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| “If you won’t do it for you..do it for the ones you love!!” |
Points2Ponder
By Alan P.
Scaglone
WARNING: If this
sounds like a Public Service Announcement (PSA) then GOOD!! I have accomplished
my goal!
I had an interesting discussion with a doctor this weekend,
my third weekend in the ICU.
He went over my brother’s case, and things don’t look
great—per the doctor. We still
believe in prayer, and I thank you for praying for Joe.
But he said something that just slapped me in the face…and
has stuck in my craw for the past three days.
He said “all this could have been prevented IF your
brother had just had it checked out BEFORE it became CRITICAL!”
All of it—the ICU stay, the dialysis, the coma, the intubation/vent,
the looming tracheotomy, the “best case” possibly months in Acute Care Unit!!
Every bit of it…was
preventable IF he had just Checked It Out!
The doctor went on to say that so many cases could have been
avoided or fixed before they got to Intensive Care IF someone had just Checked
It Out!
My brother had an infection.
The infection was initially treated. He was even in the
hospital back in January…
And the doctor advised him to follow up with his doctor when
he was released.
Instead, he went back to work, back to 60+ hour work weeks,
working on weekends, working long hours.
He ignored
when he started feeling fatigued, started feeling sluggish, started feeling
drained.
He discounted it as…working too much, long hours, stress of
work!
And he did NOT Check It Out!
POINTS2PONDER
Why is it that we never ever consider
how our INACTION will affect others…Why can’t we be proactive instead of
reactive with our health—For THEIR SAKE?
I must admit, I woke up this morning angry!
The Bible says that I can be angry and sin not—so, let’s see if I can !
I am angry that we hear so many
stories of people who just ignored the signs, delayed the
treatment, and pretended that they did NOT need to Check It Out!
And then they are finally brought in via the ambulance…just
to hear “If you had only come when you first noticed something was wrong,
we would not be having this conversation!”
And THAT conversation is NOT the one anyone wants to have…
By the way…I picked up an Advanced Directives form at
the hospital—it tells your family what your wishes are should
that time come when we need to know…what they are!
We have been faced with this dilemma—What would Joe want?
And honestly…it’s
not fair to put your family through that!
We should NOT be having to feel the guilt of making the
decision to stop extraordinary measures like lifetime ventilator!
Do your family a favor—make
your wishes known—tell your loved one what they are—do NOT leave them with the
unbearable guilt of having to make those decisions for you!
That’s just not fair…to them!
So…while you can…before the ambulance takes you to ICU… CHECK
IT OUT!
You got a
lump that seems to be getting bigger or getting harder—CHECK IT OUT!
You have a
cough that never seems to go away no matter what – CHECK IT OUT!
You feeling
fatigued, drained, listless, want to sleep all of the time, lack of energy – CHECK
IT OUT!
You have a spot
that seems to be changing color, getting darker and growing – CHECK IT
OUT!
FOR THEM!!!!
Hey, you take the car to the garage when you hear the brakes
squeaking WHY???
Because you know—if you wait too long…it’s gonna cost you
BIG!!!!
You get my PSA????
It’s NOT fair to leave your loved ones with the knowledge
that…it could have all been
prevented IF you had gone to CHECK IT OUT!
TELL ME WHAT
YOU THINK! We made it EASY TO COMMENT!
SELECT the
link BELOW! YOU can send me an email! I CANT WAIT!
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