“I’ve never really been on the other side of the healthcare system until recently. My daughter had multiple stays in hospital and underwent numerous investigations while waiting for a diagnosis and treatment plan. I watched my baby girl for three months in constant pain which left me feeling helpless.
As a health professional, I have always felt one of my biggest strengths was advocating for clients to ensure their care was client centred and they were seen as a whole person. So when it came to this role in my personal life, I didn’t think this was going to be a challenge. But, I was mum.
I was mum who was now in a highly emotional state with my flight or flight response on constant alert. I was sleep deprived, my usual responsibilities kept demanding from me, and I kept trying to pour from an empty cup. All the while navigating the health system as a family member and be the emotional support my family needed me to be.
So what did I learn from this? It’s okay to lean into your support network. Whether this be family, friends, neighbours, health professionals, or an act of kindness by a stranger – just lean in.
Leaning in looks like:
- Say YES to the chicken soup you’re offered for your family.
- Say YES to the friends or family wanting to sit with you at the hospital for hours.
- Say YES to friends offering to include your other children in activities so they don’t miss out.
- Say YES to the health professionals willing to sit with you to make sure you understand information – written information is valuable for later because verbal information can feel like information overload.
- Say NO to things that are not important.
- Say THANK YOU to friends and family who consistently check in. Just checking in with someone sounds simple but is a powerful tool.
And my take home message, being there for your loved one doesn’t mean fixing them, it is merely being with them on their health journey. I couldn’t take away my daughter’s pain but I could distract her, advocate for her pain management, and simply listen empathetically”.
