Consumer Reports

Last week I was in Los Angeles. More specifically, I was sitting outside on a patio in Santa Monica with a view of the ocean. This week? Well, things have been a hazy shade of winter. In case you haven’t heard, DC has had a “little” snow the past few days. The masses are beginning to get some serious cabin fever . While it’s normal to feel restless while cooped up, for some people it is more than a case of the winter blues. Season Affective Disorder (SAD) is when lack of exposure to sunshine and not enough vitamin D cause people to get depressed and unhealthily sluggish. Treatments are available, and if you’re feeling exceptionally bummed during this time of year you should consult your doctor. They may suggest installing special light boxes throughout your home, or medication. While waiting for the next ten inches to hit our area, I’m seriously considering a career-path that requires me to be in Hawaii.

My husband and I were visiting my 80-year-old mother-in-law, Eileen, in the hospital the other day after her open-heart surgery. She showed me the incision running down her chest and looked at me ruefully. She said, “I guess I need to throw out all of those bikini tops I have.” I said, “No way! We can sew some padding in to the cups. When we go visit my family this Christmas, we can tie them around our heads and wear them as ear muffs to keep our ears warm. If anyone gives us odd looks, we will just tell them all of the top models on the runways of Milan are wearing them this year!” Eileen said, “Well, I have always been a bit of a fashion trend setter amongst my friends!” The image of all of us wearing bikini tops on our heads in the middle of a Midwest winter made us laugh, but only a few days earlier, we were really anxious and scared for her. Last week, Eileen came to our house and told us that her throat was tingling. She thought she was having an allergic reaction to something she ate. My husband took her to an urgent care clinic. At the clinic, the tingly feeling was moving down into her chest, so the doctor performed an EKG . The electrocardiogram looked a little abnormal and her blood pressure was really high, so the clinic staff gave her some aspirin, nitroglycerin , and called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. At the hospital the tingling sensation went away, but she kept having episodes of very high blood pressure. Over several days, the doctors ordered a cardiac MRI , stress test , cardiac catheterization , and some other tests. Eileen had previously undergone a stent procedure to open up a blockage, but the doctors determined that she would need a quadruple bypass and an aortic heart valve repair/replacement . Last Friday she went into surgery. Eileen isn’t just my mother-in-law, she is my very dear friend, so when the doctor came to tell us it was over and that she had done well, I was so relieved that I wanted to cry. Eileen still has a long road to a full recovery, but I have confidence that she is a strong lady and will do well. If you or a loved one are suffering from heart disease, you may find these additional resources helpful: Gender Differences in Diagnosis and Management of Heart Disease The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women Heart Disease in Women Heart Healthy Eating USA.gov P.S. I’d like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Northeast Methodist Hospital in San Antonio for taking good care of Eileen. Also, a big shout out to Eileen’s posse, the Wild Bunch. Y’all are the funniest, rowdiest bunch of gals I’ve ever met, and you have all been wonderful friends to Eileen. Thank-you for your support during this time. Beading party at my house when Eileen is feeling up to it!

Every year, more than 211,000 American women and 1,700 American men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Speak with your doctor to find out when you should begin having mammograms. Visit the National Cancer Institute to learn about risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and more.