Pumping Marvellous

The lucky winners of the Pumping Marvellous “Healthy Christmas Dinner” raffle.

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Carers 12 Days of Christmas Special – Day 11

Get out once a week and go somewhere enjoyable. Visit the local coffee shop, take a class, visit a friend or just wander around doing some shopping or a stroll park. If your loved one needs constant attention, ask for help. You can find someone to give an hour a week to let you get out.

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Carers 12 Days of Christmas Special – Day 10

Stay connected with the outside world, even if it’s just by phone or online. Don’t isolate yourself. Talk to friends about something other than your situation. Stay interested in what would be going on in your life if you weren’t carer. It’s still there and you’re still a part of it.

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Carers 12 Days of Christmas Special – Day 9

Keep all your medical and dental appointments.

Do all you can to keep from getting sick. If you’re sick, you won’t be able to do what your loved one needs. Ask for help when you need it to get away and take care of your health.

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Carers 12 Days of Christmas Special – Day 3

As a carer, you have to be realistic about what can and can’t be controlled. You can’t control the fact that your loved one has a chronic or progressive disease or the impact of that disease. But you CAN control how you respond to the situation. The first step is taking ownership of your carer role and admitting that it might be a long-term job. This acknowledgement allows you to plan and seek help. By accepting the job and putting a name on it, you will be less inclined to set yourself up for stress and emotions that prevent you from seeking help.

The next step is to understand the scope of long-term caring. If you don’t pace yourself, you’re going to be depleted before the job is done. Think of caring as a marathon, not a sprint. Marathoners get through a race by pacing themselves and getting sustenance and water along the way. A lot of people throw themselves into a “carer frenzy” that quickly leads to emotional and physical burnout. Understand that long-term caring can have long-term effects. Set your pace for a long race and accept the reality that you will need help along the way. The earlier you understand pacing and asking for help, the better you and your loved one will do.

Be Realistic. Think Positive. Your attitude can be the biggest barrier to taking care of yourself and doing the best job for your loved one. Your mind will believe what you tell it. Tell it that you’re a carer, that you need to stay healthy, that you have rights and that you will do the best you can but you’ll have to find help for certain things.

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Carers 12 Days of Christmas Special – Day 2

As a carer, you may think your first responsibility is to your loved one, but it’s really to yourself.

To do the best for your loved one, you must be in the best possible health yourself. That means getting professional help and following doctors’ orders for your mental and physical health. It also means keeping your energy level up and reducing your risks by eating a balanced, nutritious diet, getting regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco and doing things you enjoy. That’s not selfish, it’s smart.

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Carers 12 Days of Christmas Special – Day 1

As a carer, you have to be realistic about what can and can’t be controlled. You can’t control the fact that your loved one has a chronic or progressive disease or the impact of that disease. But you can control how you respond to the situation. The first step is taking ownership of your caregiver role and admitting that it might be a long-term job. This acknowledgement allows you to plan and seek help. A simple shift in attitude can have a profound impact on your situation. By accepting the job and putting a name on it, you will be less inclined to set yourself up for stress and emotions that prevent you from seeking help.

The next step is to understand the scope of long-term caregiving. If you don’t pace yourself, you’re going to be depleted before the job is done. Think of caregiving as a marathon, not a sprint. Marathoners get through a race by pacing themselves and getting sustenance and water along the way. A lot of people throw themselves into a “caregiving frenzy” that quickly leads to emotional and physical burnout. Understand that long-term caregiving can have long-term effects. Set your pace for a long race and accept the reality that you will need help along the way. The earlier you understand pacing and asking for help, the better you and your loved one will do.

Be Realistic. Think Positive. Your attitude can be the biggest barrier to taking care of yourself and doing the best job for your loved one. Your mind will believe what you tell it. Tell it that you’re a caregiver, that you need to stay healthy, that you have rights and that you will do the best you can but you’ll have to find help for certain things.

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Merry Christmas to all our Pumping Marvellous members – don’t forget about our 12 days of Christmas Carer special. Watch everyday for the Twelve Days of Christmas to see how your Carer should be living.

Heart failure cases rise sharply days after Christmas time

Want to avoid a post-Christmas Day admittance to Hospital?  Too much stress, overindulgence and activity can propel you from your warm living room into a Emergency Hospital admittance.

One study in the US found that hospital visits for heart failure went up by 33% in the four days following Christmas.

“The holidays are really stressful,” says Dr. Elsa Grace Giardina, cardiology professor at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center. “People are going to work and worrying about shopping and wrapping their presents. Depression is common and has a linked to cardiac issues.

Well how do you stay out of hospital? Watch your salt intake, says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital.

“don’t overindulge in the alcohol, if you have any symptoms at all, don’t delay getting medical help for fear of ruining the festivities.”

“Danger signs that should send you to the doctor include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, difficulty lying flat in bed, swelling of the legs, and chest pain. If you’re going to be outside, dress warmly and avoid activities that increase the demands on your heart, such as shoveling snow.

Try to avoid, or at least manage, stress. Easier said than done, of course, but try not to let it get to you” Giardina says.

“It’s important for people to sit back and say, ‘I am going to control stress, and I’m not going to let stress control me.”