If turning lemons into lemonade were a person, it would be Kentaya Beeler. In 2009, Beeler learned she had a brain tumor and needed surgery. Like most patients, she was nervous but felt there was no choice but to trust her doctor. Unfortunately, trusting her doctor almost cost Beeler her life. She ended up being a victim of botched surgery and ended up unable to walk or return to any semblance of her normal life for almost two years. Beeler defied the odds and did recover but she was inspired to help others avoid her nightmare by opening her business, CHAMOME LLC.
How important is it to research and study your diagnosis or symptoms on your own and not just take your doctor’s word?
In my opinion, I believe you should get multiple medical opinions and conduct research in medical journals and on databases from your local library. I do not recommend doing a general web search about your medical condition because this could result in misleading information. In addition, it should be noted that medical research often looks at a large majority of patient symptoms and an individual may not find their specific reaction to a procedure to be the same as the masses. Therefore, one should understand that they may have a different reaction to a procedure and there could be others who experienced the same but it is not noted in research.
What inspired you to found CHAMOME LLC?
The passion behind CHAMOME LLC is purely my lived experience and the challenges I experienced from the time I was diagnosed with a brain tumor to the time I rebuilt my life. In addition, I also have served in the capacity of caregiver to my mother during her season of acute illness before I fell ill. As well as after my brain tumor recovery, being a caregiver to my late father who passed away in 2018 from bone cancer. During all of these journeys, a wealth of knowledge was gathered because of the unknown and it is my desire that families be prepared for the unexpected or the reality of sickness and death. I hope to help families turn the page and relieve unnecessary burden by launching their Life Planning with CHAMOME LLC which means Champion of Me. Being a champion of yourself means having those hard conversations with yourself, your spouse, your children, your friends and your parents.
Why is it important to have access to your and or your loved one’s medical records?
It is critical that every individual has up-to-date records of their family medical records and their own to ensure medical professional account for allergies, current medications and medical conditions that may impact medical procedures. For example, if a person wears a C-PAP machine due to sleep apnea, families should ensure a machine should be present at medical procedures when the individual must be put asleep or the anesthesiologist should have knowledge that the patient needs C-PAP care.
