How I try to survive major illnesses or small health problems
When I was around 20 years old I worked as a porter in a hospital, what I noticed is that many patients I spoke to were in the hospital because they left things too late, many were in there because of bad habits, many were old as expected and other cases which I can’t really comment on. I’m not a medical expert and I haven’t looked at any stats, but this experience put me in good stead for what was to come.
I learned to jump on things very fast before they manifest
I had heart problems from suspected TB but it was never proven, it caused cirrhosis, stress and problems on the other surrounding areas, (kidneys, spleen and gallbladder) the problem is long and complex but what I learnt from that is…
Good dieting to keep the immune system up, maybe the TB wouldn't have had a chance if I was looking after myself?
Exercise is important because when you are facing heart surgery and you are given a 95–98% chance of survival, (which is very good) you can tell yourself that you have your age, fitness, diet, no smoking on your side. That hope and peace of mind might get you through.
I am very aggressive at getting off the tablets, people always abuse me for this but I do heavy research on how to come off them and I speak to the doctors and I ask them what I can do to get off them fast, I try to switch to less strong medicine, I am always trying to negotiate with the doctors and I just don't speak to one. (there are often weaker drugs we can be given, such as I went from omeprazole to ranitidine to Gaviscon.)
Many doctors have let me down, but it's not their fault with limited time and problems being rare, I have researched aggressively when I have a new problem facing me, doctors are surprised at how much I know, maybe it makes them tread more carefully, I am able to ask the right questions and offer alternative suggestions on what to test for. Doctors seem to like this, I don’t argue with them but I say… what about this theory… could it be (insert behaviour) that I have been doing… can I take this supplement… could it be caused by….. do you think it's related to … (insert another health issue or hereditary issue) There are even arguments out there that hereditary issues are not genetic, but they are bypassing down the same diet causing the same issues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL6dasaA9e0
Positive thinking is very important, after my heart surgery, the painkillers made me feel sick and I felt like giving up on life for a few hours, I didn't want to eat, so after 24 hours of depression, anxiety (in ICU), I realised that my mind was in the wrong place and my body was not getting the nutrients, so I decided to spring into action and ask for some tablet painkillers instead of IV painkillers, and I was not feeling sick anymore and I was back eating, this is key for me, this is why I worry about getting cancer, the chemo would make me give up, I see many people lose their soles when the sickness and difficulty of eating starts, I have felt the same, this is where people get on the slippery slope.
Be aware of the slippery slope, when you take one medicine, you often need another, then another and then more. That’s why I try to win off them or change them, for example I know many people taking strong pain killers for back pain, I would be down the physiotherapists often to fix that problem. (if possible) If you can’t afford that I would find some experts on youtube that will show you some exercises or stretching. I personally believe in regular stretching, but you should always get advice first if you can’t afford a physiotherapist then go once at least and ask for a program. When I got out of the operating room, I'm seeing what pipes I can have taken out and asked about them, pipes can cause further complications, I am asking what medicines we can reduce and change. One example is I had partial lungs collapsed and I asked what I can do to make them better fast, they said I need to use a breathing machine every hour, I then ask them if I can do it every 30 minutes even if it hurt like hell, I try to find what I am limited to, right now I can’t exercise much because of my wound, nothing to do with my heart, I can’t afford to fall over, so an exercise bike seems my best option to get fit.
I make a post online about my problem if it’s serious, there are lots of people out there in your network that can help, doesn’t matter if they are a doctor or not, everyone has an experience, local knowledge, recommendations, tips, most of the stuff I was told I learned already but I was given second opinions by doctors that were friends of doctors that I knew. I see many people wanting to keep their problems private, I also see people posting just for sympathy or attention, some people may post because they really need some support and attention, not everyone is stronger than others.
As a father I try to shield my problems from my children, my wife knows what’s happening at all times because she needs to know, I need her to make good decisions if I am unconscious and people to look after me in the right way. I shield my feelings, worries, anxiety from my children and family. I think if the leader of the family starts panicking, everyone else falls apart, then it bounces back. I try to remain brave and light-hearted, I try to make humour of it all throughout the process.
Always remember the pain, anxiety, and misery when you are doing something unhealthy, I am terrified of more torturous procedures, I have had my fair share and although its probably over, I will probably get a second round of hospital visits when I am old.
I try to be a good patient, I am polite and good to everyone at the hospital, I see mistakes and inefficiencies, but many staff are overworked, underpaid and have their own issues to deal with. My doctors know me as a good patient and they tell all other doctors, they want to be part of a success story, people are drawn towards having their names to wins, positive cases and they know I listen and try hard. I don’t lie to them, I am very polite and I offer them more data than what they ask for.
Dieting helps more than most people think, I was able to come off a few tablets by controlling my diet, such as low sodium food so I can have a break from diuretics for a few days. (plenty of natural diuretic food) I was able to help stomach acid issues (caused by liver problems) with dieting and I was able to help prevent gout attacks with dieting (caused by diuretics)
Stretching helps circulation and blood flow. It prevents injuries and helps you look and feel younger with greater posture. Many people overlook the importance of stretching, but it helps me a lot.
The final one I will get abuse for, I listen to athletes, doctors, physiotherapists, read forums, weeks and weeks of online research and I have to decide for myself, (and approach a doctor with the data) some doctors can only issue medicine, many athletes are on the edge and know how to push the limits, they have been through many problems already and they are very driven and focused on getting better. Athletes will use different tricks like ice, heat, saunas, elevation, Tumeric, stretching, exercises etc. We can recover much faster than is written in the books by focusing on rehabilitation, dieting and by not doing stupid things. I find a lot of recovery estimates are on the safe side taking into account some of those listening are in poor shape or do little to help! also, many doctors only have 5–15 minutes to assess, diagnose and come up with limited treatments.
Disclaimer: People should always seek doctors opinions before they make decisions that will affect them, for example, I gather theories, suggestions and evidence and I tell the doctor or challenge them. Many doctors have been wrong, so I’ve gone to others for more opinions and found that others are better at carrying out more tests. One of the common problems I come across is people take pain killers for years instead of getting some physio work done on their back.
Sometimes finding out what blood tests or tests that you need and request them, can help the doctor diagnose more accurately.
As of June 18th 2020. I have probably made a full recovery from heart and liver problems, I can confirm again in 3 more months after a check-up.
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