! Or visit www.seniorwellbeingsolutions.com!

I I I C C CO O OM M ME E E T T TO O O Y Y YO O OU U U! ! !

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