Sister to Sister

Julia contacted Sister to Sister because she was researching possible health screenings for a future health event at her church and was looking for guidance.

Julia Taylor, 58
District of Columbia

How did you come to attend a Sister to Sister Heart Health Fair?
I had an interest in health & wellness for many years and I always kept my eyes peeled for health events, and when I lost my health insurance coverage, I looked to the Sister to Sister website for the date and details of the next health fair.  I noticed that your hospital partner in Washington DC was Adventist Healthcare so this made me more comfortable with coming to the screening since they’re a reputable organization and this was important to me.

I noticed the types of screening tests that you were offering at the fair were listed on your website, along with a description of the screening process.  I was glad to see that you provided comprehensive testing for many of the risk factors for heart disease, and not just testing for blood pressure, so that was another incentive to come.  The glucose and cholesterol testing were especially important since I had lost my health insurance.

How did the experience help you in your mission to be heart-healthy?
This was a good opportunity for me to know my numbers, and the health counselors      helped me to understand them and to devise a plan for staying on the road to heart health.  The Sister to Sister health fair was the first time that anyone explained the importance of waist circumference as a risk factor for heart disease and how that tied into my Body Mass Index.  Even though I was not overweight, the counselor still took the time to explain it to me and I was very impressed by that.

I also joined the Sister to Sister Heart Health Registry, in conjunction with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard.  I look forward to receiving the survey every six months so I can have better answers than I did the last time.  The questions are always the same and I was surprised that they are not all about physical health.  After consideration, I realized that emotional health is tied to your physical and heart health.  You need a support network and it’s good to have people in your life that you can talk to and share things with.  I like to be tracked and this is the only program that ties into a woman’s heart health.

What lessons have you learned from your experiences with Sister to Sister?
The primary lesson is that you must take control of your health.  And learn to pay attention to your body.  It will always let you know if something is wrong and if you can recognize the warning signs, hopefully you can avoid potential health problems.

I had an experience where I felt chest pains, shortness of breath and sweats but I dismissed it.  When the feelings returned the next day, I decided to take myself to the hospital.  They did a stress test and kept me overnight.  The staff took it so seriously that I did as well.  And the nurse “scolded” me for not coming in when I first felt the pain.

The experience made me wonder how many women, because they don’t have big symptoms, just ignore them and then die prematurely.  We have to remember that women have different heart attack symptoms than men, and we need to be educated on what they are.

What advice would you give to other women about being heart-healthy?
That you must be proactive in taking care of your health and to give yourself permission to put yourself first.  Also, take the time to get the information that could save your life because knowledge is power.  You can research which health programs offer screenings and educational seminars, and then don’t hesitate to go because it could be the most important thing you do for yourself.