A
Better
YOU
Written by:
Gina C De Baca
every single night in the hospital since then. I have
watched him become unresponsive and semi-comatose
only to come completely out of it and become alert. I
have felt his temperature decrease to the point that
I get cold sitting next to him to being warm within a
few hours. He may have opted for hospice, but he is still
fighting. If I wasn’t sure before, I am now positive that I
H
ello and wel-
come to June’s edi-
tion of A Better You. This month I will continue to
touch on being the best version of yourself when living
through trying times.
While preparing to write this article, I reread last month’s
article to see if I continued following the path to be the
best version of myself during the most difficult time of
my life. Some things I continued, others I did not. While
reflecting, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that no
matter how hard I try, there are going to be moments
that I fall short. This makes me human. This makes me
authentic.
Looking back at the last month and really reflecting on
what I faced and how I managed to get through it put a
lot of things in perspective. Even when we are not up-
beat and positive, being authentic still means you are the
best possible version of yourself. Rather than sugarcoat
or hide the fact that I struggled, I openly admitted my
feelings and emotions. Isn’t honesty authentic? Okay, so
my constant crying and hypersensitive behavior wasn’t
peaches and cream, but it was real. When you are vul-
nerable and raw, you may not feel you are at your best,
but in that moment, you are.
got my strength and perseverance from my dad.
Watching the man who has molded your life go through
these devastating changes at the end of life has been
heartbreaking. Every day that I have my dad I wonder
if I made him proud and think of ways to pull myself
When I submitted my article last month my father was together, so I can accomplish one thing that will make
about to start chemotherapy and radiation. Unfortu- him smile so he will stay proud of me.
nately, things did not work out like he planned. We are
unsure if my dad had a reaction to the chemotherapy or I am still not taking very good care of myself. I recog-
had complications with his tracheostomy, but halfway nize this, so I am sure once this chapter is over I can
through his treatment a rapid response was called. After start to heal. I am in desperate need of better diet, ex-
he was stable and was moved back to his room a code ercise, and sleep. Making myself a priority will become
blue was called. That moment set the course for the rest essential to healing, which will get me back to the best
version of myself possible.
of my father’s life.
He made it through that horrific day and is still hang- The last nine weeks have been the most devastating in
ing on. He opted for hospice that night and I have spent my life. As I sit and watch my dad fight a losing bat-
A Better you