Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
@heart-sisters.bsky.social
Author of "A Woman's Guide to Living With Heart Disease" published by @HopkinsPress.bsky.social
Speaker. Jargon translator. Narrator. Mayo Clinic-trained patient activist. www.myheartsisters.org Zack & Rosie's Baba. #ElbowsUp
Slava Ukraini 🇺�
Speaker. Jargon translator. Narrator. Mayo Clinic-trained patient activist. www.myheartsisters.org Zack & Rosie's Baba. #ElbowsUp
Slava Ukraini 🇺�
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Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
A cartoon by Barbara Smaller. #NewYorkerCartoons
See more cartoons from this week’s issue: www.newyorker.com/gallery/cart...
See more cartoons from this week’s issue: www.newyorker.com/gallery/cart...
December 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM
A cartoon by Barbara Smaller. #NewYorkerCartoons
See more cartoons from this week’s issue: www.newyorker.com/gallery/cart...
See more cartoons from this week’s issue: www.newyorker.com/gallery/cart...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
#BoycottUSA #Canada
Dramatic price increases for Canadians visiting U.S. national parks could benefit Maritimes
By contrast, all national parks in Canada were free to access for everyone last summer, and will also be free for the coming 2026 season #ParksCanada
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Dramatic price increases for Canadians visiting U.S. national parks could benefit Maritimes
By contrast, all national parks in Canada were free to access for everyone last summer, and will also be free for the coming 2026 season #ParksCanada
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Dramatic price increases for foreigners visiting U.S. national parks could benefit Maritimes | CBC News
Next year, it will be incredibly more expensive for foreign residents to visit American national parks.
www.cbc.ca
December 8, 2025 at 12:48 PM
#BoycottUSA #Canada
Dramatic price increases for Canadians visiting U.S. national parks could benefit Maritimes
By contrast, all national parks in Canada were free to access for everyone last summer, and will also be free for the coming 2026 season #ParksCanada
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Dramatic price increases for Canadians visiting U.S. national parks could benefit Maritimes
By contrast, all national parks in Canada were free to access for everyone last summer, and will also be free for the coming 2026 season #ParksCanada
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
In Chicago, a Nativity scene features a zip-tied baby Jesus and Roman centurions in "ICE" vests.
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
ICE Nativity scenes: Churches reimagine Christmas story amid deportations
(RNS) — 'We know that Jesus was born into a Roman imperial occupation, and pretty much immediately becomes a refugee in Egypt, has to flee and faces political violence,' the Rev. Michael Woolf said.
religionnews.com
December 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
In Chicago, a Nativity scene features a zip-tied baby Jesus and Roman centurions in "ICE" vests.
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
Why aren't you wearing your medical I.D?
'The first to come to your aid during a health crisis in public may be a bystander on the street who can relay your important I.D. tag info directly to the 911 dispatcher - but only if you're wearing a medical I.D.
myheartsisters.org/2013/07/26/m...
'The first to come to your aid during a health crisis in public may be a bystander on the street who can relay your important I.D. tag info directly to the 911 dispatcher - but only if you're wearing a medical I.D.
myheartsisters.org/2013/07/26/m...
Why aren’t you wearing your medical I.D?
Emergency physician warns: “Anyone with a medical condition that would not be obvious to medics or doctors if they were unable to communicate should consider some form of medical identificati…
myheartsisters.org
December 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Why aren't you wearing your medical I.D?
'The first to come to your aid during a health crisis in public may be a bystander on the street who can relay your important I.D. tag info directly to the 911 dispatcher - but only if you're wearing a medical I.D.
myheartsisters.org/2013/07/26/m...
'The first to come to your aid during a health crisis in public may be a bystander on the street who can relay your important I.D. tag info directly to the 911 dispatcher - but only if you're wearing a medical I.D.
myheartsisters.org/2013/07/26/m...
How heart patients can keep the joy in this season: Perfect timing from Registered Dietitian Cheryl Strachan sweetspotnutrition.ca/holidays-aft...
7 Tips for Navigating the Holidays After a Heart Event - Sweet Spot Nutrition
Having a heart problem presents challenges during the holidays, from piles of treats to relatives with unsolicited advice. How to keep the joy in the season.
sweetspotnutrition.ca
December 7, 2025 at 9:53 PM
How heart patients can keep the joy in this season: Perfect timing from Registered Dietitian Cheryl Strachan sweetspotnutrition.ca/holidays-aft...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
My Finnish grandmother came to Canada in 1924 and became a citizen in 1933. To be a real Canadian, she believed she must, and did watch Hockey Night in Canada every week.
