Sharon, our first featured guest, will talk about her journey from devastated parent to, dare we say, “genius?” A former college chaplain who took the life-altering news of her children’s rare genetic condition and created a movement to improve health outcomes for people suffering from genetic diseases, she is a stunning example of how one Real Woman can make a difference.

Sharon’s joined by fellow guest Barbara Grufferman, author of the acclaimed The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health. Money and More. Recently featured on “The Today Show” and in Huffington Post, The Best of Everything…. is the essential handbook to being a healthy and strong woman “of a certain age.”  It combines practical girlfriend-to-girlfriend advice from Barbara, a self-described “very inquisitive woman over 50,” and professional expertise from leading authorities in women’s health, nutrition, exercise, makeup, hair, fashion, finance, organization and sex.

Seriously, this book is one-stop shopping for those of us looking to feel and be our best!

In addition to featured guests, Real Women on Health! continues to bring listeners “Inside the Beltway” news from Robin Strongin, a Washington DC public affairs leader and creator of Disruptive Women on Health, an online platform for provocative ideas, thoughts, and solutions in the health arena.

RWoH! wants to hear your answer to the question: what are your tips for being a fabulous woman over 50?  Tune in Wednesday night and tell us what you think by calling 203-845-3044, or email us at  talktous@realwomenonhealth.com.  This is your big chance – we’ll be giving away a copy of Barbara’s book to a random caller.

Real Women on Health! is broadcast live on 1350 WSTC/1400 WNLK Fairfield County’s News Talk station from 8 pm to 9 pm EST and available via streaming at http://wstcwnlk.com/.  It can also be uploaded as a podcast on-demand after our live show.

OK. It’s almost summer, and barreling down a luge looks icey… but inspiration is season-less:))

You’re invited! Tune in and ask questions as Kelley and Cassie talk with Anne Abernathy, aka Grandma Luge, here on our radio show Friday, May 21st at 12:30 p.m.

Not exactly sure who Anne is? Anne is a six-time Olympic luger who has broken boundaries, records, and stereotypes throughout her career. Anne began competing in the Olympics at age 33, an age when most other luge athletes retired. Her career spanned 26 years. She is the first woman to qualify for six Winter Olympics and, despite battling through major life threatening injuries, cancer, and numerous knee surgeries, she has made multiple comebacks and become a fixture in the sport.

Before her first Olympic appearance in 1988, Anne was diagnosed and treated for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Although the cancer returned several times during her sports career, Anne tried to keep it hidden from the public through three Olympic appearances until it was revealed in a front-page article of the Washington Post prior to the 1998 Nagano Olympics. These were the days before Lance Armstrong broke the stigma of cancer making athletes ‘less than.’

During her career as a luger, she also suffered a serious accident resulting in a brain injury that caused significant medical problems. Within a year of therapy and rehabilitation, she was able to return and qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Anne is in the Guinness World Records book as the oldest woman ever to compete in the Winter Olympics Games. She broke the record first in the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics and again in Torino in 2006.

In 2010, Anne joined TENA, maker of bladder protection products, to let women know about the  “Be Tenacious” campaign and is inspiring women to face this common condition head on and to speak out and seek solutions. As an older athlete in her sport, when Anne experienced bladder control issues she faced a challenge of which her teenage peers were unaware and one that many of her contemporaries were reluctant to discuss.

She now hopes to be a resource for other women and to bring the condition to the forefront of women’s conversations. For more information on bladder control issues, as well as a wide range of other health topics,  go to HealthyWomen.org

Self-acceptance and self-esteem are closely related…and arises as you learn that you are perfect with all your  accomplishments, victories, and … vices.  Self-acceptance is as essential to one’s well-being as water is to a blooming flower.   Have you ever re-framed your “inadequacies”  and lack of self-acceptance into a humor and candor….where laughter has a place in healing and well-being?

Move over Candace Bushnell… and meet Amy Cohen, a New York Times Best-selling author of “The Late Bloomer Revolution”.   Amy says it well here, “I like to think of myself as a late bloomer, one who will, however, late come into bloom.   Although when, and if, I bloom remain a mystery.   I wish I knew how to speak a foreign language fluently.  I wish I knew how to cook a simple roast chicken, or that I had read the Idiot whose main character sounds like someone I can relate to.

