A Woman's Journey Blog

Life's Not-So-Little Lessons

2011-12-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe, but another Woman’s Journey conference is behind us. On Saturday, just one week following the conference, I attended a baby naming where someone remarked they heard that this year’s program was the best. After 17 years, she asked, why was November’s Woman’s Journey so special?

Most women attend our annual Johns Hopkins women’s health conference to learn about medical advances and specific diseases. This year was no different. The two keynote speakers, however, touched the hearts of the thousand women who attended the conference. They are extraordinary story tellers with powerful messages.

Sorrel King retold the devastating loss of her 18 month old daughter as a result of a medical error at The Johns Hopkins Hospital more than 10 years ago. She shared her profound grief and courageous and compassionate decision to honor her daughter's memory and create the Josie King Foundation dedicated to patient safety. Mrs. King has shared her story with thousands of health professionals and has worked with Dr. Peter Pronovost, director of the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality to reduce the U.S.’s reported 98,000 annual deaths caused by medical errors. Her story underscored the need to turn tragedy—from the loss of a child to just a bad day—into something positive that can help other human beings.

During Lunch with the Faculty, emergency medicine physician Dr. Christina Catlett told of her journey from a southern college sorority house to The Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Room. In this medical setting,she assembles a team of Hopkins health care providers to travel to areas, including Haiti,that have been destroyed by natural disasters. Dr. Catlett described the rampant destruction. Yet, following a subsequent professional meeting in Australia, she serendipitously found herself climbing a mountain(it was only 900 feet high). This exhilarating experience led her to acquire medical wilderness certification and pursue a new-found quest to reach summits across the globe. Her message was simple: find your passion and strive for balance within your life.

You might not be able to share the experience with other women, but I urge you to watch the conference website: hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney for postings of video and audio excerpts from this November's extraordinary presentations. And, don’t miss next year’s speakers who undoubtedly will be just as inspirational as Sorrel King and Christina Catlett. Save the date now for next year’s conference: Saturday, November 17, 2012.

Leslie

Game-Set-Match

2011-09-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

If you are a tennis fan like me, perhaps earlier this month you too watched the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. The tennis was terrific despite all the weather delays, which spawned a lot of commentary.

I was disheartened to learn from the court-side commentators that two of the top female tennis players had been diagnosed with autoimmune disorders: one with Lyme’s disease and the other with Sjogren’s disease. It reminded me of a book I read several years ago about autoimmune disorders. More than 100 diagnoses—from arthritis to Hashimoto’s disease—are now classified as autoimmune disorders. And, unfortunately for many of us, autoimmune diseases occur three times more frequently in women than in men.

The question is, why are these disorders are so prevalent among women? Researchers are just learning about this and other characteristics unique to women health. Dr. Sabra Klein, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has devoted her research to understanding how males and females differ in their immune responses to viral infection. She hypothesizes that hormones are critical signals for immune responses to viruses. Dr. Klein’s research indicates that females produce much higher immune responses than males, which can be beneficial for overcoming of viruses, but also can make females more likely to develop autoimmune and even inflammatory diseases, like asthma. Perhaps, she suggests, this may be one reason why autoimmune disorders so significantly impact women. Many questions remain unanswered.

Fortunately for us, Dr. Sabra Klein is one of the 32 faculty speaking at this year’s Johns Hopkins annual women’s health conference A Woman’s Journey. I hope you will join us and listen to Dr. Klein. Her presentation might help us understand why Sjogren’s and Lyme’s disease affect so many women, including some very well-known female tennis players.

Appetizers, Please

2011-08-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

I must confess, personally I have one disappointment about the Johns Hopkins Medicine women’s health conference, A Woman’s Journey. As the conference organizer, I rarely attend a presentation. Yes, I help develop the topics and interface with many of the speakers, but it is rare that I have the opportunity to sit in a seminar and listen to Johns Hopkins faculty physicians as they share new advances in medicine.

So, you will understand why I was thrilled yesterday to review excerpts of four of the most popular sessions from our most recent conference in Baltimore. I watched the brief videos excerpted from presentations by Drs. Michael Gloth, Suzanne Jan de Beur, Linda Lee, and Gerard Mullen, each of whom spoke about diet, nutrition and /or exercise to promote wellness and healthy aging.

When you have five minutes, go to hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney or You Tube and click on the videos. Surely you too will learn something and at the same time, get a great taste of A Woman’s Journey. Hopefully it will whet your appetite for this year’s conference on Saturday, November 12, 2011. I hope to pass you in the hall, or perhaps, even sit next to you in one of the sessions.

Leslie

La Dolce Vita

2011-08-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have returned from a memorable family trip to Italy; something I have always wanted to do. Since arriving home,friends and colleagues have asked, “what was the best part of your vacation?” Unequivocally, I have answered,“being together as a family."

