We Lost My Daddy

Last week, my family's lives were suddenly turned upside down. On Monday night, my dad's heart suddenly stopped and he passed away in his living room. After a very long effort to resuscitate, his body finally succumbed to death again 2 days later.

As I have spent the last week debating on whether or not I mention this is my business newsletter, I have decided that I can only do him justice by speaking the truth as I know it. My dad was so proud of the work I am doing and it wouldn't feel right to me to ignore or gloss over the events of the last week. As many of you receiving this know and love my dad, I also wanted to set your minds at ease if I can. Those of you who never knew him in person may know of him through his GLP-1 experience, which I have openly shared.

Ten years ago, my dad suffered a heart attack, and since his own father died of a massive heart attack at the age of 47, we have long anticipated that it would be a heart attack that would take my dad.

However, though his heart suddenly stopped, he did not suffer a heart attack. In fact, in the end, his heart was his strongest organ that carried his body through 2 more days so his family could all say good-bye. Even the nurses that cared for him, and deal with these types of deaths daily, were surprised by the strength of his heart.

If you know me, you know that I like having all the details, and as I have gathered information from hospital nurses, doctors, and eventually his primary care doctor, I have done what I do best: research and make connections.

There is no obvious scientific explanation for what caused my dad's heart to stop. His blood work made no sense to anyone that tried to decipher it. (If you are family and would like details on this, please text or email me and I will gladly pass all the information I have on this along.)

Through my minimal, but sufficient research, I have come to two important conclusions:

Dad's mission on this earth was complete and it was simply his time to go. When the Lord has a will, He will find a way. While this is very hard for those dad left behind, I am overjoyed by knowing he is now with those that have long left us, and he is now pain free.

GLP-1 strengthened dad's heart, preserved him from diabetic complications, and provided him with a quality of life in his last couple of years that he could not have had without these meds. In the days leading up to his death, he was riding his e-bike, baking gingerbread houses, and playing along with his kids and grandkids in an epic Harry Potter party.

As grief will make you do, there have been moments in the last week where I just want to throw in the towel and shut my work here down. There have also been moments where I feel even more push than ever before to share what I know, because I know GLP-1 can absolutely be life saving, if used appropriately.

One last thing I wanted to address. An article came out recently, and I don't recall if it was in the last week or just before news of my dad hit, but it expressed how GLP-1 damages and shrinks the heart. If you saw this article and it caused fear, this is just one example of the fear mongering that is surrounding these meds.

Here's what I'll say about this article: ANY long-term, low-calorie diet will shrink your heart (and every organ). This is absolutely an issue people are having with GLP-1 meds because they believe that these meds work simply by reducing appetite. If you are taking GLP-1 medications with the hope of eating less to lose weight, you are doing it wrong and there will be long-term consequences for this.

GLP-1 actually has many benefits for the heart, and semaglutide has been studied extensively in this regard (and in fact, it is being looked at for approval as a heart medication).

It's true that you may not lose weight quickly when using these meds appropriately. You may not lose every last pound you hope to lose. But done right, you will gain so much.

I hope you take to heart the things you can learn within my course, GLP-1 Done Right. I hope you share it with your loved ones. I often doubt myself and am constantly trying to learn, but the truth as I know it is that GLP-1 was such a blessing to my dad, extending and improving his body and quality of life.

Hold your family close.

Hugs & Smoothie Smiles,

Coach Camille PN, SSR