February, 2012 Volume 5, Issue 2

Inside this Issue

1 Youth Garden Minsitries and St. Francis de Sales

2 Reverend Moses O. Taiw, Ph.D.

2 Our Community and Advocate Good Shepherd Events

3 Medical Corner , Raymond Kawasaki, M.D.

4 Volunteer, Fitness Tip, Sharing Statistics, The Chapel is Always Open

February 2012 ● Volume 5, Issue 2 ● Connections● (847) 381-9600 ext. 26 5062

St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Zurich, Illinois, is continually breaking new ground with The Jubilee Garden. The Jubilee Garden guided by the skillful giving efforts of parishioner Kathy Gill. This parish project is dedicated to growing vegetables to provide fresh produce for local food pantries. Although sponsored by St. Francis de Sales, the Jubilee Garden requires substantial community involvement to be successful. In early summer, Chaplain Suzanne Martinez, with the support of Good Shepherd Hospital, committed to helping the Jubilee Garden through establishing youth garden ministries in surrounding Catholic communities. Chaplain  Suzanne’s  initiative focuses on the Jubilee Garden as a model. The central concept is to develop a garden ministry template that can be readily applied to other communities. The garden initiative’s  objectives  are  to  feed the needy, increase spirituality among participants, and educate people on the benefits of healthy eating.

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

Office for Mission and Spiritual Care

450 W. Illinois Highway 22

Barrington, IL 60010

Phone:

(847)381-9600 ext. 26 5062

Fax: (847) 842-4098

Email:

GSHP-Mission-Spirituality@advocatehealth.com

As a result of this effort, Chris Semmel, High School Youth Minister, and Joan Roth, Ministry Leader, spearheaded the establishment this summer of the first “satellite” Jubilee Garden Youth Ministry at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Cary. This group of about ten high school girls continues to gather in the gardening off-season on a monthly basis. In Mid-December, the group visited the Jubilee Garden to bring prayer cards, gathering afterwards to discuss making veggie markers and plot signs. In January, they conducted a Bake Sale for the benefit of the Jubilee Garden. In February, at Good Shepherd they will attend an educational segment on cooking and eating healthy with garden vegetables and learn of the nutritional benefits. And in March they will start growing seedlings for spring planting.

Wonderfully, God continues to grow us as a community, in all seasons, to help serve His people in need.

To  find  out  more  about  the  new  “satellite” youth garden ministry initiative, come explore the Jubilee Garden on line at stfrancisdesalesjubileegarden.weebly.com.

Youth Garden Ministries

February 2012 ● Volume 5, Issue 2 ● Connections● (847) 381-9600 ext. 26 5062

Reverend Moses Oladele Taiwo is an ACPE Associate Supervisor and Staff Chaplain in the department of Mission and Spiritual Care, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. Reverend Taiwo is a Board Certified Chaplain in the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). Reverend Taiwo was ordained by the Michigan Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and endorsed by the Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries (ACM) of the General Conference of the SDA Church, Headquarters, Silver Springs, MD. Rev. Taiwo was originally from Nigeria, and served as a seminary pastor and professor for ten years at Babcock University (defunct Adventist Seminary of West Africa) prior to his coming to the United States in 1997 to do a doctoral study in New Testament at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI. He successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation entitled, "Paul's Apparent Reversal of Concern for the Weak Brother in I Corinthians 10:29b-30," in 2002.

Our Community and Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Events

Congregational Health Partnership Seminar Schedule 2012—Save the Date!!

(Click on the above link for details!)

Community HealthBeat- Winter Series 2012 (Click on the above link for details!)

Rev. Moses O. Taiwo, Ph.D. ACPE Associate Supervisor, Clinical Pastoral Education

Prior to his joining Advocate Good Shepherd, Reverend Taiwo served as a Staff Chaplain Supervisor at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, a Level 1 Trauma Center, since 2005. In the process, he joined a CPE Supervisory training program at the center and became certified as an Associate Supervisor. His interests include visual imaging, African Spirituality, and the power of transformational learning. Reverend Taiwo will be responsible for the development of Clinical Pastoral Education program at Good Shepherd. Clinical Pastoral Education prepares men and women for institutional chaplaincy work.

Reverend Taiwo has a gift of ministry of presence as he works in clinic with patients, their families,, and the staff. Reverend Taiwo is married and with three children. Reverend Taiwo loves reading and gardening at his free time.