But, I have to admit, the sites were breathtaking. Each Italian city is so different. It didn't take long to find our pace, absorb the Italian culture and the gelato. We were fortunate to visit the proprietor of a vineyard and wonderful Tuscan inn, take a cooking class in magnificent Florence, ride Venice’s Grand Canal and explore ancient Rome. No matter where we travel, however, there always are reminders of reality facing us at home.

When we visited the Vatican, our guide pointed out a sculpture of Artemis. This Greek Goddess of fertility was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. The sculpture is distinctive with more than a dozen breasts. I was familiar with the second century artwork because Artemis also is the name of the Johns Hopkins breast center's e-newsletter. But, seeing the sculpture in person, and in Italy, was a reminder that the world is small and that women everywhere face many of the same health issues.

As we returned home I reflected on the two cultures. Florentian gelato may be memorable, but we are fortunate to have a program like A Woman’s Journey to learn about diagnosing breast cancer and a myriad of other health issues confronting us. We may not serve gelato or ice cream at the conferences, but you will be treated to a healthy serving of new medical information.

Ciao,
Leslie

Life's Rewards

2011-07-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

The most rewarding part of my job is engaging with people who make a difference in the health and well being of others. At Hopkins, most often it is the scientists, researchers and physicians whose discoveries alter the course of medicine. Sometimes, however, it also can be a lay person.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking with Sorrel King, an author and mother, who has transformed a personal family tragedy into a campaign to change today's health care system. After living with what she describes as "searing pain" from the death of her youngest child, Sorrel began a foundation dedicated to improving patient safety domestically and globally. It has been a nine year crusade that has reaped real change and undoubtedly saved so many lives.

Fortunately for us, Sorrel King has accepted our invitation to be the plenary speaker at the November 12, 2011 annual Johns Hopkins women's health conference, A Woman's Journey. I hope you will visit the conference website to take advantage of the discounted early on-line conference registration. Register for A Woman's Journey and be inspired by Sorrel King. She will be joined by 32 Hopkins physicians who will present seminars on topics from What You Eat Can Save Your Life to Top 10 Tips to Prevent Cancer. It’s a day you won’t want to miss!

Shortly after Sorrel and I concluded our conversation that afternoon, I was off to the book store to purchase a copy of her book, Josie's Story. Whether you read the book or not, I hope you will take the day for yourself and come meet Sorrel in person.

Leslie

Change

2011-07-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

I have been out of the office for more than one week and it always is hard to return. I am back in the office, however, at an exciting time. A Woman's Journey has begun registration for its annual Women's health conference that will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2011.

As co-chairs Mollye Block and Harriet Legum acknowledge a lot has changed since the three of us began the conference 17 years ago. Who could have imagined all the discoveries that may influence our daily lives: personalized cancer treatments, unique immune responses in women and the importance of vitamin D. These and other medical advances are changing our ability to influence our health as well as the way doctors diagnose and treat disease.

We need to harness this knowledge and personally make a difference for ourselves and our families. That's why I hope that you will take a day for yourself and join me at this year's conference. It is one day that could change the course of all others.

Leslie

Statistics Don't Lie

2011-03-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended a professional briefing and was struck by a fact included in the speaker’s presentation. By 2013, cancer is expected to surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. I don’t know why I was startled. The American Cancer Society reported 1.5 million new cases of cancer in the United States in 2010. Most weeks I hear about cancer affecting someone I know; just this month, several people have asked me about the pancreatic center at Johns Hopkins.

It’s no surprise then, that so many women responding to the recent Woman’s Journey survey of health interests identified Strategies to Prevent Cancer as their top choice. So, in response to the survey outcomes, the annual Johns Hopkins women’s health conference November 12, 2011 will include four sessions related to cancer:

• Advanced in Diagnosing Breast Cancer
• Ten Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
• What You Eat Can Save Your Life
• Changing the Outcomes for Pancreatic Cancer

Johns Hopkins faculty speakers also will focus on dozens of other topics, but from my perspective, I will be sure I learn about cancer prevention. For myself and my family I want to do everything possible to reduce the likelihood of having cancer as well as know about advances in diagnoses and treatments. Perhaps after hearing about the projected rate of cancer, you will too.

Be Well,
Leslie

A Chance to Expand Your Vocabulary

2011-03-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

“Personalized medicine” is a phrase we are going to hear a lot more about in the future.

Recently I have attended meetings or picked up articles about “personalized medicine.” It seems like many people are beginning to use the term in different contexts. Some use the term to refer to high-end concierge medical practices in which a patient pays a primary care physician an annual “membership” fee. But, the term conveys far more power and has implications for many of us.

Last year I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Bill Nelson, Professor and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. He explained that “within the next few years, all cancer patients at the Kimmel Cancer Center will have their tumors analyzed to reveal a unique “fingerprint.” The fingerprint represents the combination of genetic alterations specific to each person’s cancer. Just as every person is genetically unique, so is every cancer. Targeting these alterations, say scientists, will improve treatment outcomes, thwart cancers before they develop, and slash the costs of new drug discovery.”

