VIDEO: Gina Lundberg, MD, FACC, discusses navigating illness of a close family member
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PHILADELPHIA — In this Healio video exclusive, Gina Lundberg, MD, FACC, discusses the anxiety and distress a clinician might feel when a spouse, child or close family member is navigating a serious illness.
For a clinician trained to perform a differential diagnosis and seemingly have all of the answers, supporting a loved one with a serious illness can sometimes leave a person feeling powerless, Lundberg, associate professor at the Emory University School of Medicine, clinical director of the Emory Women’s Heart Center and a Healio | Cardiology Today Editorial Board member, said at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Lundberg spoke during a panel discussion on how clinicians can practice self-care during such a time.
“If it is your child or your spouse, it is deeply personal, and you may feel like it is happening to you, too,” Lundberg said. “If it is your parent, or a sibling or close family member, you feel a little more like an ally or advocate. In both situations, you want to get the most information to help the person make good decisions, but we are not trained to be the bystander.”
Lundberg, whose husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer 2 years ago, said she was forced to confront mixed feelings of “trying to keep it together on the outside [while] you may be completely falling apart on the inside.”
Lundberg said clinicians must try to focus on their wellbeing during a time when they have to care for patients while also caring for a loved one.
“Suddenly, you’re in a world ... where you know very little and certainly do not know the cutting-edge research,” Lundberg said. “It can be very overwhelming. You may feel lost or isolated.”
Watch the video for more.
Reference:
- Lundberg G, et al. When you are not the doctor – Caring for yourself, spouse, parents and children. Presented at: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions; Nov. 11-13, 2023; Philadelphia.
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