Hello and welcome! I’m Christie Martin and I’m navigating this journey too.
I’m a 47-year-old wife, mother, and daughter to two aging parents. My husband is a Physician Assistant (PA-C) in a busy orthopedic practice. Our kids are 9 and 4 and our life is full of soccer practice, book reports, swim lessons, early mornings and late nights.
I’ve spent the last 24 years selling medical devices and pharmaceuticals for companies like Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. My training has come from the best of the best! Most of my focus has been on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, not to mention the constant lectures on Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurances. My profession has taught me so much!
Currently, I am a sales rep for a company that provides medical alert pendants and home monitoring systems. I go into the homes of seniors and train them on how to use these devices. This experience has opened my eyes to the needs of caregivers and the struggles that are present in the journey with aging parents.
However, the “school of life,” has taught me more!
At the age of 14 my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and I barely remember a time when she wasn’t sick. Over the years I’ve watched this disease slowly progress and, little by little, take away her ability to live the life she desires. Now she’s reached what doctors are calling “end stage” MS. She’s in a wheelchair full time, requires 24-hour care, and is experiencing the shutting down of her body.
We have decisions to make.
Fortunately, my father, a retired physician, is there and able to care for her. Overall his health is good but I see the toll it takes on him. He gave us a scare 6 years ago when he woke one night to a ruptured heart valve. He was rushed in to the ER and, after emergency surgery, received a new valve and a pacemaker. Recovery has gone well but I worry about the stress he endures each day and the effect it has on his body.
I worry a lot. I pray a lot.
So How Did Senior Navigation Begin?
Often we need to lean on others for support as we navigate these rough waters with our aging parents. A good friend once told me, “I hope you’re taking notes on all of this! My parents are a few years younger than yours and soon I’ll be going through this too!”
That’s when it hit me… “That’s EXACTLY what I’ll do!” And so began Senior Navigation!
This is more than a blog to me…I view it as a ministry. I have a soft place in my heart for those who walk blindly along this journey in need of answers and support. I believe God has lead me to this place and will equip me with wise council to help those in need.
My goal is to develop a comprehensive “one-stop-shop” to help you get the answers you need.
I want to be a lighthouse that steers you away from rocky shores and into the calm sea.
I want to take what I’ve learned through each experience and share it with you.
I want to empower you through knowledge and preparedness.
I want to encourage you and tell you you’re not alone.