The new edition of the Hopkins publication, Promise and Progress, describes how The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is translating laboratory discoveries into remarkable new therapies that target the unique cellular characteristics of each patient’s cancer. [ http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/publications/promise_progress/the_time_is_now_2010_2011_/personalized_medicine_is_here_the_time_is_now].

Personalized medicine may sound like a simple concept, but the science behind it may change the course of cancer treatment. Like me, you may want to add the phrase to your lexicon.

What You Eat Can Save Your Life

2011-02-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Finally, I can take a breath. It has been a busy winter. Following the successful Johns Hopkins Medicine women's health conferences in Baltimore, we got some respite from the snow and ice when we traveled to Florida to conduct A Woman’s Journey in Palm Beach, Naples and Sarasota. Regardless where the Johns Hopkins faculty and I travel, women are curious about medical discoveries and searching for information

Conversations with women around the country about new advances in women's health, reinforce the need for A Woman's Journey as a forum about health issues. No wonder. Every time I listen to a speaker at A Woman's Journey, I too gain valuable information. Did you know, for example, the more than one million Americans die annually because of poor dietary choices? At A Woman’s Journey Baltimore and Palm Beach, nutrition specialist, Lynda McIntyre, talked about foods that boost your immune system and combat disease. What I learned will change my diet.

• Beta-carotene increases our “t” fighter cells that help improve immunity and prevent cardiovascular disease.
• Mango and apricot, among other foods, can retard the growth of breast and colon cancer cells.
• Vitamin C not only boosts our immune system, it increases good/HDL cholesterol and cartilage synthesis, and reduces osteoarthritis and wrinkles.
• Garlic fights bacteria, but needs to sit on the counter and be oxidized before you cook it.

So, now I am going prepare my shopping list for the week, get a cup of green or oolong tea, and beginning planning for the next women's health program.

Leslie

Conflict Resolution

2010-11-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I received brief training on conflict resolution. It was insightful and gave me skills I continue to use. It hasn't however, helped me resolve some important questions.

Consider the facts. This summer we read about cardiovascular risks from a diabetes drug now more tightly controlled in the United States. Another study questioned new risks associated with calcium supplement that many women use to increase bone density and ward off osteoporosis. Increasingly we read evidence that contradicts prior medical advice.

Sometimes it's hard to know how to stay healthy.

Fortunately, the annual Johns Hopkins Medicine women's health conference,A Woman's Journey, will address many of these and other significant health issues at the November 20 conference. Vitamin specialist Dr. Benjamin Caballero, cardiologist Dr. Wendy Post and endocrinologists Drs. Suzanne Jan de Beur and Deborah Sellmeyer will provide insights into vitamin supplements, cardiovascular, and bone mineral health.

I hope you will join us at this exceptional forum on women's health. It will be an extraordinary opportunity to resolve some conflict between health information. I know my friends and I will be looking for some answers.

Stay well,
Leslie

Vacation is More than a Memory

2010-09-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

Recently I returned from vacation and as often is the case, I am reminded that the friends and family we visit are more essential than the Maine woods, hiking and blueberries.

No matter where we journey, people are talking about their health. Between blueberry and peach pies and lobster, we considered integrative approaches to medicine, nutrition, strategies to reduce disease and manage our health and other concerns. I even discovered white whole wheat flour in an organic grocery store. I learn alot from talking with other, reading and, of course, my Hopkins colleagues.

I am fortunate that many of my friends will attend this year's Johns Hopkins Medicine annual women's health conference, A Woman's Journey. I know that they will learn from the experts and continue to dialogue about the choices we all make.

I hope you will join them and register for the conference. It is the best way to understand how we can improve our lives and the lives of those we love.

Leslie

What’s In a Name?

2010-07-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

Each year I assemble a small group of colleagues to study the schedule of seminars that have been confirmed for the Johns Hopkins Medicine annual women’s health conference, A Woman’s Journey. Our agenda is to craft titles for each lecture. These are critical subjects about improving your health and sometimes devastating diseases. Naming a seminar is serious business. Never the less, the meeting sometimes becomes raucous. It’s challenging. We need to be creative, yet maintain the integrity of the subject matter. The bottom line is to appeal to your curiosity and interests.

So, as you plan your fall, I hope you will check out hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney. Read the titles of A Woman’s Journey’s 32 seminars that will be taught by Johns Hopkins physicians. Laugh at some of the titles; be motivated by others. But, when you finish reading the seminar names, be sure to go to our website, register for A Woman’s Journey, and learn what’s really in a name.
Leslie

A Suprising Legacy

2010-07-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

I don’t mean to sound morbid, but last weekend we had a most extraordinary—and personal—experience.

