Medical Crisis:What Every Caregiver Should Know

Book excerpt: Most of us are unprepared for medical crises. We go about our daily lives and dont give much thought to our ability to handle medical emergencies. Often we hear about afflictions that have affected people we know. Maybe we even have friends, family members and acquaintances that have had such experiences. However, never has the old adage, Out of sight, out of mind, had more relevance than it does when it comes to medical crises. All of this changed for my wife and me when she was diagnosed with an invasive bladder cancer in early 2010. We were hit between the eyes with the shocking news. There were decisions to be made, research that needed doing, and very little time in which to accomplish it all. She would need surgery. This book is a memoir of our experiences and the lessons that I learned through several surgeries and a prolonged hospital stay. It is written through my perspective as the primary caregiver. It will help you in your role as a caregiver. I am sure that my male perspective is apparent. However, regardless of your sex, there are lessons to be learned to help better prepare you. The timeline of the book begins with the day of the diagnosis and ends with the recovery once we were back home after a twenty seven day stay in the hospital. During this period, I learned to be an advocate. There are important lessons here for anyone who is facing a similar situation. I did not have any medical background prior to this experience. Both my wife and I were healthy 59 year olds. Nor did my professional life prepare me for the emotional and spiritual issues that are discus in the memoir. My sole purpose in publishing my thoughts, feelings, and actions throughout our crisis is to help others when they are facing similar situations. Our hospital stay was prolonged and we had to deal with several mistakes that were made. I discuss them candidly, not for the reason of pointing fingers or establishing blame, but instead, because I believe that they will better prepare you, as a caregiver, for dealing with your loved ones crisis. Like it or not, as a caregiver you have some awesome responsibilities that will definitely affect your loved ones recovery. The research you do, the connections that you make to help you advocate, the tactics you ploy to gain information, and the continual support and affection that you give, will make a difference. This book shares all of my personal experiences with you, the reader. As you read, try not to compare your situation or my personal life with yours. Instead, try to relate to my experiences. Look for commonalities rather than differences. By doing so, I believe that you will be better prepared for logically and emotionally helping your loved one achieve a full and healthy recovery. Although you are not the person who is ill, you will be challenged emotionally, physically, and even spiritually. The extent to which you are on guard and prepared to handle these challenges will affect the experience of your loved one. Again, this is the sole purpose of the book: to better prepare you to help you loved one get better. I wish you and your loved one the best. You become an advocate on the day of diagnosis. From that point on, its no longer about you, its about helping your loved one get better. Theres another old adage that says, This too shall pass. I, sincerely, wish that you crisis will pass uneventfully and successfully. Best Wishes, Peter G. Christie