Jennifer Van Syckle 0:00 Thank you for joining us for this episode of talking health in the 406, where we're one community under the big sky. I'm your host, Jennifer Vansickle, longtime health care worker turned health educator. And I hope you enjoy our one year anniversary episode. It's now been one year since we've been promoting our podcast. So to celebrate, we're going to do something a little differently. For this episode, we're going to bring you a highlight from each guest. So whether you've listened to just a single episode, or every single one, we hope this variety will bring you inspiration to go back and listen again, catch the ones you missed, and maybe share with your friends. We hope you enjoy. For our first through third episodes, we hosted guest Melissa House Program Manager for the Montana Diabetes Program. In her episode, she shared her journey of being diagnosed with type one diabetes as a child and Butte. Melissa House 1:02 Just because I have diabetes doesn't mean I can't do things, Jennifer Van Syckle 1:05 and then living life as a teenager and college student with diabetes. Melissa House 1:11 You know, I didn't think I realized or when you get that diagnosis, you don't think about the future and and what could potentially happen, right? Jennifer Van Syckle 1:20 Finally, Melissa shared her story of being a double organ transplant recipient. And that amazing journey, Melissa House 1:28 it was almost trading one thing for another. Because now that I don't have to worry about the diabetes, there's so many other things that I have to think about in you know, my daily life. I'm on medications for the rest of my life. So you know getting in that regimen. Jennifer Van Syckle 1:44 And episodes four through six. Our guest was Jacob Chris savich. In his youth, Jacob had normal vision. But by his 30s, he was completely blind. In his first episode, he shares with us what it was like to slowly lose his vision, the approach Jacob Krissovich 2:00 of I don't know when this is going to end and I'm gonna live my life. Jennifer Van Syckle 2:06 In his second episode, he shares the hardships and the mental struggles of losing vision. Jacob Krissovich 2:11 Sometimes you need help, and they needed help. And I once saw a counselor and I'm honestly stronger mentally than I ever was. Jennifer Van Syckle 2:20 And in the third episode, probably one of the favorites. He talks about his guide dog five, Jacob Krissovich 2:25 their criteria, they want to know that you'll you walk on average at least a half mile a day. Because they want it don't want to just give out a dog that's not going to be used. Yeah, it's not. But the idea is not to give you a pet. It's to give you an amazing companion. Don't get me wrong. Faith is amazing as a companion but also, first and foremost a mobility tool, Jennifer Van Syckle 2:48 and to not only survive, but thrive in a life without vision. Jacob Krissovich 2:54 With time and acceptance and training and working through things and it's going to be hard. You're going to make mistakes, you're gonna mess things up. You know, you're blind, or have mobility issues, you might burn yourself on the stove, you know, but you learn Jennifer Van Syckle 3:10 episode seven through nine, we featured our guest Francine Janek from the Jefferson Valley emergency medical services in Whitehall. In the first episode, Francine shared with us the origins of EMS in Montana. Francine Janik 3:24 So EMS started with just neighbors taking care of neighbors. Jennifer Van Syckle 3:29 She then shared just how far we've come. Francine Janik 3:32 And you know, in the early 70s, we were just arrived to the hospital. And now we're at actual moving emergency room. Jennifer Van Syckle 3:40 And finally, she shared how much EMS work and volunteering can truly help. Two of Francine Janik 3:45 them are nurses and said it was the most beneficial training they got in their whole career was to do EMS work because it taught them how to interact with patients and how to make high stress decisions. Jennifer Van Syckle 3:57 Our next guest for episodes 10 and 11 was Kelly Liddell, Kelly shared her experience with us of having a spontaneous coronary artery dissection, which can be a very serious cardiac event. In her first episode, Kelly talks about her chest pain, and the struggle to diagnose and find out exactly what's going on. And she said, so I need to well, you're down to the cath lab. So I'm kind of just you know, this was the escalation of all these well, we Unknown Speaker 4:23 don't know we don't know and some kind of like, well, what do you know? Is it serious? Do I need to have it done now? Jennifer Van Syckle 4:30 In the second episode, Kelly talks about her diagnosis, and learning to live as a survivor of SCAD or spontaneous coronary artery dissection. This isn't a joke. This wasn't a dream that you didn't wake up from. This is your life. Our next guest was Cheryl Tillman's for episode 12. She shared how she found herself in declining health, much like we all do, and how the National Diabetes Prevention Program and a healthy lifestyle brought her back to a great healthy outlook on life and good health. Cheryl Tillemans 5:05 You know, it's hard at first, but it becomes habitual, you know, it becomes a norm, you have to go into it with the intent that you need to do it. Jennifer Van Syckle 5:15 Episodes 13 and 14 wrapped up our year at talking health in the 406. For these episodes, we were joined by guest Rachel Anderson. In Episode 13, Rachel shared her story of having a daughter who was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma and subsequently struggled to maintain control of that disease. Rachel Anderson 5:35 Yeah, so Mia was in sixth grade, she was playing basketball. And she started having some breathing issues during games where she would get very out of breath, and have trouble recovering and coming out of that. And in Jennifer Van Syckle 5:52 Episode 14, Rachel shared the heartbreaking story of losing her daughter to an asthma attack. Speaker 6 5:58 At this point, we were, we were still very hopeful she was gonna come out of it, Jennifer Van Syckle 6:05 her organ donation, Speaker 6 6:07 so she saved three lives. And she'd been able to donate both kidneys and, and her liver. Jennifer Van Syckle 6:21 And now Rachel's subsequent goals of increasing asthma awareness and advocacy in the state of Montana. The home visitors can help identify things that might make the asthma worse, they can help you get your medications sorted out, they're kind of just that extra, extra helping hand to help with that asthma care. Speaker 6 6:41 I just, I wonder, you know, if Mia would have been part of a of that program, and, you know, maybe things would be different. Jennifer Van Syckle 6:55 Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of talking health in the 406, where we're one community under the big sky. All of these podcasts are found wherever you get your podcast feed and on our website. For more information about any of these please tune in to our website at talking health and the 406 dot m t.gov. And on behalf of both myself, and our team behind the scenes that helped make this podcast a reality. We want to thank you for tuning in this past year. It's been a great year with a lot of interesting content and guests. And I can tell you a little secret. We've got another great year ahead. So please keep tuning in and spread the word about talking health in the 406 where we're one community under the big sky. Until next time, take care Transcribed by https://otter.ai