After going through some old family papers, we learned where my husband’s grandparents had been buried so many years ago. So, last weekend, armed with genealogical information, a map, pruning shears and a few other sundry items, we traveled to several cemeteries in one of New York’s boroughs. It was not an ordinary outing. Some engravings of names and dates on tombstones were eroded by years and weather. Other grave markers had fallen over; some were overwrought with vines. But, in the course of a few hours, we located so many relatives dating back centuries. My husband learned about relatives, many of whom he never knew existed.

It was an inspiring trip and by the time returned home,I decided to assemble a “family tree.” The branches are so laden with names and dates, the draft paper now covers my dining room table. You can’t help but wonder who these people were, how they lived, and how they died. We each carry so many genes and traits from our family members, many of whom we didn’t even know. And then, I thought about a real gift I could pass on to my children.

I have prepared a medical family history. To the best of my knowledge I have detailed the diagnoses of my generation and my parents. Hopefully it will provide the detailed family records that physicians may someday request of my children. It's a unique legacy and one that I hope will keep them healthy.
Leslie

The Master of Our Fate

2010-06-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I suspect by now, you’ve assessed that I am an optimistic person. Long ago my Dad taught me that you can “get more from honey than vinegar” and I have remembered this lesson throughout my life. I also believe that by our choices and determination we shape our own lives.

Sometimes I am slow to catch a movie. And so not surprisingly with the excitement surrounding the World Cup Soccer tournament, I just saw Invictus, the story of the South African rugby team and President Nelson Mandela's vision for a united South Africa. The title, which is Latin for ‘unconquered’, I learned comes from the 1850 poem by Englishman William Ernest Healy (1849-1903). It concludes with the well known phrase: “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

May we all heed the message and try to take control of our own lives to have a healthy year. I hope you also take the opportunity to watch the movie; it is quite compelling.

Leslie

Benefits of Another Day

2010-05-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Three years ago this week my college roommate passed away. She died of recurrent breast cancer after an 18-month struggle fraught with chemotherapy, radiation, clinical trails and finally palliative care. I find my self questioning if she had survived, would new treatments be available to sustain her life?

Through A Woman’s Journey I have learned about new drugs and experimental approaches to treatment. I don’t know if additional time would have reaped any benefit, but wish that others live long enough to benefit from new developments.

Fortunately for the rest of us, Lillie Shockney, survivor, administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Breast Center and a national spokesperson will speak at A Woman’s Journey in Baltimore on November 20, 2010, in Palm Beach on January 20, 2011, and Naples on January 21. For those of us who have had an abnormal mammogram or felt a breast lump, Lillie will offer a road map telling women how to proceed when they fear a diagnosis of breast cancer.

You can bet that Lillie will be enlightening and somehow will find a way to interject humor into her otherwise serious remarks.

I hope you will be able to attend the conference (www.hopkinsmeidcine.org/awomansjourney) and hear this extraordinary speaker.

Leslie

More Than a Bouquet of Flowers

2010-05-06T09:08:00.001-07:00

When it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day, our family –like many— has a long standing tradition. Annually we venture to Maryland's wholesale fish market to purchase lobster. Preparing for a lobster feast can take hours. Besides setting the table, it can take an hour to bring the water and sea weed to a full boil. Then there is the cooking. After steaming the lobster my husband cleans out the lobster and cracks the shell to make it easier to eat. Sometimes we wonder if all the work is worth it.

But, I have concluded that Mother’s Day is less about what we eat and more about gathering together. It’s about bringing together the mothers, daughters, sisters and friends and taking the time to celebrate being together.

I hope you have the opportunity to share the day with those you care about.

Happy Mother’s Day

Leslie

The Up Side of Jello

2010-04-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

At age 50 your life changes. It’s more than menopause. You suddenly begin to take some things more seriously. Certainly you start to pay more attention to your health.

Among the recommended screening tests, the American Cancer Society and doctors prescribe colonoscopies. No wonder. Colon cancer is among the most common types of cancer; but, when detected early, colon cancer has high cure rates. It’s on my mind since my colonoscopy is scheduled this week.

Many people ignore this diagnostic test. They are more concerned about the “prep” rather than the procedure itself. Don’t let this dissuade you. There’s nothing wrong with a little jello and some clear liquids for 24 hours. The prep may be inconvenient, but the outcome can be lifesaving.

Johns Hopkins has a long history of ground breaking discoveries targeting colon cancer. Kimmel Cancer Center researchers were the first to isolate a series of mistakes in human DNA, called genetic mutations, that lead to the development and progression of colon and rectum cancer. These findings have already been used to develop screening blood tests for people with a family history of certain types of hereditary colon and rectum cancers. Subsequent work has led to the development of stool tests for non-hereditary colon cancer. Hopkins scientists also were the first to decode the colon cancer genome. Several new anticancer agents are being studied for their ability to interfere with the genetic alterations and stop the initiation of cancer. As genetic causes continue to be uncovered, Hopkins researchers expect to improve broad-based screening tests to detect colon and rectum cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. More information is available at http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/index.cfm/cid/1258

So, my advice is simple. Schedule your colonoscopy and get some jello.

