{"id":5359,"date":"2019-01-31T07:00:21","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=5359"},"modified":"2022-02-09T21:36:08","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T03:36:08","slug":"when-we-are-too-stubborn-for-our-own-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/when-we-are-too-stubborn-for-our-own-good\/","title":{"rendered":"When we are too stubborn for our own good"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever ignored good advice? Or, let your parents\u2019 wisdom fall on deaf ears? Maybe tossed the warning label in the trash without as much as a glance?<\/p>\n

I\u2019d wager we all have. A quick internet search reveals video proof of lots of people not heeding good advice. It seems we all have a stubborn\u00a0\u2013 I\u2019ll find out for myself<\/em> \u2013 streak.<\/p>\n

\n

Don’t ignore your symptoms<\/p>\n

Talk to a provider near you<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But when it comes to your health, stubbornness can get you in serious trouble. A topic I discussed over lunch with author<\/a>, wife and mother, Bridget Nelan, of Germantown Hills, Illinois. Bridget told me of a time when putting off her health almost cost her everything.<\/p>\n

After delivering her first son, Bridget became easily fatigued and winded with minor exertion. Her feet were swollen and sore, and she developed a dry cough.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chalked all of these symptoms up to having a brand new baby. I was beyond tired and winded like I had been running a marathon. And I was just walking around the house,\u201d Bridget said. \u201cPeople were calling to offer congratulations on the new baby and would ask if I had been running up and down the stairs when I was just actually standing in the kitchen of our ranch-style home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Real Reason<\/h2>\n

Unbeknownst to everyone, a heart valve had ruptured during her son\u2019s delivery. Bridget was in heart failure<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart was changing shape and leaking,\u201d Bridget said. \u201cWe knew I had a heart murmur<\/a> previous to getting pregnant and the doctor wanted to keep an eye on it, but I never suspected the delivery could result in heart failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

She tolerated the symptoms, planning to deal with her body\u2019s complaints after she took care of her growing family. It was a decision that almost caused a medical emergency.<\/p>\n

So, how could this have happened? Why are humans complacent about health issues?<\/p>\n

Bridget is a responsible person who pays close attention to her health. This was not a case of self-neglect. Bridget is not self-destructive or flippant about herself. If anything, she is the exact opposite. She is a goal-driven, health conscious professional and mother who eats healthy, manages her time, exercises and meets deadlines. Are these positive traits the root cause for her failure to take action?<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew my cardiologist wanted to check my heart after delivery, but I didn\u2019t think any more of it. It was my first child, and I expected to be tired. I thought this was just how new moms felt,\u201d Bridget said, \u201cand quite frankly the follow-up heart appointment had slipped\u00a0my mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaily walks with my husband and newborn made my perpetually achy feet more apparent.\u00a0I even asked my husband to get me some running shoes that might have better support. He did and it didn\u2019t help. Still no correlation or \u2018aha\u2019 moment that this could be related to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Causes<\/h2>\n

Over pasta, we narrowed it down to three major factors:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Not understanding the potential danger of her condition –\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cI knew about my heart murmur, but didn\u2019t tie it all together.\u00a0Eventually, I would have been forced to, or worse.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. Simultaneously going through a life-altering event –\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cMy focus was truly on this amazing child who just entered and changed my life.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. Placing others first<\/strong> \u2013 maintaining responsibilities and expectations –\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThis is especially true with mothers. Mothers want to make sure their family is taken care of first and literally run out of physical and mental capacity to make medical issues a priority.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"Bridget

    Bridget Nelan and her family.<\/p><\/div>\n

    Of course, these aren\u2019t the only reasons we put off our own health. Things like pride, denial or fear can play major roles in why some people ignore warning signs from their bodies, health care professionals and loved ones. For others, there are accessibility and economic hurdles for them to overcome.<\/p>\n

    Whatever the reason, it is not worth jeopardizing your health over. Fortunately, Bridget\u2019s care team at OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute<\/a> would not take \u201cI\u2019m busy\u201d for an answer.<\/p>\n

    \u201cA nurse called and left a voicemail. My cardiologist was concerned that I hadn\u2019t made my follow-up appointment,\u201d Bridget said. \u201cBy that afternoon, when I hadn\u2019t returned the message, the nurse called again and said he was \u2018adamant\u2019 that I come in for an echocardiogram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt was Friday morning, my son was being baptized the next day and I had a houseful of guests arriving soon, but, thankfully, the nurse insisted, and I complied.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Bridget\u2019s cardiologist called her later Friday night. He wanted her to come to his office on Monday, with her husband.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe had mixed feelings as we headed to the appointment \u2013 optimistic yet unsettled.\u00a0The words left a permanent imprint in my brain: you are in heart failure and your mitral valve has to be fixed<\/em>.\u00a0I asked him if this could wait until my son was a little older. He said, \u2018not if you want to be at his first birthday,\u2019\u201d Bridget said. \u201cUnless we have a health issue hit us over the head, we tend to put it off for one reason or another.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Even with her dire situation, Bridget still looked for a way to postpone treatment so she could fulfill her responsibilities as a new mother.<\/p>\n

    Our bodies are marvelous creations, and we become accustomed to everything working properly. Consider your heart \u2013 It beats around 115,000 times a day, pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood. Even a minor glitch can cause serious health issues.<\/p>\n

    What We Learned<\/h2>\n

    \u201cIt was a life lesson. I truly believe I would not be here today if I hadn\u2019t listened to them [the nurse and doctor that insisted on my follow-up],\u201d Bridget said. \u201cWe all need to listen to our bodies and watch out for each other. If that nurse had let it go, I probably wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

    When you know, or just sense, that a family, friend, co-worker or neighbor needs medical attention, speak up, offer to schedule an appointment for them and make that insistent call back if they don\u2019t do it. Above all, don\u2019t ignore yourself.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe all take care of people and things we are grateful for, so be grateful for your body and your health and take care of it.\u201d Bridget said.<\/p>\n

    If you do not have a primary care provider, you can find an OSF HealthCare<\/a> provider near you by clicking HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Have you ever ignored good advice? Or, let your parents\u2019 wisdom fall on deaf ears? Maybe tossed the warning label in the trash without as much as a glance? I\u2019d wager we all have. A quick internet search reveals video proof of lots of people not heeding good advice. It seems we all have a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[105,223],"tags":[193,655],"coauthors":[687],"class_list":["post-5359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardiovascular","category-patient-story","tag-heart-surgery","tag-osf-cardiovascular-institute"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen we are too stubborn for our own good | OSF HealthCare Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When life gets hectic, it's easy to ignore the warning signs of a serious health issue. 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