New Year’s resolutions for those who hate resolutions

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 11 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas     ♥    @HeartSisters   

Well, we’re into the New Year now. For some of us, that’s almost enough time to notice small cracks beginning to appear in the boldly announced resolutions made in the midst of all that post-Christmas excess. This is not new.

When I was one of the volunteer run leaders at our local Y Marathon Clinic during the last century, we’d often hear such resolutions from first-timers starting our training workouts every January – something like “This is the year I’m finally going to quit smoking, lose 20 pounds and run a marathon!”

“Honey,” I would say gently to them:   “Pick one!”          .  Continue reading “New Year’s resolutions for those who hate resolutions” →

What I learned from writing my most-read ‘Heart Sisters’ articles in 2023

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 17 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥  @HeartSisters  

Five months after my heart attack, I attended the 2008 WomenHeart Science & Leadership patient advocacy training at Mayo Clinic – the first Canadian heart patient ever accepted. I learned so much from my 44 American heart sisters – ages 31 to 71 – who also attended that year, and of course from our rock-star faculty of female cardiologists from Mayo and beyond, brilliantly led by the one and only founder of the Mayo Women’s Heart Clinic, Dr. Sharonne Hayes.♥  When I returned home and started writing and speaking about what I’d just learned at Mayo, my public relations friends teased me: “This is what happens when a PR person survives a heart attack: you just keep writing, speaking and looking stuff up – because that’s all you know how to do!”  And they were so right! Here’s my annual overview of what I’ve been learning while writing some of the most-read posts this past year:         .     Continue reading “What I learned from writing my most-read ‘Heart Sisters’ articles in 2023” →

“Heart Failure: it’s time to finally change the F-word”: my Editorial in BMJ Open Heart

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 23 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas    ♥   @HeartSisters

I’m pleased to share with my Heart Sisters readers some terrific news:  the British Medical Journal (known everywhere as the BMJ) invited me early in 2023 to write an Editorial for BMJ Open Heart about an important cardiology issue that I’ve been lobbying, writing and speaking about over many years – and that Editorial has now been published.

I’m thrilled of course with this level of international interest.  (Note to my American readers: you’ll notice British spellings throughout e.g. organise, minimise, etc. Do not be alarmed. They’re not mistakes). Here’s the text content, FYI:   Continue reading ““Heart Failure: it’s time to finally change the F-word”: my Editorial in BMJ Open Heart” →

What this heart patient wants for Christmas is NOT in a gift box. . .”

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 14 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas     ♥    @HeartSisters 

My family tells me I’m “impossible” when it comes to picking out a gift for me. I am rarely able to offer them even a single helpful hint. Instead, I plead with Santa every year not to bring me “more stuff”. I don’t want stuff. One only has to visit the average yard sale to witness the inevitable future graveyard of all that stuff. Aside from absolute necessities of life (like groceries or my paper crafting supplies), there are few things I now need or even want.

Well, there are some things that I do need and want, but none come from a store or a gift box. I’ve been focused mainly on one such wish list item these days: feeling safe.  (Are you listening, Santa?) Continue reading “What this heart patient wants for Christmas is NOT in a gift box. . .”” →