Leslie

Numbers

2010-04-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

I always liked math—algebra withstanding. But with each year I come to better appreciate the importance of numbers. Although April 15 has just passed, remember that numbers have a pervasive impact on our health as well as our taxes. Whether we want to admit it or not, our increasing age impacts our health and our daily lives. More important, however, is our “medical age.”

Most of us know our shoe size or dress size, but do you know your HLD and LDL cholesterol, your glucose level or blood pressure? How many grams of fiber are you eating a day? What is your thyroid level? Yesterday I learned from a Johns Hopkins ophthalmologist that, on average, with each advancing decade the vitreous gel that fills your eye pulls away from your retina by 10 percent. I wondered what other changes are occurring in my body that can be captured by data.

We may not be doctors, but we need to become familiar with these numbers and know how they can impact our health.

Pain

2010-04-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately my daughter recently had ankle surgery related to a fall down a circular staircase at school. The surgeon performed the ankle repair. The hospital provided detailed discharge instructions. Now as the mother, it is my responsibility to help my daughter recover in the aftermath of surgery. I can fluff the pillows, apply the ice packs, and fill the prescriptions. It’s managing her pain that leaves me uneasy.

Research shows that women suffer from pain conditions disproportionally compared to men. Johns Hopkins assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and pain specialist Dr. Paul Christo tells me that women represent 72% of chronic pain sufferers. Migraine headaches and fibromyalgia are more common in women; women report more serious, more frequent, and longer lasting pain, and too many women are given antidepressants and tranquilizers when they report pain. Pain is often undertreated which results in needless suffering for millions of people.

Chronic pain affects a staggering 25% or more of the population and continues to cause distressing symptoms for many years. Very few patients with persistent pain have access to a pain specialist, and those who gain access report that treatments are underutilized and often fraught with barriers.

My daughter was fortunate. The pain was quickly controlled. For others, however, it’s good to know that there are pain specialists at Hopkins.

Leslie

Medical School Credentials

2010-03-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

No, I didn’t go to medical school. I haven’t taken medical boards. Probably the last formal science courses I took were 9th biology and 10th grade chemistry. Graduate school focused on health care and research. Yet, because I manage the Johns Hopkins Medicine annual women’s health conference--A Woman's Journey--and am fortunate enough to interact with some of the world’s leading physicians, my family, friends and their friends call me for medical advice.

Weekly, I field telephone calls and emails: How should they treat a growing list of ailments? Which treatment option has better outcomes? Who is the best expert? How many international units of Vitamin D should they take? Should pathology reports be overread? or Does a patient need a second opinion? Many times I am able to confidently refer friends to the right specialist. Most times I remind them of the shortcomings of my “medical education.” And, always, I urge them to attend A Woman’s Journey so they can learn and personally question the real experts.

Before the conference in November, sign up for the Woman’s Journey monthly e-mail which contains reports of relevant medical advances from Hopkins. It’s a good way to learn about health care hopefully before we need it. Take it from me; this is good advice.

Leslie

Your Opinion Matters

2010-02-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year I enjoy most. Not because of the snow, for sure. Rather I find it satisfying to identify the topics for the forthcoming A Woman's Journey and begin to interview faculty members about their specialties.

Each year women ask how we select the health topics offered at the Johns Hopkins Medicine women's health conference. The answer is simple. We survey women like you and ask you to identify the health issues that are of greatest concern to you. So I ask for your help.

If you haven't already, please go to the Woman's Journey website (www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney) and take the brief survey. It takes just a few minutes to scan through the list of potential seminar topics and indicate those of interest to you. The results will guide our decisions as I outline the program for next winter.

Your opinion really does matter.

Thanks,
Leslie

Sunshine and Inspiration

2010-02-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

After months of planning, the staff and I were finally departing for south Florida to bring A Woman's Journey to women in Palm Beach and Naples. When the captain informed us that we would sit on the tarmac for 30 minutes, I turned on my phone and found a message from Lillie Shockney, the scheduled keynote speaker for A Woman's Journey Palm Beach. Lillie had food poisoning and would not make the conference. I looked around at the other passengers and spotted some Hopkins colleagues. By the time we took off, we had invited the new president of the Johns Hopkins University to be a keynote speaker.

