About
My name is Carrie Tucker, and I am the founder of Heart Failure Solutions.
I have been a Respiratory Therapist since 1985. I worked for 12 years in emergency and critical care settings, taking care of adults, kids and premature babies.
I learned from seasoned Respiratory Veterans, lessons that you just don’t get in school. I owe a debt of gratitude to each of them.
Caring for critically and chronically ill patients was strong motivation for me to focus on building health. It wasn’t a popular philosophy way back when, but more and more I find myself in good company.
When I shared what I learned about health with patients in the hospital, I was warned that it could cost me my job.
It was hard for me to swallow the explanation that empowering individuals to help themselves was a liability that wasn’t worth the risk.
Working in a setting that only allowed me to help people when they were fighting for their lives really burned me out. I felt like a parasite!
My job did not fill me with purpose even though I was part of a life saving team. It was stressful and draining my passion and zest for life.
Does your job drain you or lift you up?
The responsibility of providing for my 2 young daughters made me feel like I didn’t have the choice to follow my dreams and fulfill my purpose. I thought that would just have to wait until I was done child rearing!
Risk felt irresponsible, and burnout didn’t feel like significant enough reason to risk being unable to pay my bills and feed my kids.
My health was failing even though I was careful to get plenty of exercise and I ate whole-nourishing foods.
It wasn’t long before I was facing a brick wall. I was in too much physical pain to continue living with the stress.
I had most of the symptoms of fibro-myalsia, but resisted the diagnosis to spare myself high insurance premiums in the future. I asked them to call me “chronic pain”.
My stressful job and relationship were going to take me down if I didn’t do something about it.
How do you stop the stress of a job or a bad relationship?
I took my savings, sold what I could, asked my family for a bit of help, and walked away!
At the time it felt like a miracle to me that everything was falling into place. It took me many years to see that I manifested it with my thoughts and actions.
The Big Island of Hawaii was my escape from the stress that was killing me.
The problem was that I didn’t realize that I was manifesting my life. I still thought life was happening to me.
They say that the Big Island of Hawaii is where angels come to mend there wings. It certainly worked its magic on me.
I found a way to contract work and schedule my life around my young children. Having time to spend with them, AND a way to pay my bills was the answer to my prayers.
I began teaching cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation to oxygen patients in their homes.
The work gave me a sense of purpose. I offered people tools to regain their health, and many actually did. However, many people were just too stuck in their ways to make the necessary changes.
Learning to allow individual choice was a valuable life lesson. Honoring each person as they are, and allowing them their NO, forges a strong bond between you.
Sometimes my biggest challenge is to comfort family members who are having a tough time watching their loved one make choices that are harmful to them. I always encourage caregivers to choose their battles.
Accepting your loved one and allowing them their choice leaves the door open for change. What you resist persists, and you can’t fix anyone but you!
Do you have a loved one who is broken, but doesn’t know they need to be fixed?
Over the years, I noticed an increasing number of people living with undiagnosed heart failure.
Those who did have a heart failure diagnosis often weren’t getting the useful information and support that they needed. Too often patients are not given the information that they need from their health care provider, or they are misinformed entirely.
Heart Failure is deadly. Do you know what symptoms you should be concerned about?
Do you know what you need to be doing to alter your course and avoid heart failure?
Waiting for your doctor to warn you of your impending heart failure is equal to taking a nap on a sinking ship!
Even with good information, it is difficult to bring about life saving change in isolation.
Of the 100’s of people I have helped to regain their vitality, none of them did it in isolation. The most important ingredient of any health improvement plan is a support system.
Caring for someone who is dying of heart failure is powerful inspiration to nurture yourself in hopes of avoiding the same fate.
Many of the patients I cared for had given up, and were waiting to die. Their caregivers, however, still had hope, and it was such a blessing to see them thrive when they applied the simple advice I teach.
The human body is truly capable of amazing healing miracles. It is my purpose in life to help you discover yours.
If the information you get from your health care provider conflicts with what you learn on this site, get a second opinion.
It’s your health.
Of course the information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any health condition. Our goal is to educate you so that you can more effectively work with your health care provider.
Knowledge is potential power. Educate yourself.
Many blessings,
Carrie
Heart Failure Solutions
PS– Remember everyday:
- Relax and Release tension
- Take deeep breaths
- Be active in a way that adds joy to your life
Plus pure water ~whole foods~sunshine~and laughter
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