Heather F. Fogg, RN, BSN, CFCS

Interacting with senior citizens has been a major part of my life, since I was a little girl. I loved interacting with them, listening to their stories and seeing them smile and laugh.

In high school, I volunteered at the nursing home across from the school. Even as a teenager, my heart instinctively felt their burdens of aging.

As my parents began aging, I started thinking about my own life and decided I wanted a more fulfilling career; one where I would have the opportunity to "give back." I left the business world and began supervising group homes for adults with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and medical concerns. The residents and the work quickly got into my heart again. That is when I began thinking about a career in nursing. I saw the need for people who genuinely cared for all patients of differing backgrounds and needs. With the education and training as a nurse, I would be able to give patients the knowledgeable compassionate care they deserved.

While working on my pre-requisites for nursing school, I worked in a home with 7 adults with schizophrenia and major medical issues. I also worked at a local assisted living facility, administering medications and providing personal care to residents. Caring for people just seemed so natural even though being a nurse had never been on my "radar".

I graduated from Eastern Maine Community College in 2015, and passed my NCLEX licensing for my RN, shortly after. In December of 2021, I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, from University of Maine at Fort Kent. I have gained a tremendous amount of experience as a medical-surgical nurse, caring for post-surgical patients and patients with a wide variety of illnesses. Chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease and cancer are growing at an alarming rate, due to lack of health maintenance, patient education, and difficulty accessing affordable care. I have seen too many patients, young and old, lose toes, feet, and limbs unnecessarily.

Despite the multi-faceted issues of the current system, we all must address the issues one step at time, being disciplined as individuals and helping however we can. Being proactive in the management of our health will minimize the burdens on ourselves, our loved ones, and to our overall healthcare system. That is why I started "Fundamental Foot Care."