Ron Daniels, who had been installed in the fall as JHU's 14 president, was amazing. I am so grateful that he was willing to speak about the university and his self-described walk-abouts throughout Johns Hopkins. In particular, President Daniels described his tour of The Johns Hopkins Hospital operating rooms and the opportunity to witness a Whipple procedure. The Whipple is a surgical procedure that was developed to remove pancreatic and other GI tumors. According to President Daniels, when Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. John Cameron began his career, the mortality rate from the surgery was nearly 30 percent. Since then Dr. Cameron has worked to improve the Whipple procedure and reduce the mortality rate to nearly 1%. Just days after observing this procedure, President Daniels was diagnosed with a rare type of tumor in the intestine. As we all learned, the tumor was removed through a Whipple procedure. Fortunately, President Daniels' prognosis is excellent.

The presentation was a most inspiring conclusion to a terrific Woman's Journey in Palm Beach. Surely we will return next year. I hope those of you living in south Florida will join us.
Leslie

Giving Thanks for Four Scores and Then Some

2009-12-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving always has been a favorite holiday and time of year for me. I relish working in the kitchen all day as my family gathers together. This year we also marked a particular milestone as my mother celebrated her 85th birthday.

My sisters and I prepared a family brunch to note the occasion. In preparation, I did some research about the major social, political and literary events that have taken place during her lifetime. Late one night I placed the information on customized place cards. So much has happened during my mother's life time. It is another reminder of the pleasure we can derive from staying healthy and active and living a long life.

Leslie

Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations

2009-11-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Women have learned two lessons: schedule an annual mammogram and perform breast self exam each month in the shower. That's why women of all ages--from my daughter to my mother--became alarmed and concerned last week when The US Preventive Services Task Force recommended changes in screening for breast cancer.

Just yesterday a cousin asked me what I had heard from Johns Hopkins physicians. I was able to share a statement from Dr. Nagi Khouri, director of breast imaging, and Lillie Shockney, a breast cancer survivor and administrative director of the Avon Breast Center at Johns Hopkins. You too will be interested in reading their comments:

The Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center remains committed to caring for the screening needs of women at every age. We tailor our prevention services to each individual, and decisions on routine screening are made between patients and their physicians. The study released by the United States Preventive Services Task Force will not change current practices at Johns Hopkins. We will maintain our recommendations that routine screening for women at average risk for cancer occurs annually from 40 years of age through 80, when it can be altered at that point. We also feel it is important to continue educating women about their bodies including the normal contours of the breast to promote awareness of breast health. We believe that when women are armed with knowledge about their breasts, they are more likely to report changes to their physician. Again, please continue to schedule your mammograms annually, check your breasts, and let your physician know when changes occur.

Sincerely,

Nagi Khouri, M.D. and Lillie Shockney, RN., BS., MAS
Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center

I have known too many women who have detected breast cancer through breast self exam and annual screening mammography. Each of them believes that these important screening tools improved their treatments outcome and, in some cases, saved their lives. I hope each of you will therefore heed the advise from Dr. Khouri and Lillie Shockney.

Leslie

P.S. Listen to Johns Hopkins radiologist Dr. Nagi Khouri and breast surgeon Dr. Lisa Jacobs discuss breast imaging technologies and new management and operative strategies to improve the rate of breast preservation and cosmesis.

The Aftermath....

2009-11-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a few days since the 15th annual women's health conference, A Woman's Journey, and I must admit, I am still recovering.

More than 1,100 women attended the day long conference. I have spoken to so many women who were grateful for the opportunity to listen to Hopkins physicians. They learned much: compelling evidence about the benefits of vitamin D, strategies to alter your diet to prevent the liklihood of cancer, the difference between age-related memory loss and real dementia, common symptoms women shouldn't ignore and ......

I already have placed many of the session CD recordings in my bag. I will be listening to them for the next few weeks. If you too are interested, check out the conference website for CDs of many of the 32 seminars: hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney. Let me know what you learn; we can share notes.

Leslie

Time

2009-11-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me if anything has changed since Mollye Block, Harriet Legum and I began the annual Johns Hopkins Medicine women's health conference in 1995. The answer is simple: a lot.

Each year we ask thousands of women about health topics and issues that are important to them. In the 15 years since we began the day-long conference, we have seen a surge in new topics. Many of us share these concerns. In the mid-90's women were focused on the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy. As new research has helped to answer those questions, women increasingly have been keen to better understand heart disease--the number 1 cause of death among women. Today we are all focused on staying well; that can mean eating well, exercising, and learning more about antioxidants, vitamins and supplements.

What hasn't changed is the compelling need to learn about medical advances. I hope you will join us at this year's conference, Saturday, November 14. Johns Hopkins physicians will teach 32 classes about issues that are important to you. If you can't attend this year, be sure to check our web site and sign up for the monthly newsletter about women's health. It is a terrific way to learn about new discoveries and see how women's health has changed since 1995.

