Patient privacy, modesty, and staff burnout

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 8 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas

Resume As a heart attack survivor with an accordion file of ongoing complications, I’ve become a frequent flyer with my cardiologist, my longtime family physician, related specialists, the Pain Clinic, our local hospital, and in countless diagnostic labs. Many cardiac procedures involve stripping to the waist and putting on that  flimsy paper gown. In the case of a stress echocardiogram, for example, it means having the opening at the front instead of the back to allow 12 EKG leads to be attached to your bare torso during the test.

Not a big deal for male patients, but let me assure you – this can be a very big deal for many women.  Continue reading “Patient privacy, modesty, and staff burnout” →

Why taking a shower is so exhausting for heart attack survivors

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 12 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

After being discharged from hospital following my heart attack, I was utterly gobsmacked by how exhausting even the most basic of daily activities now felt.  Taking a shower was a memorable example.  It left me feeling surprisingly weak, shaky and gasping for breath.

In fact, a routine shower usually meant a 20-minute lie down afterwards just to recover. That’s when I first read about METS*.

METS stands for “metabolic equivalents.” Different daily activities are assigned different MET levels depending on how much physical energy they take to do (see the list below).  Continue reading “Why taking a shower is so exhausting for heart attack survivors” →

Are women being left behind in cardiac research?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

I was interviewed by Catherine Morgan at Blogher after the report called Heart Device Studies Still Leave Women Out of Equation was published in the March issue of the journal, Circulation. Catherine asked a number of questions about my take on Dr. Rita Redberg’s findings in this research. For example, one of her questions was:

“How concerned should women with heart disease be about this latest report?”   Continue reading “Are women being left behind in cardiac research?” →

Why are women with atrial fibrillation treated differently?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 6 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas 

She is a 60-year old heart patient who wryly claims: “Catheter ablation is one of my favorite subjects!” After she underwent this treatment for her atrial fibrillation*, she healed surprisingly slowly, and her distressing episodes of high or irregular heart rate – averaging anywhere from 140-160 beats per minute – “came back full-time”.

She was also warned that these symptoms could last for months. She adds:

“I know how frustrating it is when doctors tell you that ablation is ‘The Answer’ and it turns out not to be.”

Sadly, she is not alone. Last year, cardiac researchers at St. David’s Hospital in Austin, Texas reported striking differences in the outcomes and complications of more than 3,200 women who underwent the cardiac procedure called Atrial Fibrillation Ablation*.  Continue reading “Why are women with atrial fibrillation treated differently?” →