By 35, Amy learned to ride the bike of her life.    Click here to take the Late Bloomer’s Quiz and join “The Late Bloomer’s Revolution”.    And, try your guess on our last question of the Late Bloomer’s Quiz here to talk with us.

Speaking of living life on our terms…learn what’s going on “inside the beltway” and take control of your healthcare with our radio show’s Washington, DC correspondant, Robin Strongin.   A true woman’s advocate with the connections to make it happen, she reveals the knowledge that will empower us women to become our own best health and wellness advocates.

Robin is the founder of Disruptive Women in Healthcare, a thriving blogging community of high powered women who are driving innovation in healthcare with thought-provoking ideas and commentary on the nation’s challenges.   This week,  she’s disrupting the status quo with a grasp on why you can’t take clinical trial information at face value…what you need to ask your doctor to stay in control of your health and well-being.

Join Kelley, Cassie, Robin and Amy on Real Women on Health! live talk radio this Wednesday, May 5th at 8 pm – 9 pm EST on your computer at www.wstcwnlk.com streaming live or, if you live near Fairfield County, Connecticut  listen “on the AM dial” at 1350/1400.

Our show is sponsored by Zestra, essential arousal oils, a patented blend of botannicals that is clinically proven to improve desire, arousal and satisfaction for 70% of women.  Check this out and use promo code ZPASS5 at check out!

We’re a culture that mixes sexy and boobs.  So, can a woman feel sexy without breasts?

For breast cancer, and other, survivors, the question sounds just as practical as  provoking.  Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer affecting women, except non-melanoma skin cancer.  It’s commonness increases with age  and with more targeted treatments available today, women are living longer with cancer.

But the effects of treatment remain.  In some cases, women choose to have their breast removed as prevention… while others have no choice and must have surgery and chemotherapy. Regardless of the path a woman chooses,  cancer wreaks havoc on her “sensual self”.   From the toxic effects of chemotherapy on hair and skin to the disfigurement of breast removal, how do women regain a sense of sensuality?

And, what about sex?  Does sex have a place in living with cancer?

Sensuality and sexuality and what happens after cancer are vital questions for women coping with cancer today.

Because the loss of sexual desire after cancer has more than one reason behind it, restoring libido or “desire” often requires more than one solution.   It’s not at all just about boobs for many women.  And, sometimes the desire for sex remains strong, however, the physiological effects of cancer treatment itself interferes with performance or pleasure.

The topic is one plagued by the medicalization of women’s health, the lack of communication between the healthcare professional and patient, societal taboos around sex and women’s bodies, poor communication between intimate partners and lack of understanding of the impact of cancer treatment.  In fact, in the beginning, women may feel guilty that they are thinking about anything other than “surviving” so the question of  “What’s going to happen to my sex life” is left outside of any medical setting.

Since women don’t talk about it with healthcare professionals, Real Women on Health! will open up the dialogue with Lisa Martinez, former Executive Director of the Women’s Sexual Health Foundation, on Wednesday evening 8 pm EST on local radio WSTC 1350/WNLK 1400 or live streaming on the web at www.wstcwnlk.com.

Lisa Martinez is a consultant and educator on women’s health issues and was the Founder of The Women’s Sexual Health Foundation. As a registered nurse and an attorney, she is a leader in the area of women’s health.  She has appeared on CBS News LA and ABC, and has been interviewed on various NPR programs. She has served as a source for multiple media concerns including CBS, The Wall Street Journal, Self, More Magazine, and Discovery Health.

Our radio show is sponsored by Zestra, essentail arousal oils, a patented blend of botannicals  clinically proven to improve arousal, desire and satisfaction in 70% of women.   Please click here to learn more about Zestra and use this code:  ZPASS5

]]> http://realwomenonhealth.com/2010/04/26/a-taboo-explored-cancer-sex-and-intimacy/feed/ 2 http://realwomenonhealth.com/2010/04/02/whos-your-muse/ http://realwomenonhealth.com/2010/04/02/whos-your-muse/#comments Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:22:29 +0000 admin http://realwomenonhealth.com/?p=932

Have you ever wondered why anybody these days would need a muse?  They don’t pay the bills, they don’t find you a job, and they don’t take care of your awfully well-behaved teenagers.  They’re well…just pure inspiration.

Boy, do I have a muse to share with you…actually, I have more than one!

