Nurse Sally is the RN Coordinator for Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Adult Cardiology Clinic and Community Education Programs. She is very knowledgeable in the prevention/treatment of Cardiovascular disease. It is the hope of this page to transfer some of this knowledge to those who suffer from heart disease or are curious about this terrible disease. Sally is amazing on many fronts, but I would like to highlight a couple that are not emphasized on her "bio" page: she is an avid long distance runner who has completed many marathons, half marathons, 10k runs, etc. In addition to this qualification, she has held true to the value that a person is a result of their lifestyle. Sally practices what she preaches on the front of preventing cardiovascular disease.
In the early part of 2009, Nurse Sally encouraged us to "Know our Numbers" including BMI, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels. I had no idea what she meant, but luckily for us, she invited us to a talk she was giving for a diabetes support group. The file below "010609_SallysTalk.pdf" is a summary of her message.
As you will observe in her talk on stress below titled, "Stress Talk for KWC," knowing how to manage the stress in your life is a major component to fighting/preventing cardiovascular disease. Enjoy the power point presentation. As she sends us more information, we will gladly post it on the website.
Another topic Nurse Sally has discussed with us is "Altitude Sickness." Hiking in the mountains of Southern California, particularly San Jacinto (over 8000 ft) via the Palm Springs Tramway, has caused Mike to suffer at the beginning of the summer until his body acclimates to the lack of oxygen. Skiing in the Rocky Mountains in Steamboat Springs for the first time caused Kayla acute problems and as a result, she missed out on a half-day of ski school when she was 13 years old. The scariest part is not knowing "what is wrong with me?" Hence, we are sharing the following article from health.com to this end. See also alpinism. Pronounced here in French. Just click the button that looks like sound coming out of a speaker.
A recent addition to Sally's blog is "PET Therapy" reposted from Huffington Post. It outlines the benefits of having a dog. Our wellness center advocates the application of pet therapy to incentivise exercise, balance mood and blood pressure, and remind us to chill out! An infographic has been compiled and posted here.
How do I maintain a 'Healthy Heart'? Here are a few sites: articles, blogs, reports, etc.
(1) What does the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend to reduce the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD)? Click here to read.
(2) What can be done at the community level to reduce the occurrence of CVD? Click here to read the AHA recommendations.
(3) Here are a few steps to maintain a healthy heart from RAND Think Tank. Click to access the 'Cardiovascular Disorders' page.
(4) Looking for Research based evidence on health and wellness? Click here to access the 'Physical Exercise' page.