Tag: Dr. Sharonne Hayes

Pet ownership vs. our lost nouns

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 1 Comment

by Carolyn Thomas   ❤️   Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)

We know that cognitive decline as we get older is a major public health concern that’s been linked to diminished quality of life. For example, I’ve been noticing small yet alarming changes in my own brain function – not only because I’m getting older every year, but now my breast cancer chemotherapy treatments have suddenly introduced the scary reality of what’s called chemo brain fog.

It’s real, and it’s awful.

Here’s an example of how an average family conversation might now sound.
Continue reading “Pet ownership vs. our lost nouns” →

What if we call them “self-care promises” instead of resolutions?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 9 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. I’ve already, for example, ditched the Lettuce Leaf Diet I was contemplating for 2025 after all that Christmas feasting.

During the last century, when I was one of the volunteer run leaders at our local Y Marathon Training Clinic, we’d often hear lofty New Year’s resolutions from first-timers signed  up for our 10-month training program each 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 “What if we call them “self-care promises” instead of resolutions?” →

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” →