It all started last year on the wowOwow web site when our friends June and Kath answered a blog post created by their now “uber-muse” Allegra Huston called “What is It About Adam Lambert?”.  That blog, which has prompted 20,000+ responses (and counting!) included two prolific writers, June Kinoshita and Kath Hollinsworth. The process of their self-discovery – as they blogged through the summer – created a serendipity that transformed their lives and resulted in the publishing of their just-released book, “On the Meaning of Adam Lambert”,  which is analytical, entertaining and downright funny (but don’t take our word for it….see reader reviews on Amazon and Juneau and Xena’s blog).

As June said, “Life has a way of stuffing you into boxes. I was happy and fulfilled with the roles I was playing, but this Adam experience made me break out of my mold and tap into a creativity and passion I’d kept on tap for years.”   Clearly, their inner-Adam has been lit through writing about him and connecting other women who have also experienced a shift in their lives and relationships through the “glambertinas” and On the Meaning of Adam Lambert.

This week, we’re thrilled to be the catalyst to bring together Allegra with June and Kath in an online  dynamic and empathetic conversation that will help you find  your own muse…and tap into your passions, in unexpected ways….in our upcoming one hour Real Women on Health! radio show on “Finding Your Muse,” April 7th at 8:30 pm EST.

What will we talk about?

Ideas for “how to” release the energy that helps you find your muse, your spark.  How to ID the passions that have lain dormant and are ready for the light of day.  Stories from June and Kath’s  book… you won’t believe it but Scrabble will never be the same!  And you can call in and share your tips and stories of how you climbed out of your box.

Just so you know… If the name Huston sounds familiar you’re right on.  Allegra has no interest in name-dropping so all you have to do is pick up her acclaimed memoir “Love Child”. soon available in paperback, to find out more.  And check out her upcoming movie, “Good Luck, Mr. Gorski”

Don’t miss this one!   Join us on April 7th at 8:30 pm EST.

Are you hooked on diet sodas, thinking you can shed a few extra pounds by avoiding sugar? I’m sure your relationship can be quite addictive and I’d love to share this with you ….just saying:))

Here’s what Marcelle Pick, NP, Co-Founder of the Women-to-Women Clinic in Yarmouth, Maine has to say about diet sodas and how they affect women. “Companies have spent billions of dollars convincing all of us that diet soda is the healthier, lighter choice — that all we have to lose is the calories, ergo the weight. And since so many of us are struggling with weight gain, who can blame us if diet soda seems like a dream come true?

And while I admit that diet soda may have its uses in the short term — particularly if you are dealing with a sugar addiction — I encourage you to resist it as your default beverage, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Different studies have been flying around on this subject, but a majority show that diet soda may actually set you up to gain even more weight.”

Now a consumer advocacy group is questioning whether Coca-Cola should be allowed to sponsor a national heart health campaign. Granted Coca-Cola has 3.38 grams of sugar per ounce and Diet Coke has zero, but much controversy and scientific evidence swirls around the health risks of Diet Coke.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has issued a letter to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute asking the agency to end its partnership with Coca-Cola in a program that raises awareness of heart disease among women. Diet Coke is the most prominent sponsor of the Heart Truth campaign, which includes heart graphics on Diet Coke cans and appearances by the model Heidi Klum as the “Diet Coke heart health ambassador.”

In a statement, the center’s executive director, Michael Jacobson, compared Coke’s corporate sponsorship with allowing a cigarette maker to fund a government anti-smoking campaign. The fact that the campaign is sponsored by Diet Coke, rather than a sugar-laden soda brand, is irrelevant, he said.

“Coca-Cola promotes heart disease by marketing drinks that contribute to obesity,” Mr. Jacobson wrote. “Coke has long sought to affiliate with or co-opt health groups and associate its brand with athletes and models. I fervently hope that N.H.L.B.I. officials understand that letting Coke bask in their agency’s good reputation does American hearts far more harm than good.”

Coca-Cola defended its participation in the Heart Truth program, saying in a statement:

We’ve used our communications and marketing expertise to reach millions of people with this important heart health message. We’ve made free heart health screenings available to thousands of people across the country. As a result of The Heart Truth campaign, awareness that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among women has risen to nearly 70 percent compared to 34 percent in 2000 when the campaign was first introduced. And since Diet Coke has been involved, awareness of The Heart Truth and our support of it has nearly doubled. We are extraordinarily proud of the work we’ve done in partnership with N.H.L.B.I. and Heidi Klum to have a positive impact on the lives of our consumers.

