February 4, 2022 “Are you a ticking time bomb?
You may have heard the saying “He/She is a ticking time bomb,” meaning the person, thing, or situation they are involved in may, at any moment cause much havoc or result in a disastrous outcome.
A new client came in this week and asked “So, you are not a nurse anymore?” as I was drawing up her Glutathione shot. I stated, “I am nursing right now and will be a registered nurse for the rest of my life.” She replied but you’re not working in a hospital.
When I worked in the emergency department and ICU, I only treated the already sick, the stroke or heart attack that already occurred. Now I am on the PREVENTIVE side of healthcare. I decided to add a wellness component to my gym so I could do testing on-site to see where my clients are in REAL-TIME. In this way I can help prevent them from becoming diabetic, having a stroke, or help them come off medication like, Bruce, Cassandra, Joel, and Audrey to name a few.
The above pictures are pictures I took this week of client’s test that were done in our wellness center. Whether they had elevated blood pressure, A1c, or cholesterol levels or a mixture of one or more. Each of their conversations were about the same:
Conversation #1: I always forget to take my medications
As I was starting an IV on a client, I reached for her arm to apply the blood pressure cuff, she immediately stated, “You are going to be mad at me, my blood pressure is always high.” I asked, do you take your meds, she stated nope, very nonchalantly. I asked why, she stated, I always forget. I reemphasized the importance of taking her meds not only every day but also at the same time. I gave suggestions on ways to help her remember.
Tips for a consistent medication schedule
- Follow medicine directions, ask for clarification if the directions are not clear
- Use a pill container to help remember medicines, and refill it weekly on the same day
- Use daily habits like tooth brushing or mealtime to reinforce medication schedules
- Become a creature of habit and stick to your medication schedule each day
- Set a reminder on your smart phone or ask Alexa to remind you at a certain time
- Place at your bedside with a glass of water
Conversation #2: I don’t like how the medication makes me feel
I was going over another client’s Fit3D body scan and I asked her to pull up her lab work from her doctor. Her last A1c was done September 2020 and it was 5.8% (Pre-diabetic), she’s only in her 20’s however they put her on diabetic medication because she is already having vision problems and her grandfather and mother both suffer a lot from diabetic complications. Since the last time she checked her A1c was 2020, I did it in my wellness center. As you can see in the picture above, she is now diabetic at 6.9%. I asked her to contact her doctor to get some medication, she quickly responded, I don’t need to, I have medication already and refills. I asked does she take her medication, she stated, no, I stopped long time ago because I don’t like how they make me feel.
I get that some people have unpleasant side effects when initially taking medicine, but instead of quitting cold turkey, it is important to work with your doctor to try another medication or lowering the dosage. Also, when you are aware you have certain conditions/disorders or under medication, it makes more since to get labs done more frequently and not just annually, because this is another ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
Conversation #3: I don’t like taking ANY medications
The next client is a 55-year-old triple threat! As I was going over her Fit3D body scan and asked to see her lab work, she only mentioned to me that she had high blood pressure and that she doesn’t take her medication on a regular basis because she don’t like taking any medication. As I looked at her lab work from November 2021, her cholesterol, LDL and A1c all read (HIGH) in bold red letters. She looked surprised however she stated, “I am not claiming that.”
Claim it or not, this is reality. This client has “Metabolic Syndrome” which consists of a cluster of conditions; high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride level that occur together, increasing her risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
People may think that not taking medicines on schedule is a minor thing, but it is not. Poor medication compliance is a serious and expensive problem. Simply put, not taking your medicine as prescribed by a doctor or instructed by a pharmacist could lead to your disease getting worse, hospitalization, even death.
Diseases can progress dramatically if medication is not taken correctly. Not taking blood pressure medicine daily at a set time can set the stage for an increased chance of stroke, kidney failure, and heart disease. It’s a running joke that you know you are in a “Black Community” because you see lots of fried chicken and other fast foods places, and liquor stores. But you can now add to that multiple dialysis clinics. People taking statin-reducing medications can increase their risk of a heart attack by at least 25 percent if they quit the medications.
Another consequence of improper medication compliance is emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This is because although a person has either stopped taking one or more medications, they continue to eat unhealthily and don’t exercise, increasing the progression of a disease. Or they take the medication out of schedule, which can lead to dangerous medication interactions.
I know that I preach a lot when I am on stage about preventive care, making sure you make your annual appointments, taking your meds, eating healthy and exercising. You see, when I am not on stage, I encounter a lot of people just like the ones above every day. Many think the worst can’t happen to them or that they will have time to fix it. But we must remember you never know when that ticking time bomb will go off.
So, if you truly don’t want to take any medications then do it the right way, do something to change your lifestyle, eat healthier, exercise on a regular basis, and become an advocate for your health. If not make sure that your health insurance and your financial affairs are in order, so your family/children won’t be burdened by your neglect if and when that time bomb goes off. No Mess