Office for Mission and Spiritual Care

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

Welcome Announcement

Our Community and Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Events

NOTHING TOO COMMON: An exploration of Celtic Spirituality in Ireland and Scotland April 11 – 23, 2012 Informational meetings will be held on Thursday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 16, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, and on Sunday, November 20, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm - all at the First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson Street, Crystal Lake. For more information, contact Budd Friend-Jones (815-461-6010, budd@fcc-cl.org.

(First Congregational Church, Crystal Lake-Trip)

(Click on the above link for details!)

Page 2

Page 3 February 2012 ● Volume 5, Issue 2 ● Connections● (847) 381-9600 ext. 26 5062

5062

Medical Corner

Don’t  Ignore  The  Electrical  System  of  the  Heart By, Raymond Kawasaki, M.D. Electrophysiology Cardiologist

February  is  Heart  Month,  and  it’s  a  good  time  to  remind  patients and each other about the importance of watching our diets, exercise and the dangers of artery-clogging cholesterol. Those are affectionately referred to  in  the  medical  field  as  “lifestyle  issues.” Diet, exercise and saturated fat intake in many respects are things  that  we  can  control  ourselves,  and  that’s  why  it’s  important to take the time to make people aware of them.

They contribute to the build-up of hardened plaque on the walls of our blood vessels. Eventually, that build-up can  lead  to  having  one’s  blood  flow  to  the  heart  blocked  completely which triggers a heart attack. It’s  not  unlike  what happens in a home when gunk and junk is put down a sink, causing the drain to clog. That brings me to idea that many cardiac specialists look at the heart in the same way as we do our houses – with plumbing and electrical systems being equally important.

Certainly those plumbing issues within our control in our homes and our own bodies are important, but as a cardiologist  with  an  electrophysiology  specialty,  I’d  like  to take this opportunity to bring awareness to the critical importance  of  our  heart’s  electrical  system.

A common and potentially dangerous abnormality in the heart is known as atrial fibrillation. Millions of Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation, with symptoms that include rapid palpitation, dizziness, and even black-outs. More serious circumstances can include stroke and potentially, heart failure. Atrial fibrillation results when abnormal electrical impulses from the nervous system cause the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) to beat entirely out of rhythm.

Atrial fibrillation is truly an electrical problem that can be described in the simplest terms as a shorting out of the heart, and cardiac electro-physiologists strive to help patients resolve this rhythm disorder.

Any interventional treatment involving the heart is a serious matter. These days however,  it’s  not  uncommon  to know a friend or family member who undergone an angioplasty procedure to clear a blocked blood vessel. That’s  a  plumbing  issue.

To remedy atrial fibrillation, cardiologists employ a complex catheterization procedure known as circumferential pulmonary vein ablation, or CPVA.

And, while millions of Americans suffer from irregular heartbeat issues like atrial fibrillation, CPVA is not a procedure that is necessarily a routine proposition we hear regularly about. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, patients may misinterpret their symptoms as panic attacks, dizziness or rationalize them as something else entirely, and ignore being seen by a physician. The other reason is that the high-end electrophysiology facilities and equipment necessary for such procedures  aren’t  commonly  found  at  most  hospitals.

Suffering from atrial fibrillation can be an unnerving and stressful on a daily basis. To  demystify  how  we  treat  it,  I’d  begin by saying that we often start with trying medications. If they’re  unsuccessful  in  controlling  a  patient’s  heartbeat,  we discuss options with the patient and his family.

Once CPVA is determined to be the best option, we start with a high resolution CT scan of the heart. The images captured are then fed into a three-dimensional electrophysiology mapping system, allowing us to look at the upper left heart chamber from every possible angle.

We  identify  the  source  of  the  “short-circuiting,”  and  head  into  the catheterization lab. The patient is sedated, but not entirely unconscious. Hair-thin wires are sent up to the heart through  a  vein  in  the  patient’s  leg,  and  passed  through  to  the  left atrium. The end of the catheter uses radio frequency (RF)  energy,  not  unlike  a  kitchen’s  microwave, to stop the troublesome, misfiring nerves by cauterizing – also called ablating – the isolated areas. The CPVA is not a quick fix procedure, but in selected patients, cure rates may be as high as 70-80%. Some require that the treatment be repeated in order to ensure that the defect is resolved permanently. The first CPVA procedures for Lake and McHenry County patients were accomplished at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in 2006, with countless other patients since then having new chances for a heart-healthy life. Raymond Kawasaki, MD is a cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital’s Kocourek Family Cardiac Care Center.

