Susan2's biggest lifestyle change was dietary changes - watching sodium and potassium.
Transcript
The biggest lifestyle change has actually been happening in the last couple of years because I really, really, really have to be careful of my sodium and potassium. So dietary changes have really become important. And my wonderful doctors at Toronto are very much on my case about that, through bloodwork. The Medly program, that’s another technology [smartphone telemonitoring]. And I have a nurse, that contacts me every time my numbers are out of whack, and you know, ‘Go for bloodwork Susan, do this Susan.’ And it’s wonderful. I have day to day care through him and the team with that piece of technology. But other than that, I think it’s now, it’s more important to me, the lifestyle changes. I did ignore things. I was not a good heart patient always. I was sloppy. I ate way too much. And I didn’t do well.
More from: Susan 3
More content
- Stigma & Gender Bias – Susan2Susan2's heart diagnosis was missed while she was treated for pneumonia.
- Coping Strategies – Susan2Susan2's biggest lifestyle change was dietary changes - watching sodium and potassium.
- Finding Support – Susan2Susan2 recalls how nurses went above and beyond to help her celebrate her 5th wedding anniversary.
- Finding Information & Cardiac Rehab – Susan2Susan2 talks about difficulties locating and accessing cardiac rehab.
- Care Delivery – Susan2Susan2 talks about how her remote monitoring keeps her connected.
- Care Delivery – Susan2Susan2 describes how her local cardiologist works with her expert care team in a large urban centre.
- Diagnosis – Susan2Susan2's heart failure took months to diagnose as a young woman.
- Impact on Work, School, Finances – Susan2Susan2 talks about finding alternative funding as her benefit coverage is running out.
- Impact on Work, School, Finances – Susan2Susan2 took time off and dipped into savings to make it work.
- Heart Transplant – Susan2Susan2 describes the uncertainty of being on a transplant list.