I wish I had been able to understand her better, but I was a child and preoccupied.
I wish I had been able to understand her better, but I was a child and preoccupied.
December 5, 2025 at 9:40 PM
My Finnish grandmother came to Canada in 1924 and became a citizen in 1933. To be a real Canadian, she believed she must, and did watch Hockey Night in Canada every week.
I wish I had been able to understand her better, but I was a child and preoccupied.
I wish I had been able to understand her better, but I was a child and preoccupied.
No blockages: Living with non-obstructive heart disease
"patients diagnosed w. microvascular or coronary spasm disorders have few if any detectable blockages obstructing flow in blood vessels feeding the heart muscle yet same distressing symptoms as heart attack
myheartsisters.org/2016/07/10/n...
"patients diagnosed w. microvascular or coronary spasm disorders have few if any detectable blockages obstructing flow in blood vessels feeding the heart muscle yet same distressing symptoms as heart attack
myheartsisters.org/2016/07/10/n...
No blockages: Living with non-obstructive heart disease
Annette is part of an often misunderstood population living with a very different type of heart disease. Diagnosed at age 41, she was shocked to learn that her cardiac symptoms of severe chest pain…
myheartsisters.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:49 PM
No blockages: Living with non-obstructive heart disease
"patients diagnosed w. microvascular or coronary spasm disorders have few if any detectable blockages obstructing flow in blood vessels feeding the heart muscle yet same distressing symptoms as heart attack
myheartsisters.org/2016/07/10/n...
"patients diagnosed w. microvascular or coronary spasm disorders have few if any detectable blockages obstructing flow in blood vessels feeding the heart muscle yet same distressing symptoms as heart attack
myheartsisters.org/2016/07/10/n...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
Fed up of waiting for the city to tackle traffic fatalities, Los Angeles residents are taking street safety into their own hands — one bucket of paint at a time.
reasonstobecheerful.world/los-angeles-...
reasonstobecheerful.world/los-angeles-...
November 29, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Fed up of waiting for the city to tackle traffic fatalities, Los Angeles residents are taking street safety into their own hands — one bucket of paint at a time.
reasonstobecheerful.world/los-angeles-...
reasonstobecheerful.world/los-angeles-...
The communication magic of "Caring Bridge:"
"Family caregiving is hard. Asking for help shouldn’t be. #CaringBridge helps families share what they needed from others – and easier for their community to step in and provide help of all kinds. myheartsisters.org/2025/08/24/c...
"Family caregiving is hard. Asking for help shouldn’t be. #CaringBridge helps families share what they needed from others – and easier for their community to step in and provide help of all kinds. myheartsisters.org/2025/08/24/c...
The communication magic of “Caring Bridge”
Family caregiving is hard. Asking for help shouldn’t be.
myheartsisters.org
December 2, 2025 at 2:54 AM
The communication magic of "Caring Bridge:"
"Family caregiving is hard. Asking for help shouldn’t be. #CaringBridge helps families share what they needed from others – and easier for their community to step in and provide help of all kinds. myheartsisters.org/2025/08/24/c...
"Family caregiving is hard. Asking for help shouldn’t be. #CaringBridge helps families share what they needed from others – and easier for their community to step in and provide help of all kinds. myheartsisters.org/2025/08/24/c...
Will this newly approved crash test dummy make car accidents less deadly for women?
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/w...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/w...
Will This Newly Approved Crash Test Dummy Make Car Accidents Less Deadly for Women?
The government approved the specifications of THOR-05F, marking a first step toward the government and manufacturers potentially using the dummy in future car safety tests. But it still represents onl...
www.smithsonianmag.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Will this newly approved crash test dummy make car accidents less deadly for women?
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/w...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/w...
I wonder if the surgeon I met recently (note: NOT a cardiologist) would believe that non-obstructive coronary artery disease actually exists (esp. in women) if he read this from #StanfordMed stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-cond...
November 30, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I wonder if the surgeon I met recently (note: NOT a cardiologist) would believe that non-obstructive coronary artery disease actually exists (esp. in women) if he read this from #StanfordMed stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-cond...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
Would you drive your car if its brakes were "failing"?
And do our physicians cling to the hurtfully inaccurate name “heart FAILURE” simply because that’s what they’ve always called it?
myheartsisters.org/2019/09/22/c...
And do our physicians cling to the hurtfully inaccurate name “heart FAILURE” simply because that’s what they’ve always called it?
myheartsisters.org/2019/09/22/c...
Would you drive your car if its brakes were “failing”?
