Penny Lancaster has recalled the moment her husband Rod Stewart urged her to seek medical help after she threw plates across the kitchen in front of their two sons.
In a candid interview, the former model, 53, spoke about how menopause ‘hit her like a truck’ four years ago, leading her to have several ‘breakdowns’.
Penny said it was so bad she was worried if her marriage would survive, and after being misdiagnosed with depression.
It was her team at Loose Women who staged an intervention.
hen she first started experiencing symptoms, Penny and Sir Rod, 79, alongside their two sons Alistair, 18, and Aiden, 13.
Had just decamped their home in Florida and moved back to the UK during lockdown.
Speaking of the moment Rod told her “You can’t carry on the like this”, Penny told The Times: ‘I picked up the plates and I threw them across the kitchen. Which is an outrageous thing to think of — who the hell would throw the dinner?
‘I threw these plates of food across the kitchen as hard as I could, to make as much noise as I could. As if the noise… as if someone would wake up, someone would notice me, someone would have the answer.
‘I collapsed on the floor in a heap, burst into tears, shaking in the corner. Of course, it was an absolute shock to Rod and the boys. Rod just went, “Boys, in the other room. Leave Mummy.”
‘He came over and said, “It’s all right, darling. It’s OK, it’s OK.”I was shaking. “I can’t do this. What the hell is going on with me?” I thought I was going mad. Rod said, “Right, we’ve got to get you to the doctor’s. You can’t carry on like this. There’s got to be an answer. There’s got to be something.”
Luckily, Penny revealed the plates didn’t hit anyone but they had to redecorate the kitchen.
Penny was experiencing an unusual discomfort at night which she described similar to feeling a ‘rising inferno’ or ‘standing in a pit of fire’.
She easily went from feeling her blood boil to wake up freezing cold at night not knowing what was happening to her, and at the time led her to assume it was Covid-19.
Penny used to retreat into the garden where the chickens were to cope with the debilitating anxiety she was battling as a result of the changes to her body.
When the model finally had the chance to see her GP – who was a male – he saw her bursting into tears and diagnosed her with depression, and prescribed some antidepressants.
Such medicines only worsened Penny’s state of mind as she felt ‘terrified but also numb’.
The star explained she couldn’t feel either happy or sad, and the antidepressants simply contributed to make her feel like she ‘didn’t care’ about her own condition, despite feeling all the same symptoms.
But then it was the Loose Women team who alerted Penny she might have been going through menopause instead.
After having a chat on Zoom, the daytime show panel raised it could have easily been hormonal withdrawal despite her thinking she wasn’t ‘old enough’.
And once they returned to the studio, they were finally able to see Penny in person and ultimately ‘realised what was happening’.
The TV alum praised them and said their ‘combined power’ saved her thanks for all their previous experiences.
They informed her about Dr Louise Newson, an increasingly celebrated menopause specialist who ‘holds back an emergency slot every day in her surgery for suicidal women’.
Penny joined the doctor on one of her emergency slots and was diagnosed over a Zoom call.
She burst into tears that it luckily wasn’t ‘mental illness’ – as all she could think about was saving her marriage and ‘keep her family from falling apart’.
Follow us to see more useful information, as well as to give us more motivation to update more useful information for you.
Source: New York Post
Understanding Deductibles in Insurance
What is a Deductible?
A deductible is the amount of money a policyholder must pay out-of-pocket before an insurance company begins to cover the remaining costs. Deductibles are a fundamental component of most insurance policies, including health, auto, home, and business insurance.
How Do Deductibles Work?
When you file a claim, you are responsible for paying the deductible amount. Only after this amount is paid will the insurance company pay for the covered expenses exceeding the deductible. For example, if you have a $1,000 deductible on your car insurance and incur $3,000 in damages from an accident, you would pay the first $1,000, and the insurance company would cover the remaining $2,000.
Types of Deductibles
- Fixed Dollar Deductible: This is a specific amount you must pay each time you file a claim. It’s common in health and auto insurance policies.
- Percentage Deductible: In some cases, particularly with homeowners insurance, the deductible might be a percentage of the insured value. For instance, if your home is insured for $200,000 and you have a 2% deductible, your out-of-pocket cost would be $4,000 before insurance covers the rest.
- Per-Claim vs. Annual Deductible:
- Per-Claim Deductible: You pay the deductible every time you file a claim.
- Annual Deductible: Common in health insurance, this deductible resets each year. You pay out-of-pocket until your total expenses reach the deductible amount for the year.
Why Do Deductibles Exist?
- Cost Control: Deductibles help keep insurance premiums more affordable. Higher deductibles typically result in lower premiums because the policyholder assumes more initial risk.
- Reduced Claims Frequency: Deductibles discourage policyholders from filing small or frivolous claims, reducing the number of claims an insurer must process and pay out.
- Shared Responsibility: Deductibles ensure that policyholders share in the financial responsibility of their care or damages, promoting cautious behavior and maintenance of insured assets.
Choosing the Right Deductible
When selecting an insurance policy, choosing the right deductible is crucial. Here are some considerations:
- Financial Ability: Assess your ability to pay the deductible in case of a claim. A higher deductible can lower your premium but may be challenging to pay if an incident occurs.
- Risk Tolerance: Determine how much risk you are comfortable assuming. If you prefer lower out-of-pocket costs during an emergency, a lower deductible might be preferable, albeit with a higher premium.
- Frequency of Claims: Consider how often you might need to file a claim. If you anticipate frequent claims, a lower deductible might be more cost-effective over time.
Impact on Premiums
The relationship between deductibles and premiums is inverse. Generally, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium, and vice versa. This trade-off allows policyholders to customize their insurance based on their financial situation and risk appetite.
Conclusion
Deductibles are a key feature of insurance policies that influence both the cost of premiums and the financial burden on policyholders when filing claims. Understanding how deductibles work and carefully selecting an appropriate deductible can help balance cost savings with financial protection, ensuring optimal insurance coverage tailored to individual needs and circumstances.