Speak from your Heart….Give of yourself….

VOLUNTEER! February, the month to demonstrate your love – and what better way to show you care than to give of your time and talent by volunteering? Volunteering is good for your heart in more than one way; it gets a person up and engaged in activity away from the sofa and the refrigerator – especially important  at  this  time  of  year  when  it’s harder to stay active! It can also help your stress level (and therefore your heart) to focus attention on others in need while volunteering rather than on your own worries. As an added benefit you will meet other people who are generous of heart when you volunteer at Good Shepherd Hospital …maybe  even  a  sweetheart♥.  It  wouldn’t be the first time love blossomed when folks met through a good cause. Mature, active adults are especially needed right now in a variety of assignments. We need information desk volunteers, Gift Shop helpers, Education assistants, and several other areas. If you can give us afternoon or evening each week, you would be loved! Contact the Volunteer Services Department at 847-381-0123, extension 265093 or drop in for an application to get involved. Do your heart a favor!

Good Shepherd The Chapel is always open…

Office for Mission and Spiritual Care

Page 4 February 2012 ● Volume 5, Issue 2 ● Connections● (847) 381-9600 ext. 26 5062

Web Site: www.advocatehealth.com/gshp

Editor: Chaplain Suzanne Martinez

Connections Advisory Committee:

Sue Abderholden Ro Ostergaard

Pastor Jeannie Hanson Ilene Steiner

Julie Mayer Fr. Jim Swarthout

Julie Zuidema

This publication may be copied for use by individuals with printed acknowledgment of the source.

Fitness Tip Staff: The Reverend Frederick Rajan, Vice President Reverend Digna Campanano, Staff Chaplain Rabbi Jodie Futornick, BCC, Staff Chaplain Chaplain  Suzanne  “Sam”  Martinez,   Staff Chaplain, Hispanic Liaison And Congregational Coordinator, Reverend Moses O. Taiwo, Ph.D. ACPE Associate Supervisor, Clinical Pastoral Education Linda DeGrazia, Secretary

On-Call Staff Chaplain Liz Fjortoft Chaplain Judy Freda Chaplain Kathleen Milone Chaplain Michael Monteleone Chaplain David Orth The Reverend Tom Tews Chaplain Wendy Wasilewski Chaplain Catherine Watkins Phil Surdynski

Spiritual Welcome Volunteers Don Andler May Lou Anderson Jane Busse Char Campbell Josette Carpenter Lee Hoffing Mary Hoffing Lou Petersen Donnaruth Schaul Carol Svoboda Carol Troka Bob Wilkans Eileen Zeplin

Green Tea Sparks Your Metabolism Green tea has had more than its fair share of good press lately, with several studies touting its protective effect against heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and tumors. Now a new, albeit small, study out of Switzerland reports that green tea may have the power to raise metabolic rates, speed up fat oxidation and help people lose weight. Ten healthy men consumed either green tea extract, which contains 50 milligrams of

caffeine, 50 milligrams of caffeine alone, or no caffeine at all. Only the group that consumed the green tea extract showed any increase in metabolic rate. Researchers suspect that the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, along with the caffeine, are responsible for its higher fat-burning effects.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 1999

February is American American Heart Month

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, for males, for females and for most ethnic groups. Heart disease accounts for about one in four deaths in the US. Someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event every minute. About 12 percent of the US citizens have heart disease. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that heart disease will cost the United States more than $300 billion dollars in health care services, medication and lost productivity.

Coronary heart disease, which often leads to heart attacks, is prevalent among 3.5% of the residents who are 18 years or older in Illinois, a rate slightly lower than the 3.7% prevalence in the US.

The risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and cholesterol are frequently out of control among many in the United States. To be sure that you are informed and are effectively managing your risk factors, please visit your doctor regularly. If you would like to participate in a free “heart  age  screening”  on  2/18  or  2/25  or  would like to attend a free lecture on “Women  and  Heart  Disease”  on  2/21  from  6:30- 8pm, please call 847-842-2988 for more information.

Sharing  Statistics  …. To empower you, inspire you and to keep you informed.

If you need a physician, please contact 1-800-3ADVOCATE to find a physician.

