Lore can help recreate a healthcare system that works for Women.

“Take control of your destiny. Realize the power you possess when you raise your voice. And keep our grown woman talk going, shamelessly, so that younger women benefit too. I have every confidence that you can truly chart a better course for yourself as you age. And remember, Sis, I’m not just talking to you, I am you––a sister, friend, daughter, auntie, mother, and wife.”

- Dr. Sharon Malone

Dr. Malone— a leading OB/GYN and expert on menopausal and post-reproductive health— shares with us through her New York Time's bestseller "Grown Women Talk: A Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy" a practical guide to aging and health for women of all ages who have felt ignored or marginalized by the medical profession.

Navigate the tabs below to explore some of the guidance she offers, especially how you can use your lore:

Six top healthy habits to slow your aging and improve your life

Eat a balanced diet of nutritious whole, unprocessed foods
Get a good night’s sleep
Move and stretch your body and mind, regularly
Minimize your stress
Limit your alcohol intake
Don’t smoke

Questions to ask yourself in regards to your health

What are the values that drive (or prevent) your self-care?
What are your areas of greatest confidence related to seeking healthcare?
What are your fears about health and aging––and how do they get in your way?
Who are your healthcare role models and how do they impact your behaviors?
Who are your healthcare advisors or advocates (this can include your healthcare providers as well as individuals you’d turn to in a crisis), and how do they help or hinder your efforts to manage your medical needs?

Tips on how to choose a provider

Start with your insurance provider and choose a primary care doctor (internist or family practitioner) within that network
Run your provider’s list by friends and family to see if there’s any overlap with doctors they know or can recommend
Also pay attention to: location, hospital affiliation, board certification, licensing and disciplinary action, training, online ratings, top doctors lists
After you’ve identified a primary care prospect, call the office and talk to the administrator––an actual human being. Tell them you’d like to become a new patient and want to make an appointment, but you have a few questions first. They should be willing and able to help. If they’re not, that’s a red flag worth jotting down in a place you reserve gpt keeping track of your healthcare journey.
Questions to ask:
- What’s the average wait to make an appointment?
- What’s the average wait time once I arrive for an appointment?
- How will test results be communicated? (Patient portal? Text?)
- Will I be seeing a doctor most often or a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant?
- Is it okay for me to bring a friend or relative to my appointments?
- Does the office have evening or weekend hours?
- How do you handle emergencies and acute care?
Bottom line: your doctor should make you feel:
- Confident in their intellect and abilities
- Safe in their presence
- Respected
- Seen and heard

Making sure your history matters

Compile a family health history and discuss it with family members.
Keep your own medical history updated and make it accessible to your healthcare proxy.
Keep a current list of all of your medications (vitamins and supplements too) handy, including dosages and prescribing doctors
Utilize the patient portal from your doctor’s office.
Print out and keep a file of things like operative and pathology reports, recent test results, and imaging reports.
Always bring a copy of your medical record and recent test results to any new doctor.
Know whether your records are accessible to anyone outside of your doctor’s office.
Utilize the health apps that include emergency contacts and test result tracking.
Consider whether genetic testing will be beneficial to you.

What to include in your own health record

Age, height, and weight
Immunizations (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis [collectively known as Tdap], hepatitis, HPV, COVID, and shingles vaccines)
Allergies (including drug or food allergies)
Chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, lupus)
Medicines (including herbal supplements, vitamins and minerals, oral contraceptives, and hormones supplements, with dosages), as well as the doctors who prescribed them
Hospitalizations and surgeries

Effective communication during doctor appointments

Quality
- Sharp or dull?
- Intermittent or constant?
- Have you needed to take medication for it? Which medications? Did they help?
Intensity
- On a scale of 1 (barely noticeable) to 10 (stops you in your tracks), where are you now?
- Is it staying the same, getting worse, or getting better>
- Is there anything you do that makes it better or worse? (Lying still or moving?)
Location
- Where is it? Does it radiate?
- Is it on the right side or left side or both?
- Does it stay in one place or move around?
- Can you point to it with one finger or is it diffuse?
Temporality
- When did it start?
- Did it come on gradually or suddenly?
- How long has it been present?
- Has this happened before?

Handling yourself in sickness and in health

Keep your first-aid tool kit and over-the-counter medications at the ready.
Maintain and keep available a written medical history and list of your regular medications with dosages available––and make sure your emergency contact has this information too.
When your doctor changes the dosage or discontinues a medication, make sure that the pharmacy is made aware of those changes, to avoid overdosing or duplicating. Fill all your prescriptions at one pharmacy to help ensure that drug interactions are adequately checked.
Take a deep breath and give yourself 24-48 hours in nonurgent situations before seeking care.
Call your doctor first (unless it’s a red flag event) for instructions on how to proceed before showing up at urgent care or the emergency room.
Be clear about what you are experiencing and be able to communicate it effectively to your doctor.
Keep your vaccinations up-to-date.
Get more sleep. We are just waking up to the importance of sleep. It is one of the cornerstones of good health.

Breaking the cycle of the triple threat: obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes

Exercise: Increased muscle mass makes you stronger and more fit, and helps you maintain weight loss. (Notice I didn’t say exercise helps you lose weight, because it doesn’t, but it does make your weight loss easier to maintain once you’ve done all the other things you’re supposed to do.)
Increase your fiber intake and add fermented foods––such as miso, kimchi, and sauerkraut––to maintain healthy gut flora and cut down on those ultra-processed foods.
Treat prediabetes as seriously as you would diabetes; don’t wait until you have crossed the line.
Get a good night’s sleep; sleep is vitally important in helping you minimize weight gain. Schedule a sleep study if you snore.
Consider menopausal hormone therapy. It decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes and improves sleep quality. MHT doesn’t make you lose weight, but it does help you maintain your muscle mass and minimizes the unhealthy gain in your midsection.
Pay attention to your mental health. Depression is independently associated with increased weight gain, dementia, and heart disease.
Minimize the stress in your life. Try yoga, prayer, meditation, counseling, or whatever works for you. Develop coping skills that at least help you manage your stress even if you cannot eliminate it.

Peace

Get your house in order (this includes your financial, metaphorical, and legal houses).
Consider long-term care insurance as well as a policy for funeral expenses, if you are not covered.
Designate your medical and legal proxy.
Make a will and other advance directives, and make sure they are accessible.
Write your own obituary or at least keep a current résumé so others will know what to write after you’re gone.
Preserve your legacy. Label your pictures with names and dates. If you keep them on your phone, download your favorites to a CD or to a shared album so that family members can access them. Add your general and medical family trees to this––or details on where they can be found––because history begins at home and it’s just as important to give your loved ones roots as it is to give them wings.
Discuss with anyone who wants to hear what your final wishes are.
Relax. You’d be surprised how comforting it is to be ready for anything.

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Get Involved

Sharing your personal knowledge and healthcare experiences has the potential to inspire and impact other women's health journeys!

Here is how you can contribute:
• Use your voice! By sharing your #lore, you can make a positive impact on women's healthcare. Start with your own #GrownWomenTalking story!
• Take Action! Be an advocate for health-related initiatives that push for better women's healthcare and healthcare systems.
• Get Involved! Support community initiatives and be a guide to younger women through their health journey's!