Leslie

The Power of Women

2009-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

October 23, 2009: Mary Elizabeth Garrett

Yesterday I had the pleasure of touring The Anne and Michael Armstrong Medical Education Building, the new home of medical student education at Johns Hopkins. The building is beautiful: a glass atrium, center staircase, digital classrooms and an advanced anatomy lab to usher in a new era of medical education. The expansive halls exhibit portraits of Hopkins Nobel prize winners, men and women who made medical history and outstanding donors of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

A life-size copy of John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Mary Elizabeth Garrett caught my eye. In the late 1800’s Ms. Garrett, a strong advocate for women and a family friend of Mr. Johns Hopkins, organized the national “Women’s Medical School Fund.” This campaign sought to raise the remaining funds necessary to open the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In the end, it was Ms. Garrett’s personal gift that achieved the campaign goal enabling the completion of the School of Medicine. The women’s gifts, however, were contingent upon a pledge that the School of Medicine would admit women and provide women the opportunity to fully participate in clinical care, academic teaching and medical research. The trustees accepted the generous gift of Ms. Garrett and others, and in 1894 the School of Medicine opened its doors with 15 men and three women in the institution’s first medical school class.

The display speaks to Ms. Garrett’s extraordinary gift as well as her personal commitment to the advancement of women. I sometimes reflect upon the satisfaction she might have had knowing about A Woman’s Journey and the Johns Hopkins’ annual women’s health conference’s dedication to educate today’s women about advances in medicine.

Leslie

A Nobel Prize

2009-10-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Although I don’t personally know Dr. Carol Greider, this morning I awoke with a sense of pride that this Johns Hopkins scientist was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her 1984 discovery of an enzyme that is critical for our health and survival.

I am reminded that working at Johns Hopkins has afforded me the extraordinary opportunity to work with faculty members, who like Dr. Greider, make groundbreaking basic science discoveries that ultimately influence our health and wellbeing. I have learned so much from these physicians and researchers. They have furthered my understanding of medicine and science. That’s why I am so pleased that you too have an opportunity to learn from Johns Hopkins doctors.

I hope you will seize the chance to listen to 32 of these faculty members at this year’s Johns Hopkins women’s health conference, A Woman’s Journey. Hear about medical advances from pioneers in their fields. Have the opportunity to meet the physicians and ask them questions. You will learn lessons that will last a life time.

Hope to see you there,
Leslie
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney

Improve Your Health

2009-09-14T10:26:00.001-07:00

This week I returned from vacation to find registration for A Woman's Journey's Baltimore conference on Saturday November 14, 2009 is booming! It's rewarding to know that so many women are interested in learning about the latest medical discoveries from Johns Hopkins physicians. Check out the website: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney to review the 32 health topics that will be discussed, from Shedding Light on Vitamin D to the Autoimmune Alert.

I hope you too will take advantage of this opportunity to improve the health of yourself and those you love.

Leslie

Mastering the Art of Healthy Cooking

2009-09-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Finally. With much anticipation, last night I saw the new movie Julia and Julie. Most people have enjoyed the movie about cooking legend Julia Child and a young women who decides to write a blog as she works her way through Julia Child's 700-page classic, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. For me, however, the movie was personal.

I began cooking with only two cook books on my kitchen shelf: Mastering the Art of French Cooking volume 1 and volume 2. As the movie illustrates, these books are as much about technique as they are recipes and butter. Years later, my copies of these classic cookbooks are well dog eared and food stained. I have cooked my way through crepes, souffles, sauces and especially tarts.

More recently I have learned to adapt many of the recipes using what Hopkins dietician Lynda McIntyre calls "power foods." Blueberries, almonds, spinach etc. are foods that provide antioxidants and help us fight disease. That's why I am particularly anxious to hear Ms. McIntyre's presentation at this year's annual Johns Hopkins Medicine women's health conference, A Woman's Journey. In planning this year's program, I learned that certain combinations of foods help maximize the benefits we can derive while eating.

I am always searching for new recipes as well as advice. On November 14 I plan to leave my wooden spoons and copper pots at home and head to the Hilton to learn how to master the art of healthy cooking.

Hope to see you there,

Leslie

A Tribute to a Great Lady

2009-08-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

I haven’t written in a while; it’s been a difficult month.

My mother-in-law passed away after two years of declining health. During this time, I have thought a lot about her and her life. Thinking back, I realize that as a long-time breast cancer survivor she was an inspiration to many women. When she was afflicted with breast cancer more than 40 years ago, people didn’t speak about cancer. Certainly times have changed. Cancer prevention, early detection and treatment options are now frequent topics of discussion. We all want to be aware of the latest research findings and recommended therapies.

So, in my mother-in-law’s honor, I want to let you know about some important information that will be presented at this year’s Johns Hopkins Medicine's annual women’s health conference, A Woman’s Journey, on Saturday, November 14, 2009. Presentations by Johns Hopkins physicians will include:
· Preventing Cancer: You Are What You Eat
· Integrating Traditional Healing With Modern Medicine
· Antioxidants, Vitamins and Supplements
· Common Symptoms Women Shouldn’t Ignore
· New Advances in treating Breast Cancer
I hope you will join me at the conference. It will be in our own best interest as well as a tribute to all cancer survivors, including my mother-in-law.
Leslie

Gift of Life

2009-06-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hopkins is full of amazing people. There is no shortage of inspiration and dedication.