Psalm 51 10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Connections - Advocate Health Care Office for Mission and Spiritual Care Spring 2012 - Page 1

Advance care planning (ACP) begins with exploring and understanding your personal goals and core values so that future health care decisions – should you become unable to make those decisions yourself – align with your beliefs.

At its best, ACP includes a discussion of those goals with the person who represents your preferences for you (your surrogate or agent) and a written plan that clearly and accurately represents them (advance directive).

Choose your surrogate thoughtfully. He/she can be your spouse, an adult child (not necessarily your eldest), a sibling or a close friend. Choose someone you trust with your health care decisions who will respect your wishes and put them into action regardless of his/her own attitudes. Your surrogate needs be prepared to make these

decisions and act during a stressful, difficult time. He/she deserves to know this up front. Not everyone wants this responsibility.

Discuss your wishes in detail until your surrogate fully understands them. The conversation may cover types of medications and treatments you desire, the care you do and don’t want if you are seriously ill or injured and your concerns about end-of-life issues. You may also want to talk about funeral plans. Share with your family who your surrogate is, and explain to them that he/she does not have any power unless you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself.

Begin before ACP is needed. Don't wait for a medical crisis to make decisions about advance care planning. Make decisions while you are able to process information easily and are not under pressure to make hard choices right away.

Many people are unaware of their end-of-life preferences regarding medical treatment simply because they haven’t taken the time to consider them, but once they do, their personal values and spiritual beliefs often lead them smoothly through the process. (Clergy can clarify ethical decisions for people of faith.)

Continued on next page.

Advance care planning (ACP) glossaryAdvance care planning – All communication – both oral and written – that contributes to building a personal plan of your wishes for your future medical care.

Advance directive – A written statement telling how you want your medical decisions to be made in the future if you are unable to make them for yourself. ADs may include:

• Power of attorney for health care – You name someone (a surrogate or agent) to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself. (Power of attorney, different from power of attorney for health care, deals with financial decisions and is not empowered to make health care decisions on your behalf.)

• Living will – Directs your physician and indicates your wishes about death-delaying procedures. Not a Last Will and Testament. It applies only when you have a terminal illness from which your doctor thinks you cannot recover and you are unable to make decisions for yourself.

• Do not resuscitate order (DNR) – A medical treatment order saying that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) will not be used if your heart and/or breathing stops. This form also requires a physician’s signature.

A brief history of advance directives (ADs)

1967 – Chicago attorney Luis Kutner suggested the first living will to facilitate the rights of dying people to control decisions about their own medical care.

1968 – Living will legislation presented to a state legislature. The Florida bill failed to pass in 1968 and again in 1973.

1976 – The Karen Quinlan Case raised awareness of right to privacy and appointment of surrogates as end-of-life decision-makers. The concept of an ethics committee was introduced.

1976 – California established rights of patients and surrogates to forego life-sustaining treatments through a written document.

1977 – Forty-three states considered living will legislation; seven states passed bills.

1980s – Legal rulings applied right to forgo treatment to more routine treatments, based on benefits and burdens to individual.

1990 – U.S. Supreme Court’s Nancy Cruzan decision supported an individual’s right to refuse treatment, even life-sustaining.

1991 – The House of Representatives passed the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) that requires hospitals ask patients being admitted if they have or wish to have ADs.

1992 – All states passed legislation legalizing some form of ADs.

Understanding advance care planning

April 16th

National Healthcare Decision Day

Connections - Advocate Health Care Office for Mission and Spiritual Care Spring 2012 - Page 2

Advocate Health CareAdvocate Health Care Facilities:

Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak LawnAdvocate Condell Medical Center, LibertyvilleAdvocate Eureka Hospital, EurekaAdvocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers GroveAdvocate Good Shepherd Hospital, BarringtonAdvocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, ChicagoAdvocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park RidgeAdvocate South Suburban Hospital, Hazel CrestAdvocate Trinity Hospital, Chicago

Children’s hospitals:Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital, Oak LawnAdvocate Lutheran General Children’s Hospital, Park Ridge

Share the news! This publication may be copied for use by others if printed acknowledgment of source is included.

Looking for a previous issue? To read back issues of Connections, please go to: advocatehealth.com/newsletters

Forms can lead into conversations. Basic forms are readily available to complete the living will and health care power of attorney, two frequently used documents. The forms themselves can serve as excellent starting points for conversation. But there is so much more to ACP than simply filling out forms! After all, these are very important decisions, so both knowing your own mind and expressing your specific preferences are critical.

