As I wrap up my training for nurse coaching with the Nurse Coach Collective, I’m doing a lot of reflecting and considering why someone would choose a Nurse Coach.
As a Nurse Coach, I am not a therapist nor am I able to prescribe or counsel. A Nurse Coach can think about you as a whole person- not just your physical health, your emotional or your spiritual health.
Have you ever been to the doctor and found out that you have a new diagnosis? This can be shocking and scary and you go through the stages of grief. In the grief processing, I think most of us will try to adopt our lifestyle in some way so we don’t have to take medicine-and sometimes that doesn’t actually work. We’re not really sure exactly what steps to take or it feels too hard and too big and you don’t have enough time.
As the years go by that one diagnosis can have an affect on all of your other body systems. Take me for example . I was working in the ER one day in my office hearing whooshing in my ears and my boss walked in. She asked me what was wrong and when I told her, she said “you probably should check your blood pressure.” And guess what- it was high. That was over 10 years ago.
I’ve tried many things in the last 10 to 15 years to control my blood pressure and the more I ignored it the more kidney damage I could have or other complications as I grew older. I have taken medication on and off and finally succumbed a couple years ago to take medicine consistently. I was also smoking over the last 5 years and so I decided at the beginning of this year that I did not want to continue having to take blood pressure medicine anymore, but in order for me to do that I had to stop smoking.
Did I do that? Yes and no.
I stopped and then I started and then I stopped, and then I started. There was always an excuse that I had in my head when I went to buy a pack of cigarettes. I finally asked my PCP for medication to help me quit. I’m currently still on it but that’s OK. I’ve learned how to stay away from things that make me want to smoke. I have cheated a couple different times, but not gone back to it. And guess what my blood pressure is now?
It’s perfect.
And how did I get here?
A Nurse Coach.