Since other food marketer, like the snack food company Snyder’s of Hanover and the Sara Lee Corporation, are co-sponsors of the campaign, we know corporate money is an essential partner in public health…but how do you balance it out with the fact that processed food is cheaper than whole food?

And, this is where the problem lies. Inside processed foods lie a cornucopia of ingredients best left outside the human body.

Welcome to our on-line radio show and women’s health and wellness community where we give women the platform to share their voice, experience and professional expertise with women “like us”.

Our host and founder, Kelley Connors, is a women’s wellness coach and women’s health advocate who brings real women together with experts on health to create new conversations that are educational, inspirational and fun.   Cassie, the show’s co-host,  is a communications strategist who’s worked on the front lines of women’s health, diabetes, sexual health, breast cancer and more.  She adds commentary from the latest published women’s health research to help fuel the conversation, supporting women’s desires for credible information.

Together, they aim to transform the women’s health conversation to one that inspires not just “talk” but “action”.   We’re all about women becoming more proactive – no matter their health challenges.

OUR TOPICS: Our topics range from prevention to treatment, wellness to reinvention and re-vitalization.  There’s no topic that’s taboo and no topic we won’t consider important from a women’s perspective.  We’re here to bridge the gap between your life and your health and to encourage and support women in being their own best health and wellness advocates.  While the topics are health-oriented, Kelley, Cassie and their real women guests bring charisma, personality and pizzaz to create a fun, light atmosphere so women feel comfortable to share their stories.

HOW WE DO IT: Real Women on Health! is in tune with who the experts and advocates in areas of women’s health that women tell us are important to them, like sexuality and intimacy, cancer survivorship, environmental health, skin care, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and other chronic conditions that affect women in ways that are not easy to discuss in a healthcare setting.

HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT: Most important to women is privacy.  We know where women prefer to remain anonymous in describing their issues and we respect their privacy.  That’s why we use both the telephone and the computer to create our live conversations – and women can, indeed remain completely “nameless” on our calls.  Also, we have content partnerships with the nation’s leading health organization, HealthyWomen, which grants us access to leading healthcare professionals and researchers who are on the front lines of women’s health issues – both treating women as patients and leading research trials that impact women’s health and healthcare.

So, we bring in healthcare experts that are world re-known and locally re-known to add credibility to our “candid conversations” among women.

Finally, we wrap up our conversations with a re-cap of action steps and post a call to action with resources on our blog.  So, if you miss a show, you can find out more on our blog on a page called Well-Care Tips.

Interested in joining us?

Here’s how you can participate in the community:

1.  Find out about our on-line radio shows first!   SIMPLY LISTEN RIGHT NOW THROUGH YOUR COMPUTER!

2.  Share Your Story: e-mail me kelley@kc-health.com and tell me about yourself and your health and wellness experience. Let’s discuss how you want to share your story with other women.

3. Receive Our Updates on Events and Stories:  email me at kelley@kc-health.com to receive our monthly Real Women on Health! updates, radio shows and events.

4.  Be an Expert or Advocate:  email me if you’re a women’s health advocacy group leader who would like to express your point of view on our show.   Or if you’re a researcher or healthcare professional,  you’re invited to share your expertise with others to spark dialogue and inspire action!

When I invited Lori and Sheryl to contribute to our Real Women on Health! community, I was struck by my naivite about talking to a loved one or friend who is coping with a cancer diagnosis.

But,  that’s no longer.

I was with  my dad when he was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare leukemia that is partially curable with Gleevec.  In last month since his diagnosis, I’ve struggled to find a way to talk to him about anything…without being overly concerned or too dismissive, too humorous and too serious.

I’m feeling like there’s no perfect way to talk to a loved one or friend and much guilt about my own apparent health…. at least for today.

So, it was with relief when Sheryl Kraft outreached to me to see how we could collaborate on an upcoming radio show on how to help a friend with cancer.  As a breast cancer survivor of many years and women’s health writer and advocate at HealthyWoman.org, Sheryl was enthusiastic about helping friends talk with their friends who might have just been diagnosed..or are in the throes of a long, active treatment cycle for any type of cancer.

Sheryl suggested we contact Lori Hope, Lung Cancer Survivor, and Author of “Help Me Live:  20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know”.