Once you hear the words “heart failure” aimed at you, you cannot unhear that diagnosis. When will physicians finally stop saying these hurtful words out loud?
myheartsisters.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Would you drive your car if its brakes were "failing"?
And do our physicians cling to the hurtfully inaccurate name “heart FAILURE” simply because that’s what they’ve always called it?
myheartsisters.org/2019/09/22/c...
And do our physicians cling to the hurtfully inaccurate name “heart FAILURE” simply because that’s what they’ve always called it?
myheartsisters.org/2019/09/22/c...
How to spend every moment of your MRI trying NOT to push the emergency call button: a patient's important feedback www.jmirs.org/article/S193... #LelainiaLloyd #NMOSD
A Tale of Two MRIs
I was 36 years old when I had my first MRI. I remember being told to put one of those
awful hospital gowns before being led into a dark cool room. The MRI machine stood
in the centre of the room, hulk...
www.jmirs.org
November 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
How to spend every moment of your MRI trying NOT to push the emergency call button: a patient's important feedback www.jmirs.org/article/S193... #LelainiaLloyd #NMOSD
Two ways to portray heart failure. One of them works. And so many reader comments about why that is.
"The scariest words in the world were “You have heart failure”.
I thought Okay, that’s it, I am dying. What’s the point?"
myheartsisters.org/2016/03/13/t...
"The scariest words in the world were “You have heart failure”.
I thought Okay, that’s it, I am dying. What’s the point?"
myheartsisters.org/2016/03/13/t...
Two ways to portray heart failure. One of them works.
Which of these two heart failure awareness campaigns would you find most compelling? Which poster would you put up on your staff room bulletin board? Which non-profit organization would you be more…
myheartsisters.org
November 23, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Two ways to portray heart failure. One of them works. And so many reader comments about why that is.
"The scariest words in the world were “You have heart failure”.
I thought Okay, that’s it, I am dying. What’s the point?"
myheartsisters.org/2016/03/13/t...
"The scariest words in the world were “You have heart failure”.
I thought Okay, that’s it, I am dying. What’s the point?"
myheartsisters.org/2016/03/13/t...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
I take on average 10,000 stills and a half hour of video every week. Most I'll never think about again. This I'll hold onto until I grow old. 4 hours ago.
Zero edits. No recoloring. No cropping. Nothing. Just straight up reality. 🦑
Zero edits. No recoloring. No cropping. Nothing. Just straight up reality. 🦑
November 23, 2025 at 5:21 AM
I take on average 10,000 stills and a half hour of video every week. Most I'll never think about again. This I'll hold onto until I grow old. 4 hours ago.
Zero edits. No recoloring. No cropping. Nothing. Just straight up reality. 🦑
Zero edits. No recoloring. No cropping. Nothing. Just straight up reality. 🦑
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Nigeria's Niger state have escaped and are now with their families. n.pr/4pkTJhw
50 schoolchildren escape captivity in Nigeria, more than 200 still held
Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Nigeria's Niger state have escaped and are now with their families.
n.pr
November 23, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Nigeria's Niger state have escaped and are now with their families. n.pr/4pkTJhw
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
A patient, a caregiver and a cardiologist walk into a bar...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
A patient, a caregiver and a cardiologist walk into a bar…
This study analyzed three narrative points of view, revealing “a strong difference” between how heart failure is perceived by patients, by their family caregivers, and by their heart fa…
myheartsisters.org
November 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
A patient, a caregiver and a cardiologist walk into a bar...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories. Read the story behind this stat here: reasonstobecheerful.world/startups-pro...
November 23, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Welcome back to #StatsSunday — your statistical fix, pulled from this week’s stories. Read the story behind this stat here: reasonstobecheerful.world/startups-pro...
Small kindness - big impact
The 'culture of kindness' in medicine starts when healthcare professionals ask themselves the small question:“Do I want my patients to be comfortable or uncomfortable?”
myheartsisters.org/2025/11/23/s...
The 'culture of kindness' in medicine starts when healthcare professionals ask themselves the small question:“Do I want my patients to be comfortable or uncomfortable?”
myheartsisters.org/2025/11/23/s...
Small kindness – big impact
by Carolyn Thomas ♥ Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky) A study published by Swiss researchers suggests that a culture of kindness in health care has a positive impact on healthcare organizations, he…
myheartsisters.org
November 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Small kindness - big impact
The 'culture of kindness' in medicine starts when healthcare professionals ask themselves the small question:“Do I want my patients to be comfortable or uncomfortable?”
myheartsisters.org/2025/11/23/s...