Sometimes these conversations are uncomfortable. Discussing your beliefs and values is personal, and strong emotions often

erupt, touching on deep feelings and exposing fears you may want to avoid. But taking the necessary time, working through complex

issues and talking with loved ones about your true wishes is, in fact, an essential part of good care. Not only does it leave your family feeling relieved because they are following your wishes, ACP also ensures respect for your well-being and your right to self-determination.

Preparation is comforting. A family is comforted when they have direction. For some families, forgoing treatment becomes an act of caring. For other families, continuing treatment (perhaps based on cultural or religious beliefs) comforts them because they know it is consistent with their loved one’s wishes.

Guessing a person’s preferences without knowing them can be torture to a family. Families face difficult decisions when ill loved ones become unable to communicate their preferences regarding medical procedures. Dedicated children and siblings can become distraught trying to guess what a loved one might want, and well-meaning relatives seeking to do what’s right may disagree because of lack of concrete direction.

If you become critically ill, are unable to speak for yourself and have not named an agent, Illinois provides guidance for physicians to determine a surrogate for you. This person may or may not be the one you would choose and is less empowered to make decisions than one you have chosen yourself.

Statutory short formIllinois has revised its form for power of attorney for health care. It is a little longer than the previous form, has a few organizational changes and includes more legal jargon.

One of the significant changes is the inclusion of the phrase, “in accordance with reasonable medical standards” as relates to

life-sustaining/death delaying options. With this phrase, the agent who has power of attorney for health care can reflect on what would be beneficial to the patient. If a procedure or treatment does not seem reasonable, the agent can, in good conscience, elect not to use it.

How ACP happens. After considering your wishes, you can complete the AD forms on your own (forms are readily available on line; see Resources above) or with guidance from your faith leader, doctor or trusted advisor. This can be done without a lawyer, but the forms do need to be signed by witnesses. GIve copies to your loved ones and physician.

At Advocate hospitals, each patient is asked at admission if he/she has an AD or wishes information about one. Our chaplains are trained to discuss these decisions compassionately with patients.

Faith leaders themselves sometimes lead a general information session about ACP for their congregants and introduce them to the AD forms. They follow that up with individual conversations and further guidance for those who so wish. This personal touch often removes the barriers to completing advance directives.

Our chaplains can also give congregations presentations on ACP. (For information, call 630.990.5650.)

Continued from previous page.

Resources for ACP• Fivewishes.org (Aging with Dignity – Five Wishes)

• Abanet.org/aging/toolkit (ABA tool kit for ACP)

• www.Idph.state.il.us/public/books/advin.htm

• Isms.org (Illinois State Medical Society)

• aarp.org/families/end_life (AARP - Information on caregiving, long-term care, wills, end-of-life, grief support)

• Cecc.info (Chicago End-of-Life Care Coalition)

• ACP International Conference, Donald E. Stephens Convention Centre, Rosemont, IL, May 31 – June 2.

• Respectingchoices.org (How to develop an ACP program)

• Advocatehealth.com

There is so much more to ACP than simply

filling out forms!

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✦D

o no

t sm

oke

or u

se a

lcoh

ol o

r re

crea

tiona

l dru

gs.

✦A

void

har

mfu

l che

mic

als,

incl

udin

g m

any

com

mon

pro

duct

s.✦

Eat a

hea

lthy,

bal

ance

d di

et; a

void

eat

ing

raw

or

unde

rcoo

ked

mea

t and

food

s m

ade

from

unp

aste

uriz

ed m

ilk.

Som

etim

es, d

espi

te o

ur b

est e

ffort

s, b

abie

s ar

e bo

rn w

ith

diffe

rent

bod

ies

or a

bilit

ies.

Whe

n th

at h

appe

ns, w

e af

firm

thei

r be

auty

as

God

’s gi

ft to

us.

Fai

th c

omm

uniti

es a

re w

onde

rful

pl

aces

for

child

ren

with

spe

cial

nee

ds to

find

val

idat

ion

and

for

thei

r pa

rent

s to

get

sup

port

.

