This is a modal window.
Video Transcript
My doctor said that I have to take a pill now--many pills--every day, for the rest of my life.
I'm not a pill person.
The pills don't make me feel any different.
I know they're for my heart, but truthfully, I don't know what they do and I wonder if I really need them.
I'm trying really hard to make changes to my lifestyle, eating right, being active.
But just looking at those pills makes me feel like a sick person.
Sometimes, the pills make me feel worse, like being tired all day.
No one likes taking pills.
It's not who we think we are.
But think about why you're taking the pills.
They're helping your heart stay healthy.
They're helping you prevent problems later on.
Even if you're taking good care of yourself by eating well and being active, your medicine is the added layer of protection for your heart.
You could be giving yourself more time with the people you love.
I decided that taking my pills is a small price to pay to be alive and well.
It doesn't mean I have to see myself as a sick person--it's all in the way I think about things.
And I've got another grandchild on the way.
I'm not missing that.
I went back to my doctor and she helped me understand how my medicine is helping my heart.
She reminded me what might happen if I don't take my pills.
I can't say I don't know anymore.
It's too important.
When I told my doctor how tired I was all the time, he told me we could work on changing the dosage or maybe even switch medicine so I wouldn't be so tired.
I'm starting to feel a little better about life and about those pills.
Taking medicine every day doesn't have to define who you are.
It's just a moment in your day.
The goal is to live longer and live well.