The 'culture of kindness' in medicine starts when healthcare professionals ask themselves the small question:“Do I want my patients to be comfortable or uncomfortable?”
myheartsisters.org/2025/11/23/s...
Looking for meaning in a meaningless diagnosis:
"That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Don’t cry over anything that can’t cry over you. When life hands out lemons, squeeze out a smile.”
Translation: "Blah blah blah..."
myheartsisters.org/2013/06/16/l...
"That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Don’t cry over anything that can’t cry over you. When life hands out lemons, squeeze out a smile.”
Translation: "Blah blah blah..."
myheartsisters.org/2013/06/16/l...
Looking for meaning in a meaningless diagnosis
Earth to Deepak Chopra, in the astute words of Salon writer Mary Beth Williams: “Telling seriously ill patients that they just need to be strong and have a good attitude is insulting. Believe…
myheartsisters.org
November 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Looking for meaning in a meaningless diagnosis:
"That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Don’t cry over anything that can’t cry over you. When life hands out lemons, squeeze out a smile.”
Translation: "Blah blah blah..."
myheartsisters.org/2013/06/16/l...
"That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Don’t cry over anything that can’t cry over you. When life hands out lemons, squeeze out a smile.”
Translation: "Blah blah blah..."
myheartsisters.org/2013/06/16/l...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
"I am concerned, I guess, that we could have a big flu season this year based on what we’re seeing in other parts of the world, and particularly Europe and elsewhere,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, University of Michigan. Go get a flu shot.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/h...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/h...
A new virus variant and lagging vaccinations may mean the US is in for a severe flu season | CNN
The United States may be heading into its second severe flu season in a row, driven by a mutated strain called subclade K that’s behind early surges in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.
www.cnn.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
"I am concerned, I guess, that we could have a big flu season this year based on what we’re seeing in other parts of the world, and particularly Europe and elsewhere,” said Dr. Adam Lauring, University of Michigan. Go get a flu shot.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/h...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/h...
The surprising mental health benefits of constructive wallowing after getting a serious diagnosis:
"There is one thing even worse than wallowing in that rotten feeling - and that is NOT wallowing in it.”
Dr. Tina Gilbertson
myheartsisters.org/2025/03/16/c...
"There is one thing even worse than wallowing in that rotten feeling - and that is NOT wallowing in it.”
Dr. Tina Gilbertson
myheartsisters.org/2025/03/16/c...
Constructive wallowing after a serious diagnosis
“There is one thing even worse than wallowing in despair – and that is NOT wallowing in it ” – Dr. Tina Gilbertson
myheartsisters.org
November 18, 2025 at 7:08 PM
The surprising mental health benefits of constructive wallowing after getting a serious diagnosis:
"There is one thing even worse than wallowing in that rotten feeling - and that is NOT wallowing in it.”
Dr. Tina Gilbertson
myheartsisters.org/2025/03/16/c...
"There is one thing even worse than wallowing in that rotten feeling - and that is NOT wallowing in it.”
Dr. Tina Gilbertson
myheartsisters.org/2025/03/16/c...
A patient, a caregiver and a cardiologist walk into a bar...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
A patient, a caregiver and a cardiologist walk into a bar…
This study analyzed three narrative points of view, revealing “a strong difference” between how heart failure is perceived by patients, by their family caregivers, and by their heart fa…
myheartsisters.org
November 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
A patient, a caregiver and a cardiologist walk into a bar...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
"While doctors are knowledgeable about disease, they don't adequately appreciate that illness changes everything for the patient..." Dr. Rita Charon, author of Narrative Medicine
myheartsisters.org/2020/07/26/n...
Reposted by Carolyn Thomas 🇨🇦
Women in medicine are calling out the gender gap in healthcare and research. From male-focused studies to underrepresentation in trials, these disparities impact care globally.
Watch the powerful video from @thelancet.com
#WomensHealth #WomenInMedicine #CardioSky
Watch the powerful video from @thelancet.com
#WomensHealth #WomenInMedicine #CardioSky
Women and Health: Uncovering Health-Care Disparities
Despite women comprising half of the global population, women’s health issues are underreported, underrepresented, and underprioritised. Women's health research receives a disproportionate share of funding. Contrary to popular belief, obstetrics and gynaecology alone do not encompass women’s compreh
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Women in medicine are calling out the gender gap in healthcare and research. From male-focused studies to underrepresentation in trials, these disparities impact care globally.
Watch the powerful video from @thelancet.com
#WomensHealth #WomenInMedicine #CardioSky
Watch the powerful video from @thelancet.com
#WomensHealth #WomenInMedicine #CardioSky