The immune system works by recognizing foreign ‘outsider’ cells and boosting the body’s defense system (antibodies) to attack them, preventing damage to the body. Immune responses attack any foreign invader, such as bacteria, viruses, or cancer cells. The immune system can also produce cytokines, which are substances that act as messengers; cytokines tell the body’s cells to attack foreign cells.
University Health Network is committed to patient safety and treats patients as partners in their care. This is why interpreters are part of the circle of patient care.
Exercise and Heart Failure Exercising regularly helps people with heart failure live longer, improves quality of life, and decreases the need for heart failure related hospital admissions. Other health benefits: Better energy levels Increased physical...
HeartFit with Annie Smith Meet Annie – a Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor for 30 years whose passion in life is to help others achieve their health and fitness goals to become their best version of themselves, as well as enjoying the benefits of regular...
Radiation therapy is a key component in cancer care to help reduce the risk of recurrence and death. It is used to treat several cancers, including breast, lung, esophagus, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Caring for Helen. A Courageous Woman Living with Heart Failure By Dina, Caregiver My mom’s life changed for the better when she immigrated to Canada in the late 1960s. Yet some things became more complex as she had always had a heart condition but didn’t know it....
All Aboard! Self-Compassion and Acceptance with Heart Failure Heather Cartwright I have lived over 30 years with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and for the past eight years I have lived with heart failure. ARVC is an inherited heart disease...
December 8, 2009: I hurried my dog along the sidewalk for a short walk before a lunch meeting with a colleague. As we rounded the uphill corner of the street, I waved a hello to our mailman as we passed by. That was the last thing I remember. Moments later, I opened my eyes to discover I was lying face down on the sidewalk, chin bleeding, and my dog waiting patiently at my side. Within the hour, two ambulances arrived at our house, and my husband had rushed home. I was taken to emergency and, once my chin was stitched up, hospitalized for three days of observation and tests. On the third afternoon, a staff cardiologist appeared at my bedside: “It’s heart failure.”
When you visit your doctor, you have the basic expectation that you will receive the most appropriate and up-to-date treatment for your illness or injury, regardless of who you see or where you go. You also trust that the doctor will treat you the same way they would treat any other patient suffering from the same illness.
Cultural Barriers, Healthcare System Challenges, and a Lifetime of Self-Advocacy: Three Heart Failure Champions Share Their Stories A diagnosis of heart failure is scary and confusing. It takes time to understand and accept. Navigating the healthcare system is...