1-12

Janu

ary

– B

irth

Def

ects

Pr

even

tion

M

onth

Res

ourc

es: c

dc.g

ov/p

regn

ancy

• je

wis

hgen

etic

scen

ter.o

rg •

eas

ylea

rnge

netic

s.ne

t•

Dat

abas

es o

f int

eres

t: D

ieta

rysu

pple

men

ts.n

lm.n

ih.g

ov/d

ieta

ry;

hous

ehol

dpro

duct

s.nl

m.n

ih.g

ov/p

rodu

cts.

htm

The

Coo

k C

ount

y D

epar

tmen

t of P

ublic

Hea

lth h

as o

utst

andi

ng p

rese

ntat

ions

for

grou

ps o

n th

is to

pic.

If y

ou a

re in

tere

sted

con

tact

Jean

ne T

aver

ne a

t 708

-786

-405

4.

Pray

er:

Dea

r G

od, b

e w

ith p

aren

ts w

ho le

arn

thei

r ch

ildre

n w

ill h

ave

spec

ial c

halle

nges

. Hel

p th

em s

eek

supp

ort f

rom

a

lovi

ng c

omm

unity

. Car

e fo

r th

ose

who

wor

k so

har

d to

trea

t an

d pr

even

t birt

h de

fect

s. A

men

.

Prac

tica

l Gui

de t

o th

e H

ealt

h C

are

Syst

em:

The

bene

fits

of h

avin

g a

med

ical

hom

eM

any

peop

le h

ave

a us

ual s

ourc

e fo

r he

alth

car

e. T

hey

go to

th

is s

ourc

e w

hene

ver

they

hav

e ne

w h

ealth

pro

blem

s, n

eed

prev

entiv

e ca

re o

r se

ek r

ecom

men

datio

ns fo

r re

ferr

als.

Esta

blis

hing

an

ongo

ing

rela

tions

hip

with

a p

hysi

cian

is w

ise.

Se

lect

ing

a do

ctor

whe

n yo

u ar

e in

urg

ent n

eed

of c

are

can

be

exha

ustin

g, fr

ustr

atin

g an

d ov

erw

helm

ing.

A d

octo

r w

ho k

now

s yo

u be

caus

e he

/she

has

see

n yo

u ov

er

the

cour

se o

f sev

eral

yea

rs h

as a

kno

wle

dge

of y

ou th

at is

far

mor

e th

an s

kin

deep

. Tha

t phy

sici

an h

as in

sigh

ts in

to y

our

exis

ting

cond

ition

s, y

our

hist

ory

and

your

per

sona

lity.

He/

she

has

a ba

selin

e of

kno

wle

dge

that

is b

oth

obje

ctiv

e an

d su

bjec

tive.

Tha

t doc

tor

know

s w

hat i

s no

rmal

for

you

and

wha

t is

abno

rmal

for

you,

how

muc

h st

ress

you

exp

erie

nce

in

your

wor

k, th

e dy

nam

ics

of y

our

fam

ily a

nd h

ow to

bes

t wor

k w

ith y

ou to

impr

ove

your

wel

l-be

ing.

Hav

ing

a re

gula

r ph

ysic

ian

has

a be

nefic

ial e

ffect

on

man

y he

alth

car

e se

rvic

es, i

nclu

ding

pre

vent

ive

serv

ices

for

child

ren

and

redu

ctio

ns in

hos

pita

l use

am

ong

patie

nts

with

chr

onic

pr

oble

ms.

Dia

betic

s w

ho h

ad s

tand

ing

rela

tions

hips

with

thei

r do

ctor

s w

ere

mor

e lik

ely

to fo

llow

a d

iabe

tic d

iet,

mon

itor

thei

r su

gars

and

rec

eive

rec

omm

ende

d pr

even

tive

exam

s.

Ove

r tim

e, d

eep

trus

t dev

elop

s be

twee

n do

ctor

and

pat

ient

. H

ones

t ans

wer

s –

even

to h

ard

ques

tions

– b

ecom

e ea

sier

to

spea

k. C

omm

unic

atin

g ab

out p

ain

and

need

s be

com

es le

ss

awkw

ard.

Sha

me

disa

ppea

rs.

A d

octo

r w

ho k

now

s th

e pa

tient

wel

l ser

ves

the

patie

nt b

est.

Sim

ply

havi

ng a

n on

goin

g re

latio

nshi

p w

ith a

phy

sici

an c

an

mea

n gr

eate

r w

elln

ess

for

you

and

your

love

d on

es.

