Blog Posts
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“Something’s wrong with me.” Lessons on dealing with heart disease from a patient perspective
Have you ever felt something not right in your body, unsure what it may be and decided not to get it checked out by your doctor or avoid going to the ER? Ever go see the doctor only to be told nothing is wrong with you? Have you ever felt anxious about your health? If…
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If I talk, will my doctor listen? (Part 2)
When I think about the doctors I’ve had, the ones I think highly of are the ones who listened to me, answered my questions and took time to explain what the problem is. I also recall the doctors who I have a not so fond memory of. In university, I broke my tailbone. At the…
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If I talk, will my doctor listen? (Part 1)
Throughout life there are numerous things we all have to do that we may hate or are just plain scared of doing: annual taxes, choosing paint colours for our house, public speaking, and seeing our doctor. Going to see a doctor can be a nerve-wracking experience. For small things, it may just be an inconvenience…
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Chronic Diseases Begin Early in Life- Years Before any Diagnosis
Having worked in cardiac rehabilitation for over twenty years I learned early on that many patients are in the best shape of their lives the day they complete the program. That makes sense, to some extent, because they’ve just spent the last four months in a supervised exercise program. They also feel better for it.…
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If I’m obese, is it my fault?
If I ask most people, they’ll say it’s that person’s fault, perhaps not to his/her face, but there will be at least judgement of what the person did or didn’t do to gain weight. Maybe he/she ate too much, or sat on the couch too much, or maybe a bit of both. Either way, most…
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Labelling Menus with Calories: Does it work?
We can’t go anywhere or do anything without some reminder or temptation for us to eat unhealthy foods, or foods of low nutritional value. We see it on commercials, in magazines, on billboards and even at the checkout counter in stores where candies are wrapped up in shiny packaging to attract our eye. There’s a…