Always the filmmaker, one of Lori’s first thoughts after being diagnosed with lung cancer was, “I should make a documentary about this.”   When her therapist urged her to deal with the disease first and worry about documenting her journey later, Lori dropped the idea. But soon after, when a well-meaning friend said something to Lori that made her extremely anxious, and when people continually asked her whether she had smoked, and regaled her with tragic stories about people who had died of lung cancer, she revised her thought somewhat: “Someone really ought to write a book about what people with cancer need others to know!”

About nine months later, Ten Speed Press publisher Kirsty Melville took Lori’s seminar on documentary production at Bay Area Video Coalition in San Francisco, and asked Lori whether she had ever considered writing a book. After several meetings, Help Me Live started to come to life.

Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know, tells intimate stories of words and actions that have made a tremendous difference to people with cancer. Designed to help caregivers, friends, and loved ones of cancer patients and survivors communicate more effectively and compassionately, Help Me Live does not prescribe behavior, but encourages compassion, respect, and listening.

Please join us on Thursday evening, November 19th at 8:30 pm EST for a 45 min conversation with Lori and Sheryl.  Come prepared to share your story, your own struggles and your own victories with us.

We’ve watched the ad and witnessed the controversy.  Now, we’re asking: “What’s next?”

Earlier this year, Rethink Breast Cancer released a memorable and infamous public service announcement (PSA) that was seen around the world.  Produced with the visual and sensual focus on “boobs” – specifically those of Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, host of MTV Canada – it quickly became the subject of heated and passionate commentary.  Some suggested that it was overly sexualized, male-focused and objectified women.  Others argued that the PSA breathed fresh life into a breast cancer communications strategy that has become tired, unappealing and unrealistic.

The Rethink PSA was successful because it reminded us that, yes, breast cancer has a sexual component. Women like Ms. Sovani who are between the ages of 20 – 49, are regularly diagnosed with breast cancer.  They not only deal with the physical impact of a breast cancer diagnosis, but they must navigate the sexual issues associated with the disease.  For example, the actress Christina Applegate decided to have a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer last year.  She has openly discussed the impact of her decision on her relationship with her boyfriend and body image.

Rethink’s PSA was memorable, but we can’t afford to let the conversation begin and end with boobs.  We need to find ways to grab the attention of young men who are impacted by breast cancer, but don’t think about it much.  We need to boldly and forthrightly talk about the intimacy issues associated with a breast cancer diagnosis.  We need to bring people wedded to traditional breast cancer awareness strategies together with those who have decided to tear up the playbook.

It’s time to have a candid conversation about “what’s next” in breast cancer awareness communications.  We believe the following questions must be addressed more broadly:

• How can we develop initiatives that acknowledge the sexual health issues associated with breast cancer while fully embracing women’s bodies in a larger context?
• What can we do to move past (or leverage) “shock and awe” campaigns and generate meaningful action?
• What do we need to do to get young men more involved in the fight against breast cancer?

Consider this an open invitation to men, health influencers and women’s health advocates to continue the conversation about issues raised by the Save the Boobs PSA in an open forum.

There are three ways you can help.

1. Spread the word about this open letter via your on and offline social networks (blog, tweet, chat and talk about it)
2. Signal your support for this open letter by leaving your virtual signature below
3. Participate in a conversation on this issue with Kelley Connors’ through her online talk show, Real Women on Health. We’re looking for input from representatives of breast cancer awareness organizations like the Susan Komen Foundation and Rethink.  Once we get enough interest, we’ll schedule the program.  (We’ll know you’re interested if you Tweet, blog and comment about this letter.)

Thank you in advance for your attention and support.

Kelley Connors

President, KC Healthcare Communications, LLC (www.kc-health.com)

Founder, Real Women on Health (www.blogtalkradio.com/realwomenonhealth)

Fard Johnmar

Founder, Envision Solutions, LLC (www.envisionsolutionsnow.com)

Founder, The Path of the Blue Eye Project (www.pathoftheblueeye.com

I recently spoke with Hillary and learned about her struggles, her triumphs and now, her determination to help others heal through personal transformation and self-empowerment.  Here is a sneak preview of her story that she will share with us live in our on-line radio show on October 8th at 7:30 pm EST.

The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis initially left Hillary feeling angry, as if she’d been “given a sentence.” But she had two choices—either to be proactive or let her illness control her life. She embraced the former.