by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
After my heart attack, I appreciated kind-hearted friends and family who said: “Just call me if there’s anything at all that I can do for you!”
But I knew in my heart of hearts that I was not going to call them to ask:
“Can you come over and change the kitty litter?”
That was just never going to happen. Continue reading “Ten helpful things to say to a sick friend”
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
Tragically, women may still come up short when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Sharonne Hayes, cardiologist and founder of the Mayo Women’s Heart Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota spoke recently to staff from WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease .
Learn more here about why the inequities of this cardiology gender gap continue, and how women can empower themselves and others to achieve equal and quality care for their hearts: Continue reading “Heart disease – not just a man’s disease anymore”
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
Physician Dr. Anne Marie Valinoti, writing in the New York Times, explored the subject of exam room etiquette between doctor and patient, and specifically how they address each other.
“Since my early career, I have always been addressed as ‘Dr. Valinoti’. Freshly minted MDs, some as young as 25, get a title of respect – while seasoned nurses in the hospital are just Betty, Kaye or Nancy.
“I remembered the absurdity of this situation when, as a young intern, I was addressing critical care nurses with decades of experience by their first names, while they deferentially called me ‘Doctor.’ These were women who had started their careers when I was still playing with Barbie dolls, yet where were their professional titles?
“Like most things in medical training, I got used to it, and it became second nature.
“One thing I am still getting used to, though, is when patients call me by my first name. There seems to be a void in this area of etiquette: How does one address one’s physician? Continue reading “What do you call your doctor?”
Heart Sisters 