From personal experience along with information obtained by reading regularly on the internet, I've come to the realization that there are more people in the world besides myself who are ADHD and don't like to be in situations of constantly feeling overwhelmed.
A health crisis occurred in my family in recent weeks and I had no choice but to step up my game knowing the extra responsibilities placed on me, there was no time for me to feel overwhelmed for anything.
It was a Thursday morning, my family and I were up going about our morning routine like we always do. Everyone was feeling normal no cause for concern right? Well it wasn't until my mother was getting her coat from the closet to leave for work that the day quickly changed from normal to "oh my god"!
Just as my mom got her coat from the closet, she had to immediately sit down on the coach. She had one hand on her chest, tears streaming down her face. So right away I asked "Mom are you okay?". She said "No, my chest feels tight, can hardly catch my breath". "I feel pain shooting out through my back and up my right arm". "I have no feeling in my right arm".
As soon as she explained to me what was going on I knew it was the signs of a heart attack. Dad was outside shovelling snow so I told Mom to stay put. I went to the door called out to Dad and explained Mom's situation, that he should take her to the hospital right away. He did just that.
At the hospital after a day of numerous tests. It turned out to be a mild heart attack which meant my mom had to spend a few days in hospital to be monitored and more testing. Going to St. John's for a dye test (cardiac catheterization) to determine how much damage had been to done to her heart and check for blockages. She's extremely lucky not to have any blockages.
During Mom's hospital stay I had full responsibility of keeping the house functioning, working, managing my own ADHD, keeping my son on track with his ADHD, his schoolwork, visiting mom at the hospital, and dealing with my dad who is unwilling to deal with reality.
I'm proud to say that there were tiny brief moments at night where feelings of being overwhelmed became feelings of being over tired. I was able to maintain focus on the important things. Proving to my mom that she can rely on me to come through for her in a crisis, like she has done for me. My mom's heart attack caused me to 'wake up' and see things in a different perspective.
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