Res

ourc

es:

1-80

0-3-

AD

VO

CAT

E or

Adv

ocat

ehea

lth.c

om •

find

ahea

lthce

nter

.hrs

a.go

v

Com

ing

in M

arch

: H

ow to

sel

ect a

prim

ary

care

phy

sici

an

Wom

en a

nd h

eart

att

acks

We’

ve k

now

n fo

r a

whi

le th

at m

en a

re fr

om M

ars

and

wom

en

are

from

Ven

us, b

ut w

e ar

e ju

st n

ow le

arni

ng th

at th

e se

xes

are

diffe

rent

in a

noth

er r

espe

ct: h

ow th

ey e

xper

ienc

e he

art a

ttack

s.

A w

oman

’s sy

mpt

oms

of h

eart

atta

ck c

an b

e dr

amat

ical

ly

diffe

rent

from

a m

an’s

and,

in fa

ct, l

ess

dram

atic

. Per

haps

this

is

the

reas

on w

omen

hav

e m

ore

unre

cogn

ized

hea

rt a

ttack

s th

an

men

and

are

mor

e of

ten

mis

diag

nose

d in

ED

s an

d se

nt h

ome!

Bot

h se

xes

ofte

n ex

peri

ence

thes

e sy

mpt

oms

of h

eart

atta

ck:

✦Pr

essu

re o

r a

sque

ezin

g pa

in in

the

cent

er o

f the

che

st w

hich

m

ay s

prea

d to

the

neck

, sho

ulde

r or

jaw

✦Li

ght-

head

edne

ss, f

aint

ing,

sw

eatin

g, n

ause

a or

sho

rtne

ss o

f bre

ath

Man

y w

omen

– 4

3% o

f the

m, i

n fa

ct –

nev

er

expe

rien

ce a

cute

che

st p

ain

duri

ng a

hea

rt

atta

ck. M

any

do h

ave

shor

tnes

s of

bre

ath,

but

they

m

ay a

lso

expe

rien

ce u

nexp

lain

ed fa

tigue

or

pres

sure

in

the

low

er c

hest

whi

ch c

an b

e m

ista

ken

as a

sto

mac

h pr

oble

m.

Unu

sual

fatig

ue, n

ause

a, d

izzi

ness

, dis

com

fort

that

feel

s lik

e in

dige

stio

n, b

ack

pain

– th

ese

sym

ptom

s ar

e no

t unc

omm

on fo

r a

wom

an h

avin

g a

hear

t atta

ck. I

t’s a

lso

wor

th n

otin

g th

at s

ome

wom

en –

abo

ut s

ix w

eeks

bef

ore

the

actu

al h

eart

atta

ck –

hav

e sh

ortn

ess

of b

reat

h, u

nexp

lain

ed fa

tigue

or

stom

ach

pain

as

an

earl

y w

arni

ng s

ign

that

they

mig

ht h

ave

a bl

ocke

d ar

tery

.

If yo

u be

lieve

you

're

havi

ng a

hea

rt a

ttack

sym

ptom

, dia

l 911

im

med

iate

ly fo

r an

am

bula

nce

to ta

ke y

ou to

the

ED.

2-12

Febr

uary

–

Am

eric

an

Hea

rt M

onth

Res

ourc

es: A

dvoc

ateh

ealth

.com

• W

omen

hear

t.org

• w

ww

.nhl

bi.n

ih.g

ov/h

ealth

/pu

blic

/hea

rt/o

ther

/hhw

/hdb

k_w

mn.

pdf (

The

Hea

lthy

Hea

rt H

andb

ook

for W

omen

) •

heal

thie

rchi

cago

.org

(Liv

eWel

l Nat

iona

l Con

fere

nce,

hos

ted

by B

uild

ing

a H

ealth

ier

Chi

cago

, Hya

tt R

egen

cy C

hica

go, J

une

6 -

7) •

kno

wyo

urnu

mbe

rs.c

om/h

eart

/ad

voca

te.h

tml

Pray

er:

Dea

r Lo

rd, w

e w

ear

red

this

mon

th to

hon

or th

e he

arts

of

the

wom

en in

our

live

s: m

othe

rs, g

rand

mot

hers

, sis

ters

, dau

ghte

rs, c

o-w

orke

rs a

nd fr

iend

s. B

e w

ith th

em e

ach

and

ever

y da

y. A

men

.