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ABC's news story on WomenHeart (1/5/09)

Marietta
0 Recommendations

WOW - it was great to see our 2008 Mayo class on TV last night along with our 3 SUPERSTARS (Carrie, Roz, & Karla). I am so glad that the word is getting out on the work that we all do with WomenHeart and the message that we are all striving to get acroos. I'm so proud of what our graduating class has already accomplished since we were there in October and to all the Grads that came before us....you too are making differences in the lives of women with heart disease all across America. Keep up the good work ladies.

For those of you who may have missed it and would like to see the story - you can find it on the ABC Nightly News website at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDisease/Story?id=6578631&page=1

Explore topics in this discussion:

Heart disease Heart attack Stress

14 replies

joy2day

The story made me miss y'all. :-)

Marietta

ME TOO!!!!!

arizona1

You all have an important job to get the word out.
Thanks for doing so. It is an important mission!!

Kathi

chattykathy

I agree,we have been given another chance at life,so lets see how many lives we can save by getting the word out there!

enharris

I saw the story today online and was amazed at the beauty and strength in my heart sisters. The story was amazing and was glad to see everyone.
Much love,
Essence

MIsurvivorX4

Such a great feeling to see on the news and this web site how WomenHeart and survivors are still going strong by supporting women heart disease survivors, and raising awareness to the public and medical community about the Number 1 Killer of Women - HEART DISEASE.

This was almost non-existent when I had my first of three MI's in 2001!

Keep up your great work - you are truly making a difference!
2004 Mayo Symposium Graduate

joy2day

Now that the national and local stories have aired, I had 3 friends come to me TODAY because they are worried about their own heart issues.

These are women that I work with, go to church with, go to Weight Watchers with ,.... Women who have been fairly close to me as I've gone through everything, who knew why I was going to the Symposium ..... I was surprised that each of them JUST brought this up with me.

Goes to show me that I never really know is going on in other people. And, ladies, each of us is a potential daily example to the women that intersect our lives.

Karla

AlaskaGirl

Kari, Roz and Karla were very awesome. I am so proud to be part of WomenHeart and especially the Class of 2008. This is an incredible group of women and the work we do is so very important. Was it was life changing for you as it was for me? I still am on a high from the whole experience. I have 5 speaking engagements this month to do, a couple so far for February and in April I will be speaking to the State Recognition Days for TOPS(take pounds off sensibly) which will give me access to state-wide women. So, it shouldn't be too long before I have all my hours in and can get my graduation certificate. Yahoo! How are you doing in your own community? Please let me know. I'm anxious to try one of those Pinot & Prevention Parties in my community. Sounds like fun.

AlaskaGirl

Essence - you were beautiful in the interview with Roz and Carrie. It's been a great experience meeting all our heart sisters and attending the symposium. There is nothing that I've experienced before or since that will compare to those four days in Rochester. Thank you.

joy2day

Mayo Sisters,
I met a group of ladies tonight that want to meet ALL of you.

Tonight, I talked to a group of parish nurses in our community. I was letting them know about Womenheart and that I was available to speak at their churches and events. They were so enthused by your stories (and mine) and our efforts to reach other women. Their ideas were flying ..... I am excited ... and I have my presentation to their "daytime" meeting next week which is a much larger audience!

Kennarina

Hello Alaska Girl and all my Heart Sisters

I have said many times since returning from Mayo Clinic in October that this was a completely life-altering event for me. 'Almost worth having a heart attack for!' as my sister says.... I not only learned more than I ever thought possible about women's heart disease, but my attitudes towards my own diagnosis shifted completely as well.

The Pinot & Prevention parties have been so much fun to do - the response from the women in my groups has been just incredible! Like Karla says, women are coming forward with their own heart issues and fears and questions that they may have never mentioned to another living soul! I keep realizing over and over that this is truly meaningful work we are doing.

Tonight, I have a P&P party booked with 28 women confirmed! I'm not sure how big this living room is - apparently our hostess has a "large heritage home" - we'll soon see.

Alaska Girl Sharen, one way to get things rolling with your own P&P party is to get a willing victim ooops I mean VOLUNTEER to host a party, pick a date and time, get the host to invite every woman she knows, and then just show up! Don't host your own party - one less stress to cope with. We like Friday evenings here, 7-9ish but most go longer once the wine comes out!

And today's mail brought a very special New Year's present from Sharonne at Mayo - did you get yours yet?

XOXOXO

Marietta

Kennarina - OK - maybe this is a dumb question - but what exactly do you do at the P&P parties

Kennarina

Marietta - no such thing as dumb questions....

Do you remember hearing about this Pinot & Prevention Party idea from one of the former Mayo Grads on our last day in Rochester? They are very casual, just held in people's living rooms, potluck ( guests are asked to bring along either 'heart-smart' finger foods or a bottle of pinot wine (blanc or noir) to share. And everybody wears red (this is all in the invitation) so it's quite a fabulous-looking group right off the bat!

The format I use: I tell my own story (briefly!) and then we go directly into talking about women's risk factors and tips to address them, with lots of audience participation. I like to use a flipchart and get a volunteer 'scribe' to write down ideas as women call them out, so they are actively participating in the discussion rather than just listening to a 'talking head' for two hours. We discuss each point as it's being written down, and sometimes I add more Mayo info if appropriate. Then we move into heart attack warning signs and symptoms, plus devices and treatments, again with the flipcharts and audience participation. There are always LOTS of questions throughout, which I like, because it helps to steer the topic along. Then I get the hostess to pass out the fabulous Red Bags of Courage which we hide out of sight until the very end, at which time everybody goes CRAZY for them. It's a lovely way to wrap up the event! Then more eating and drinking wine!!

At tonight's P&P party, the women are getting an extra bonus in their Red Bags: a free Healthy Living Cookbook that our government health ministry has just published - a nice 'value-added' little gift.

This is how the P&P idea has evolved here - other Mayo grads might do it much differently but that's the beauty of this idea!

Try it out and see what you think!
XOXOXO

Marietta

Sounds wonderful - think i will have to do one as well

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