POWERHOUSE – WOMEN IN HEALTH CARE AND WOMEN’S HEALTH

For centuries, women primarily stayed home and took care of the family. More women have entered the workforce, but no matter whether women work inside the home our out, when homemakers get sick, the whole family’s dynamic has to change, and the family faces, “What are we going to do now?” In the worst-case scenario, some women have no choice but to power through her illness. 

This column is not about how powerful women are, and it’s not about how women can do and achieve everything, and it’s not that women are better than men. This column is about praising a few ladies in my life, my sidekicks who are powerhouses not because of their gender, but because of what they do day in and day out.

“Sofya, I have made up my mind, I’ll never use my MBA again, but remaining as a stay-at-home mom is not gratifying for me either so I’m going into nursing; an accelerated program, and it’s only one and a half years.” 

Now, if a friend without kids would make that statement, I would just say, another notch under your belt, more kudos for you, go for it.  However, she does have three kids, and all kids have after-school activities and a husband who travels for his work quite a lot. So contrary, my reaction was even more exuberant to this news, “I cannot even be prouder of you than I’m now doing this in your late forties. Not everyone can go back to school and study after being out for twenty years and take care of the family.” 

And she did it - nailed that program! She is now saving lives, and I’m grateful to have a friend like that. As hard as it was, it saved her state of mind – women’s health is everything. 

My other role model, my other powerhouse is my twin. A single mom working in a health system, taking care of patient’s needs after going through a major surgery. She is not just a facilitator; she visits her patients and checks on them. She wants to make sure the family and the patient are at peace and confident that her facility will help in every way they can to recover and go on with their life as it was before.  She puts her heart and soul into her job, which is beyond hard for a single mom to a soon-to-be, five-year-old. 

Rushing to daycare for the drop off, rushing to be on time for meetings, rushing back to grab lunch, staying on track with all the after-school activities, and being present at the business dinners, it seems like a treadmill. Her health doesn’t belong to her anymore, her child and her clients depend on her health and well-being. And as my better half, she better stay as amazing as she is for my selfish reason.

Women’s health has a variety of aspect and besides mental physical health, women also must consider their dependents well-being too. 

La Dolce Vita!!

Until next month!