Nearly five years ago to the date, I wrote an editorial that was perhaps the most intimate and personal piece that I’ve written because it documented the death of my mother, Mayme J. Penman.
My mother suffered from congestive heart failure for the last 15 years of her life. To experience the frequent trips to the hospital and even the overnight stays was incredibly difficult for me as a teenager and young adult. It was just as trying for my older brother and sister.
There were daily things that my siblings and I witnessed our mom go through that became “the norm,” in a sense. She’d often tire easily, there was a constant and undeniable cough that she had, and her ankles would regularly swell. We knew that our mom was ill and we each did our part to make life more comfortable for her.
My mom was an incredibly strong woman – never the one to seek attention or demand any special treatment. There were often times that we’d assume she wasn’t feeling well, but she’d carry on with the determined resolve that was a trademark in all aspects of her life. As a matter of fact, one of my mom’s most frequent sayings (particularly when we tried to “baby” her too much) was “I’m not an invalid!”
It wasn’t until after my mom passed and I became better educated on heart disease that I realized the extreme pain and discomfort she lived with everyday. Living with heart disease is by no means a walk in the park, nor is it an immediate death sentence.
As you’ll read on page A1, heart disease and stroke affects many people differently, but we all can learn from the disease and help those impacted. Knowledge is power and the more you seek to educate yourself, the better your own life can be. If you’re fortunate enough to not experience heart disease yourself, you can make a tremendous impact on someone else’s life through your knowledge.
When my mom was alive, I was very involved in her health. I’d often go to doctors appointments with her, ask questions, and follow-up with anything she was instructed to do. After mom passed, I made it my personal mission to continue to educate myself and others about heart disease. Doing so, to me is a tribute to my mom’s life – it’s something that I will always advocate for; a fight I will never forfeit.
The fact that I work at a newspaper and I have the ability to use it to execute my goal of informing people about the dangers of heart disease is incredibly gratifying for me, but also for you: the public. Heart disease, stroke, HIV/AIDS, cancer and so many other illnesses that affect our community are articles that will never go out of style for this publication. We strongly believe in enhancing the quality of life for our readers by properly educating you on issues that are of the utmost relevance. I encourage everyone to set individual goals by striving to continuously educate yourself; be it through the Recorder, the Internet, or broadcast news – always remember that knowledge is indeed power.
To anyone affected by one of the diseases I mentioned – work hard to live a healthy life. Take your medications properly, eat the right foods, and exercise as often as possible.
If you’re not affected by a disease, but know someone who is; be a support to them, let them know you understand what they’re going through, and become engaged in their lives.
To both sufferers and non-sufferers, never give up. Always believe in the positive aspects of life and work towards creating new ones. Experts say one of the hardest things in life to experience is the loss of a parent. As the fifth anniversary of my mom’s death nears, I continue to miss her, the pain is just as deep, and my love for her is as strong now as it was when she was alive. Looking back, it’s hard to believe I’ve been able to live life without my mom – she was my breath; the true wind beneath my wings. So for that: my love for her and her love for me – I will always learn more and teach more. You can too.
