If the Situation Was Critical - How Would You Cope?

I love stories that help me help people make informed decisions about insurance and why it's important.  Unfortunately, most of those stories are the bad news stories of people in their time of need.  I met a woman today who relayed her story to me about a critical illness that occurred to her not two years ago.
One of the products that has always kind of baffled me in terms of need has been a critical illness insurance plan. Most of the time, these plans pay a lump sum benefit if you should be diagnosed with having had a heart attack, stroke, renal failure, blindness, paralysis, etc.  All that is well and good, but the question I always has was how would this money they receive (sometimes in upwards of $50K) help?  Today I found that out.
As this very nice woman told me her tale of illness, the first thing that struck me was that once she was diagnosed with having had a heart attack, her doctor recommended she take a year off of work to get better and hopefully heal.  A YEAR?  Exactly how did this doctor think someone who was working full time go into a year long state of disability with no income?  That's not really the doctor's issue now, is it?  Fortunately she had a working spouse who was paid well enough that the bills could be met and she could take her needed time of rest.  Fortunately she did heal.  Today she can have all the EKG tests she wants and there seems to be no signs of ever having had an issue.  That's great for her, but what about the other people this could happen to?
The reality is most lengthy health issues happen just like this.  Unfortunately, most people can't just take time off like this woman was able to do.  They have to do something or risk the stress of going bankrupt or losing all they have.  THAT is why critical illness insurance is there.  If this lady was not in the minority, she would have needed money and she would have needed enough to at least get her through a year.  How far would $50K go for keeping your bills paid for a year?  I think I'd be OK in that situation and one thing I would not be stressing over is money.
So, the next time someone talks to you about critical illness insurance, remember this story and ask yourself how long you think you could go without income if the doctor told you you needed to take a year off to get better.