Katie Rea Spiritual Direction 🌞

“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit.”

B.K.S. Iyengar

In my past career as a Community Health Worker, I encouraged people to actively participate in their health care needs.

I’m sharing my story below to encourage people to be their own health advocates. We have the power to take control of our own health. Even the most excellent doctors can miss signs or make mistakes. Healthcare workers aren’t infallible.

A few years ago, I started having regular chest pains. At first, I just made excuses. It was simply heartburn or maybe I just overdid things that day. But the chest pain persisted, even waking me up from a deep sleep each night. I let this go on for months before I finally saw a doctor.  

After visiting my Primary Care Physician (PCP), aka General Practitioner (GP), and mentioning my concerns, he gave me some heartburn medication and told me to monitor how many times I felt my heart racing. I know my PCP well and respect him, but nothing seemed to help. He referred me to a cardiologist. I was persistent and stubborn, and the cardiologist’s office finally agreed to schedule a stress test and a heart echo.

The person who helped administer the stress test said my heart made it to 180 bpm way too fast. I wasn’t on the treadmill for more than 5 or 6 minutes. The person who did the echo test said “I’m not supposed to say this, but with how fast your heart is beating, I’m amazed you haven’t had a stroke by now. Make sure you get on medication.”

Apparently, I had tachycardia; my heart was beating too fast. My resting heart rate was 110 to 120 bpm. Normal resting heart range should be between 60 to 100 beats per minute. It took four years to get to this diagnosis and to get the medicine I needed.

Know Your Body and Keep Detailed Accounts.  

It is only when we are fully aware of our concerns about our physical or mental state can we get the help we need. Also, it’s important to follow our intuition. I have heard countless tales on how they knew something was wrong and it took many years to find out what it was. Neither my PCP nor cardiologist would have found out about my tachycardia if I didn’t persist.

Gain a better understanding of your health conditions and treatment options.

Once you have a diagnosis, make sure to research and educate yourself on your condition. This knowledge can help you have meaningful conversations with your health care provider. Make sure you have a full list of your medications and research if any interactions may occur to a new medication. Check this with your doctor.

My heart rate episodes occurred much more often than I relayed to my doctor. Writing the occurrences down and giving all the information would have helped enable me to get what I needed sooner.

Remember the Emergency Room is for life threatening situations. Don’t go to the ER for regular health visits. A PCP can help with basic cold, etc. However, it is better to go to the ER even if it turns out to be simply a panic attack than to not go to the ER and die of a heart attack; better to be safe than sorry.  

Make more informed decisions about your healthcare.

A complex diagnosis or being unsure about a recommended treatment may call for a second opinion. Don’t be afraid to check with another practitioner.

Also, it’s important to feel comfortable talking to a doctor. If you aren’t getting the time to converse and get questions answered, it may be beneficial to seek another doctor to work with you regarding your health. I usually check the doctor’s rating before I go to an appointment.

I also cannot stress the importance of going to your scheduled doctor appointments. Life gets busy and we can occasionally miss one or must reschedule, but organizing these visits on a calendar can save everyone time and money as most doctors will charge for missing a visit. If you are not keeping up with health visits, it’s difficult to stay informed regarding your health.  

Prevent medical errors and ensure proper communication with healthcare providers.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I was surprised how often patients didn’t ask questions from their doctor because they didn’t want to “bother them.” One person went two weeks without meds simply because they didn’t remember why the medicine was important for them. They had been prescribed several medications at once. I wrote down each of their medicines and why they were taking them. Other people would be confused with their diagnosis. Please ask again to make sure.   

I write down any questions I have before a doctor’s visit to make sure I go over everything I may need to know. I also try and have my husband with me to remember as much of the information as I can. I occasionally write notes down in my conversations with doctors, but sometimes I may miss something or forget what was said. He helps me fill in the blanks. “Was I supposed to take this medicine in the morning or at night? What did they say about________? I can’t remember.”

 I have a medical organizer at home where I will keep notes, test results and medical records that may not be digitally stored.

Educate yourself and follow the directions of your physician on proper physical exercise and dietary needs.

Being proactive about your health goes beyond medical appointments. Take care of yourself by following a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep. Small changes in your lifestyle can have a significant impact on your overall well-being.

For example, encourage people who desire to quit smoking to decrease the amount they smoke if they can’t quit all at once.  I watched a person go from two packs a day to just two cigarettes a day. Eventually, they were able to quit altogether. Some people can quit smoking all at once, but sometimes it is easier to cut down on negative behavior. We make choices about our health in small and big ways.

Mind, Body and Spirit

The mind, body and spirit are connected and what can negatively impact one can impact others. One person who had problems with her physical body led to depression and anxiety. This also decreased her desire and ability to be present with God.  High stress could lead to headaches, high blood pressure, etc…

It is important to be aware of our body and our needs or concerns. Often our body responds to warnings of unhealthy habits or if there is something wrong.  If we can keep a healthy balance, we benefit overall.

“All our infirmities, whatever they are, are just opportunities for God to display his gracious work in us.”

C.H. Spurgeon

Please subscribe to my newsletter.