about me

Since 1973 (when I was just a tiny baby), my work background has been in journalism,  communications and public relations. I’m the author of a couple books, my little garden won a national garden contest from Gardening Life magazine, I once had lunch with His Royal Highness Prince Edward  (yes, that Prince Edward) and many years ago while I was a student at Queen’s University, I accidentally smashed our old Buick into the station wagon of “The English Patient” author, Michael Ondaatje. Those are just some of the little things you may not know about me unless you’d known me for a long time.

I have two grown kidlets: Larissa Jane, who lives with her fiancé Randy two blocks away from her Mama (their wedding is in August!) and Ben, who last year moved back to his hometown here on the West Coast of Canada; he and his lovely bride Paula have recently returned home from a 3-month trip to India.

Back in 1997, I made what the Victoria Times Colonist called at the time a “riches to rags” career move when I decided to abandon the expense account world of corporate PR in order to do something socially meaningful for a change – and off I went to work with the Salvation Army. I ran their mobile disaster response unit, as well as a street outreach program feeding the homeless.  In 2000, I was thrilled to be offered the position of Communications Coordinator at the Victoria Hospice Society.  I was just your average active, outgoing PR person, a longtime Run Leader at the Y’s marathon clinic, involved in many community and professional organizations, all while juggling a fun and busy social life with my close-knit family and friends.

But in May 2008, I suddenly became a member of an exclusive club that nobody ever wants to join:  I was hospitalized for a myocardial infarction caused by a 99% blocked coronary artery – what doctors call the “widow-maker” heart attack.

Two weeks earlier, I had actually been sent home from the same hospital’s Emergency Department with a misdiagnosis of acid reflux, despite presenting with textbook Hollywood heart attack symptoms like crushing chest pain, nausea, sweating, and pain radiating down my left arm. I later learned at Mayo Clinic that, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, women are seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed in mid-heart attack and sent home from Emergency compared to our male counterparts presenting with identical symptoms.

More coverage about my heart attack misdiagnosis story at:

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And now here’s the bright side of my story. If I’d never had that heart attack:

  • Until I was prescribed a fistful of cardiac drugs every day, I would never have been alarmed enough by what I was learning about Big Pharma’s pervasive influence on marketing-based medicine and tainted drug research to launch my other website, The Ethical Nag: Marketing Ethics for the Easily Swayed.
  • I would never have been named a ‘Women’s Health Hero‘ for 2009 by Our Bodies Ourselves of Boston, one of 20 inductees from seven countries honoured for women’s health activism in our communities.

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But those are the only bright sides. I’d really love my old life back. Please . . .

See also: The New Country Called Heart Disease

♥   Here’s how to contact me   ♥

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© 2011 Carolyn Thomas 

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And while you’re here, please visit my other site

The Ethical Nag:  Marketing Ethics for the Easily Swayed

This page was last updated on May 19, 2012
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