Recently I learned that Pamela Paulk, vice president of Human Resources for the Johns Hopkins Health System and Hospital has chosen to donate her kidney to a fellow Hopkins employee. Surgery is now completed, and as a result of her organ donation, Pamela contributed to an eight-way kidney swap. It's not every day that someone gives the gift of life to another individual.

I have been sharing Pamela's story with others, including Saturday night when we had dinner with old friends who themselves are preparing to donate and receive a kidney transplant. Like Pamela, my friend is a glow at the thought that she can make a difference.

Pamela will share her personal story and the motivation that led her to save the lives of strangers at the Johns Hopkins Medicine women's health conference A Woman's Journey, Saturday November 14. Plan to come and hear her story. In the meantime, you can follow Pamela's blog: http://pameladonates.blogspot.com/

Leslie

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

2009-06-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Before you run off………..

I am running (figuratively) off to the gym to meet with my personal trainer. Sometimes it is so hard to leave the office; it would be so much easier to go directly home and cook dinner. But, I am reminded of the importance of exercise. It is the single most important thing we can do for ourselves.

Dr. Kerry Stewart, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a frequent speaker at our annual women’s health conference, A Woman’s Journey, points out that resistance and cardio exercise can achieve many goals: increased bone mineral density, reduced body fat, increased lean tissue, increased muscle strength, improved glucose metabolism, improved lipid profile, increased cardiovascular endurance, decreased blood pressure and increased basal metabolism. How can I resist?

My trainer often reminds me that strength training is a marathon not a sprint. I’ll remember that tonight on my way to the gym.

Leslie

awomansjourney@jhmi.edu

Opportunities

2009-05-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

This is an exciting and reflective time for me. My daughter is about to graduate law school and I have been thinking about the vast opportunities that are before her. While many inequities persist, as women we have boundless chances to learn and make contributions to improve society.

Years ago I felt more limited in my opportunities. My career has focused on efforts to educate other women about advances in medicine and to improve their health and wellbeing. Being well informed is paramount. If we are knowledgeable about new medical discoveries—particularly those that may have an impact on our own ailments—we can make wiser decisions about our own lifestyles and strategies to prevent and better treat disease.

The Johns Hopkins Medicine annual women’s health conference A Woman's Journey has helped thousands of women gain new knowledge and improve the health of themselves and those they love. I hope you too will seize this opportunity and join us at A Woman’s Journey, Saturday, November 14, 2009.

Leslie

A Tribute to Mothers

2009-05-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

With Mother’s Day approaching this weekend, I have been thinking about occasions throughout the year that I have shared with my mother, sisters and daughter and hoping that they will continue.

Like many women, we often gather at the Johns Hopkins annual women’s health conference A Woman’s Journey to be together, attend lectures that interest each of us, and spend the rest of the weekend chatting about our new found knowledge conferning vitamins, preserving our memories or treating diseases. Aside from becoming healthier, it’s always an exhilarating day. We each go our own ways—my mother sisters and daughter attend many of the 32 seminars while I am running the conference. We convene and listen to keynote speakers at breakfast and lunch; one family among 1,000 other women.

So as Mother’s Day approaches, think about making a date with the other women in your life to attend A Woman’s Journey on November 14, 2009, share this amazing experience and join our family!

Leslie
awomansjourney.jhmi.edu

PS. Have a happy mother’s day!

A Journey about Women’s Health

2009-04-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the people you meet can change the course of your life. I was so fortunate 15 years ago to meet two women, Mollye Block and Harriet Legum, who infused my personal and professional life with new meaning. Mollye and Harriet had recently met; both were cancer survivors. They soon realized that they were impassioned about empowering women with health knowledge. After all, armed with information about new medical discoveries, women can pursue the best medical care for themselves and those they love.

Since then, Mollye, Harriet, a colleague named Chris White, and I have traveled a most rewarding path. We have created the block-buster Johns Hopkins Medicine’s annual women’s health conference, A Woman’s Journey. Organizing this conference has taught us a great deal about medical advances that can improve women’s health. We have been touched by so many women’s lives and have witnessed Johns Hopkins physicians changing the lives of those who attend the conference.

Through this blog, I hope to share some of the insights and information that I have gained along our own journeys as women. Sometimes, Johns Hopkins physicians will offer guest blogs to bring you medical knowledge first hand. In the meantime, visit the conference website (www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney) to watch a short video about A Woman’s Journey, hear Mollye and Harriet speak about the conference, and stay tuned……

Leslie | awomansjourney@jhmi.edu