December 28, 2018
I picked up the phone and heard “Your condition is life threatening…”
It’s almost inevitable that at some point you’ll be dealing with bad news or a scary diagnosis from a doctor. While it’s easy to read articles offering “tips for dealing with bad news,” when you get that news and you’re scared, all of that advice can fly out of the brain pretty quickly.
I learned 3 things while in the hospital that may be invaluable should you ever find yourself in a similar situation…
1) Face down the fear with courage.
If you ever get a call after hours from your doctor on his personal cell phone after hours, you can probably assume that it’s not good news. I picked up the phone and he told me my condition was life threatening and I needed to drop everything and immediately check into the Mayo Clinic. Coming face to face with your mortality is a sobering experience. It was scary, but I ultimately found peace and strength in that hospital room.
2) The greatest gift you can leave your loved ones.
Laying in the hospital bed thinking of my son Jacob, and how he would get by without me, I had a comforting peace that my affairs were in order. Make sure your affairs are in order today before you have a health scare or worse. How will the loved ones you leave behind be taken care of? Do you have plans in place? If not, don't waste another minute.
Your plan should be written down and simple enough for anyone to pick up and understand. Ideally this would be contained on one or two sheets of paper including who to call and where important documents are located. Don’t forget to include passwords, combinations to safes, safety deposit key, etc.
And this goes double for life insurance, get it before you get sick, or your health changes.
3) Don’t underestimate the big impact of little things.
Creature comforts are everything in the hospital! Visit your friends and family and bring them things in the hospital every chance you get. Mayo is a great hospital but you don't visit for a culinary experience. I had a friend bring me a pastrami sandwich for lunch one day and it was the best thing I ever ate. Also, if you have the "luxury" like I did of knowing you are "checking in" ahead of time pack some everyday comforts. Having your own comfortable clothes, for me basketball shorts and warm socks, instead of a hospital gown is everything.
“I don’t know if I will ever qualify again” – what can you do next?
Hopefully learning about my experience will help you prepare your own affairs. A positive by-product of this experience is my company’s renewed commitment to help others prepare for the worst so they can take care of their loved ones. We are partnering with a law firm in order to help others get their financial house in order through power of attorney, wills and trust options that fits their family's needs. We will also provide each client with a 'Client Map' your one page plan to leave behind so none of your hard earned money or planning gets lost in the shuffle.
“Get your financial house in order”
We are launching this service in January of 2019. Our value is the client will have just one point of contact coordinating with other professionals on your behalf simplifying the process. However, you do have access to our entire team. Even better, if we are already working with you we have much of the info we need already, so no need to start a new relationship with a new attorney and spill your guts all over again!
Address your life insurance now, before you get sick, or your health changes. I let a smaller policy expire right before I landed in the hospital because I felt I had just enough coverage with my other plan. However, laying there I really wished I would have replaced that smaller policy so my family would have more than enough. Now I don’t know if I will ever qualify again and may have lost that option forever.
I was lucky to make it through this rough period of time and got to go home to my family. We all know sometimes you won’t get a second chance at life so start today, contact us today to get started!