Dr. Schleeter’s Philosophy I believe that my primary job as a physician is to make every interaction with a patient helpful and meaningful to them. If you’re giving me the honor of being your physician, then I need to do everything in my power to partner with you so that you can be as healthy as possible. Rather than be discouraged by that reality, I find it motivating. It means we really need to work on the things that we can fix. And the good news is, improving our heart health can benefit our health in so many other areas, including aiding in the prevention of other diseases, such as diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease. Take diet, for example. I encourage people to shrink their portion sizes and focus on eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. Try to get your protein from plant-based sources, nuts, and more lean meats like chicken, rather than through processed meats or red meat. Keep a running diary of what you eat every day as a “reality check” to make sure you’re choosing the right foods and the right amount of foods. Then there’s exercise. To be heart healthy, we’re talking about being active and getting our heart rate up and sweating a bit. Our goal is 150 minutes a week, which you may not always reach, but that’s the goal we’re working towards. It can be tough to go to the gym right now because of COVID-19, but there are other ways to be active. Walk around the house, walk around your neighborhood, or take advantage of some of the online exercise options that are available now. If you haven’t been active, start with low levels of aerobic activity and build up over time. A great example is the treatment of heart valves. We have four valves in our heart, and they function like valves in your car. If these valves become leaky or narrowed, they need to be fixed. Previously, this required an open-heart surgery with weeks in the hospital and months to fully recover. Nowadays, this can be accomplished in the heart catherization lab. For the aortic valve, this can be done through an approach that does not involve surgery. This is TAVR, which is a transcutaneous aortic valve replacement. This allows for patients to undergo a valve replacement without surgery. The hospitalization needed is lessened, usually only a few days, and the recovery process is quicker since open heart surgery is not involved. On the testing side, an exciting development is that narrowed heart/coronaries arteries can be tested without an invasive procedure. Performing coronary computer tomography angiogram (CTA) allows physicians to see artery blockages with placement of a simple IV. That fact that we’re able to fix and diagnose problems that impact patients with minimal trauma to them is very exciting. Experiencing the healthcare system as the parents of a patient rather than as providers was certainly eye-opening for both of us. We quickly discovered the challenges of accessing healthcare — whether that’s trying to get an appointment, accessing the actual clinic or hospital, finding parking, or dealing with insurance companies to get approval for medications. It was shocking to learn how hard it is to be sick or have a loved one be sick, and then on top of that, the sheer frustration and agony of trying to access the modern-day healthcare system. The experience inspired me to go to business school so that I can “speak the language” required to help advocate for my patients. Work is needed to make this system better for the patients, the doctors, and the nurses. Given what I’ve learned, along with my role as a physician, here are a few thoughts on how to get the most out of your office visit: Pay attention to your symptoms and write things down. It doesn’t even have to be complete sentences, just as many details as you need in order to describe what you’re experiencing. If you’re feeling pain: Where is it? What time does it happen? Does it happen after eating certain foods or doing certain activities? All that information can help your doctor make a diagnosis or recommend treatment. Know what medications and supplements you’re taking. Whether it’s vitamins, over-the-counter medications, or prescription medications, it’s always a great idea to have a list with you, and make sure to include the strength or dosage. Many people find it helpful to keep that information in a note on their phone. Share your medical history. Did your parents or close family members have heart disease or other medical conditions? Tell your doctor that information, along with any diseases or surgeries you’ve had.
