It's Not The Plan, It's The People

How an unexpected hospital stay reminded me of the value of having support already in place.

I went to work that morning as normal.

By that afternoon, I'd left the office early and then pulled over on the freeway on-ramp because something wasn't right.

Looking back, what happened next was completely ridiculous.

I got out of the driver's seat and sat in the passenger seat.  That didn't help.

So I climbed into the back seat.  That didn't help either.

Then I sat on the ground beside the car.  Also not helpful.

At the time, though, it made perfect sense - although in hindsight, I was already not thinking clearly.

I wasn't doubled over in pain.  It was more this overwhelming discomfort that had been building throughout the day.  The kind that convinces you a cup of tea, a different chair or sitting in a different position might somehow fix things.

Spoiler alert:  none of those things fix what turned out to be acute appendicitis.

Somewhere along the line I threw up before eventually getting back into the driver's seat, starting the car and immediately thinking, "Nope!".  At that point it was fairly obvious I wasn't driving myself home - not safely anyway.

I called Mum and Dad, who came to rescue both me and my car. After an unsuccessful stop at a local doctor who couldn't see me, Dad took me to hospital (must say Mum had suggested the hospital and I had promptly advised that wasn't necessary - what is that saying about Mums knowing best … ).

It was also Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary.

They had dinner booked that night.

Instead, Dad spent the evening sitting in Emergency with me.

We waited for hours.

I remember lying on the floor, walking, standing, sitting, anything to try and find some relief. By that stage, I'd only been offered Panadol, which I promptly threw up. It wasn't exactly my finest moment.

Eventually I was admitted with suspected appendicitis. There was more waiting, and more waiting, and then some more waiting. Surgery didn't happen until the following night.

Somewhere amongst all of that, another thought occurred to me.

Nobody outside my immediate circle knew where I'd disappeared to.

Not the people who followed my businesses.

Not the people who expected to hear from me online.

Not the people who might have been waiting for a response.

Thankfully, I had one very good friend who already had access to both of my business social media accounts. If you're reading this, you know who you are. 💛

Once I was admitted and things were a little more stable, I managed to send a text asking if she could put something up on socials for me.  Honestly, sending that text was about all I could manage.  There was no way I was logging into social media, creating posts, replying to messages or sending emails.

That's the thing about unexpected situations.  Whether it's appendicitis, an accident, a family emergency or even a really nasty dose of the flu , life can change very quickly.

Looking back, that's probably why I'm so passionate about having backup plans and supporting people.  Not because I expect something to go wrong. But because life happens.

Most business owners have thought about what they'd do if their computer died, their internet stopped working or their car broke down.

Far fewer have thought about what happens if they're the thing that's unexpectedly out of action.

Who can access your socials?

Who can send an update to your email list?

Who can let your clients know what's happening?

Who already knows enough about your business to step in without needing a two-hour explanation?

The biggest lesson I learned wasn't that I needed a complicated business continuity plan.

It was that I needed trusted people around me and a few simple systems already in place.

These days I have draft email templates ready to go, I use a password manager, and I've spent a lot more time thinking about how I would keep my businesses running, or at the very least keep my clients in the loop, if I was suddenly out of action again.

Because when you're sitting in a hospital bed, or even sitting beside one with someone you love, the last thing you want to be worrying about is passwords, social media posts, marketing emails or who needs to know what.

None of us know what's around the corner - it doesn't have to be appendicitis.  It could be an accident, a family emergency, a sudden illness or any one of life's unexpected curveballs.  Some of those curveballs aren't bad ones either - it might be an unexpected opportunity, a last-minute trip, a whirlwind romance or a wedding that suddenly becomes the most important thing on your calendar.

Whatever it is, having trusted people around you and a simple plan in place can make life a whole lot easier.

Whether that's someone who can feed the pets, let family know what's happening, contact your clients, post an update on your behalf or simply help keep things ticking over while you're focused elsewhere, you'll be grateful they're already part of your support network.

Looking back, the lesson wasn't about appendicitis at all.  It was about support.  Having people around you who already know enough about your life, your business or your responsibilities to step in when you need them.

Because when life throws you a curveball, the last thing you want to be doing is explaining passwords, processes or priorities.

Having someone who can simply say, "Don't worry, I've got that," is worth its weight in gold. 💛

P.S.  This experience is one of the reasons I'm so passionate about helping business owners create communication templates and simple systems. Sometimes all it should take is a quick text saying "Can you let everyone know I'll be offline for a while?" and knowing the right person can take it from there.