Any loaned hospital equipment to Tauranga Hospital ’ s main reception .
Conversations that count
Allan is an average kind of bloke – loves cars , being at the beach and fi shing most of all . In November he did something a lot of men his age do . He had a heart attack . It wasn ’ t a dramatic scene with him clutching his chest and gasping for breath . It was pretty low key .
Allan says it was a burning sensation in his chest , a dry throat and a painful jaw over a few days . At fi rst he thought he had an infection . He went to his GP in Te Puke , and then soon after he was on his way to Tauranga Hospital in an ambulance . In the Hospital ’ s Assessment Planning Unit he was feeling a bit better .
“ I felt like a bit of a fraud for taking up a bed in a busy hospital . I thought I should go home .” But blood tests were showing I ’ d had a heart attack and was exactly where I needed to be .”
Allan admits he was scared and nervous , worrying about what impact this was going to have on him long term .
“ Then my worry was had I had enough conversations with my wife about what ’ s important ? Had I said enough things so that life would go on for others if I wasn ’ t there ?”
So , as Allan lay in his hospital bed he talked with his wife about what he wanted if things went horribly wrong .
“ It was actually a relief to talk about those things . To stop that internal monologue about what ’ s going on by being able to talk to somebody about your fears and concerns . I think it was quite therapeutic .
“ It ’ s important to talk to people you love about what matters to you .”
Allan recalls it ’ s not the fi rst time he ’ s been quite ill . When he was 17 he got Guillain-
Barre , a syndrome that can cause progressive paralysis until you stop breathing . Back then , as he was being put into an induced coma , doctors told him he had a 50-50 chance of surviving . He woke up 28 days later and they said he was probably over the worst of it .
Allan says this experience was different . “ I think the biggest thing is when you ’ re 17 , you think you ’ re invincible and they say what might happen and you think - oh yeah . When you ’ re 58 , you suddenly go , I ’ m not invincible and I have to deal with this .”
Allan says hospital staff were great . During the Cardiac Rehabilitation sessions he went to after his heart attack they suggested he think about what he might want if the outcome wasn ’ t so positive .
“ I mulled this over in my head . It ’ s good to have that conversation about what you would like ahead of time . It ’ s not just for you - it ’ s for the peace of mind of the people you love .”
And now , Allan is back fi shing and being at the beach . He reckons that men his age shouldn ’ t wait for a heart attack to talk about what ’ s important to them with their whānau – “ get off your backside and do it now !” He ’ s in the process of writing his own Future Care Plan .
For more information about Future ( Advance ) Care Planning , talk to your GP or Practice Nurse , go to http :// www . advancecareplanning . org . nz / or contact Ellen Fisher at ellen . fi sher @ bopdhb . govt . nz
HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS
If you ’ re having a heart attack , you may feel pain in your :
• chest ( can be mild to severe )
• jaw
• neck
• shoulder .
You may also get other symptoms , such as :
• sweating
• feeling dizzy or faint
• vomiting
• being short of breath . You may not feel any pain .
If you think you or someone else may be having a heart attack , call 111 straight away . Early treatment can save your life .
New programme focused on mental health
A new mental health support programme has been launched at Waipu Hauora in Tauranga aiming to bring mental health into the open while arming people with the knowledge and strategies to improve their lives and take responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their whanau .
Called Let ’ s Get Real , the programme will be run through the Waipu Hauora Health Clinic with a series of workshops on marae at Matapihi and Mt Maunganui with substantial funding from the WBOP PHO .
Waipu Hauora manager , Helen Te Kani , says that the effects of mental health issues including depression , suicide , anger and anxiety can affect not only individuals , but their wider whanau .
“ People sometimes struggle to understand what is happening when they encounter mental health issues within their whanau , and we are looking to guide them out of the dark and into the light ,” Helen says . “ It ’ s about whānau helping whānau .”
Up to 12 people will take part in the 12 week programme at any one time . They will hear from guest speakers and cover a wide range of topics related to mental health . These include identity and whakapapa , self-image and self-worth , general health , fi nancial management , leadership , planning and goal-setting .
The programme will also include a variety of off-site activities aimed at reinforcing cultural identity , such as visiting Matakana Island , gathering kaimoana and visiting historical areas .
“ We want to get real about mental health ,” says Helen . “ There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel , and much of this is about changing the culture around mental health and helping individuals to make the right choices .”
WBOP PHO Chief Executive Offi cer Roger Taylor says the PHO supports programmes that arm people with the power to adopt healthy lifestyles before problems arise , encourage communities to take control of their own health , and ensure that health services are more widely accessible .
“ All people in the Western Bay should be able to access quality health services ,” he says . “ This is one of several iwi projects we are supporting to ensure that is the case .”
The Hauora initiative is one of fi ve Living Well programmes across the Western Bay that are being supported by the WBOPPHO . All are aimed at improving access to healthcare and helping people to manage their own health more effectively .
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Any loaned hospital equipment to Tauranga Hospital ’ s main reception .
Thank you .