Heart disease, not cancer, is the #1 killer of women. I learned that and other invaluable information on Carolyn Thomas’ My Heart Sisters blog.
Over the years I’ve “stolen” and reposted many a wonderful post from Carolyn Thomas. Her blog, Heart Sisters, has been one of the few I’ve followed for years. I have forgotten what led me to her blog but once I read both her compelling stories and the up-to-date information on women’s health, in particular heart disease, I was a Carolyn-groupie.
Apparently Johns Hopkins was a groupie too when they asked her to write a book on Living with Heart Disease. My guess is that her down-to-earth writing coupled with up-to-date research and information appealed to Johns Hopkins as much as it did to me.
Here’s just a sample of info found on Carolyn’s blog:
“Did you know: Women generally fare far worse than men after experiencing a cardiac event? One possible reason is that it can be confusing to make sense of warning symptoms when they do hit. Women are also less likely than our male counterparts to seek immediate help at the first sign of cardiac symptoms. Instead, we end up:”
- toughing them out
- waiting to see if they go away
- blaming them on stress, muscle soreness, indigestion or other less serious non-cardiac causes
Read 12 cardiac symptoms women must never ignore
I can’t say enough good things about Carolyn – you’ll have to read her book and her blog to see for yourself what fabulous advocacy and education Carolyn has provided since her own “widow-maker” heart attack. (Full disclosure: we are not related, I’ve never met her in person, and I don’t get a kick-back!)
Buy a copy and give the gift of life to a woman you love . . . maybe it’s even yourself
Save 20% when you use the code HTWN when you pre-order the book from Johns Hopkins
Order your copy click here: Johns Hopkins University Press
Johns Hopkins University Press is the publisher and here’s a fraction of what has been said about Carolyn’s Book:
“[A Woman’s Guide to Living with Heart Disease] gives women the knowledge they need to become their own advocates in a health care system that continues to be weighted against them.”
“This book brings a needed focus to a leading killer of women today and is a must-read for women and their loved ones.”
“If you are a woman, or love a woman, this is a book for you! Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women. Here is a book focused on women’s cardiovascular health. It is all here—prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Read it for the people you love.”
“This work is an important contribution to the discussion about heart attack and misdiagnosis in women. Thomas’s personal story—alongside the stories of millions of other women—provides a needed reminder of recognizing one’s symptoms, avoiding denial, and seeking medical attention. This elegant book is a unique addition to women’s health books and a necessary read for women and the people who care about them.”
Thank you Carolyn for pushing through your own symptoms to write a book of this magnitude.
I for one did NOT know that heart disease was the number 1 killer of women. Thank you for all this valuable information and book recommend. I am going to check out her blog….
Peta
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Peta,
Most people think cancer is the number one killer because it gets so much press. Heart disease has long been the number #1 killer of women in large part because all the initial research was done on men and women can have completely different symptoms. The other factor is that both physicians and we women ourselves tend to dismiss symptoms for a variety of reasons (you’ll have to read Carolyn’s blog!).
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Wow! Thank you Judy-Judith for such kind and generous comments about my blog and my new book! It’s so lovely to encounter this kind of response.
In last weekend’s Heart Sisters blog post, I specifically thanked *you* for your volunteer help in putting together the initial author package I had to send out to Johns Hopkins University Press back in 2015 (essentially addressing their questions to all new JHUP authors: “Why this book? Why now? And why are you the person to write this book?” – questions I’d already answered – in my inside voice – as: “Ahem. YOU called ME, remember?” )
So thank you once again for being the practical and skilled wordsmith you are, and for your generosity of spirit!
Big virtual hugs to you…
C.
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Carolyn,
You are more than welcome and deserve every comment I made. Your blog and book should be a must read for everyone. You have put your heart (literally & figuratively) into helping women and men understand about living with heart disease and by extension all chronic conditions.
Big virtual love,
jJ
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