Health is Key

I got the wonderful opportunity to travel with alongside my mother, who is a Physical Therapist, to visit one of her patients. Due to maintaining the confidentiality of the patient, I will refer to her as Amy. Amy is a 59 year old woman living alongside her husband, with her daughter living nearby her as well. In the past, Amy had a son of 2 years old whom she unfortunately had to put down because he had a severe case of muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass when aging. Amy mentioned that she would have regretted if her son lived a life of extreme pain.

Amy is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure is a critical health condition in which the heart of one's body cannot pump enough blood to meet their body's needs. Congestive heart failure can become chronic if not treated properly. Due to her diagnosis, Amy has been experiencing severe swelling all over her body. She had amputations done in her left and right feet due to the excessive amount of swelling she experienced in those areas, which could have been life threatening if not taken care of.

Amy is extremely passionate about playing the guitar and piano. Along with congestive heart failure, she developed numbness in her left hand and feet, a condition called peripheral neuropathy. As her left hand has become weaker, she hasn't been able to pick up the guitar or sit down at the piano ever since.

As a Physical Therapist, my mother recommended two components that Amy could encorporate into her life so that her condition would become better. She recommended a plant-based diet and exercise. Plant-based diet reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure, adds vitamins and fiber, and many more positive effects that I can ramble on about. Exercise also greatly improves heart health because it improves your heart's ability to pump blood to your lungs and throughout your body, which allows more blood to flow to your muscles, and oxygen levels in your blood to rise. As your heart becoms stronger, fluid buildup starts to resolve.

Amy has many ambitions in regards to physical therapy goals. She wants to have the ability to stand up from chairs without much effort. Additionally, she wants to be able to get up from her couch in her living room without experiencing any pain or imbalance. Amy wants to to live a long life as well as have a little bit of fun too!

Teachings:

Amy's condition of congestive heart failure taught me the importance of health to one's lifestyle. Seeing my mother upfront talking out solutions with Amy in regards to improving her condition, allowed me to learn the importance of communication and observation in the medical field. Like Amy, there are thousands of other patients who suffer from chronic illnesses. Helping these patients find ways to relieve their pain and improve the quality of their lives gives healthcare providers a sense of satisfaction, knowing that their efforts are improving the lives of those around them.