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Heart failure blog
Posted by brianomaracroft • 11/02/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: family, heart attack, heart failure, medical blog, medical crisis
In 2006, I started a blog about my wife's battle with heart disease. She had a heart attack at age 43, was listed for transplant, found she was a poor candidate for transplant because of very high antibodies, and then somehow recovered.
I created the blog as an information source about Patty, mostly for family and friends. Recently, I have been thinking of ways to make the blog more interesting for a broader audience.
What would make it appeal to more people? Should we be including more medical information? More humor? More news about developments? How do I get it from having a narrow focus to something that has more universal draw?
Your suggestions would be much appreciated.
User Comments
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Not sure about humor. I don't think of heart disease as a funny thing ... unless you make a post that goes Oh, I have finally recovered from my heartfgdmgbjJsk64jrkJlfPut9NtryryeoyH
Seriously, now. A broader audience? Definitely include things about medical developments, new ways to detect heart conditions and things like that, as well as ways to prevent and handle heart ailments.
It'd also be good to include alternative treatments, etc. All of it from free (as in freedom) medical sources, to avoid the whole "copy us and we'll sue your ass!" issue, or properly-referenced ones that allow partial quoting, and perhaps converting the content to simple English, whenever possible, for those who choke on more than three syllables.-
But is there a way, do you think, to make it appealing to people who aren't going through a medical crisis?
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Respectfully, I disagree with Friday. I think you SHOULD include humor - put it in a special place for those who have become exhausted with the heaviness of the topic. Use your own funny anecdotes that you've experienced on your journey with your wife. Not only will they NOT take offense - they'll thank you for it!
Anyway, that's just my 2 cents... I think the blog going to a wider audience is a great idea.-
I totally agree! Humor is one of the best ways to talk about heavy topics. It helps dedramatize (I don't know if this word exist in english) wich doesn't means that the message will not be received by your audience. -
Hey, I didn't say that he shouldn't include humor!
Sheesh, you people ... -
Friday, did I tell you how cute you look in your little picture?
Anyway, I interpreted your response to mean that if Brian used humor, he'd give them ALL heart failure - and that you didn't want to risk the lawsuits that would naturally follow, and that if Brian wanted to kill gorgeous women with heart problems, you wanted to be nearby to offer MTM (mouth-to-mouth), and that you really like those electric paddles. What do you mean I took what you said "out of context?"
Geesh yourself!
(DaniG giggles)... -
^_^! Ok! Ok! I read too quickly!
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Cute? This picture of me is so very edited ... the real me looks like someone who exfoliated with sandpaper.
Ahem, what I meant in my comment is that I haven't heard any heart disease jokes or anecdotes and provided an example of what I think one would be.
But I also wouldn't want the readers to get heart attacks People will sue each other for anything these days! -
OK, Brian. Friday wants free samples....
Again....
He does this at the ice cream parlor, too.
(Privately to Friday: Why do you exfoliate with sandpaper?) -
Hey, who told you about the ice cream parlor?!
(Sandpaper is the only thing that works! The germs ... are everywhere!) -
lol
I'm a clairvoyant (sp?)...
(Taps fingers on computer console) Ahem...Brian? Yoo-Hoo? Brian? Where's that heart failure humor?
Friday, this may be a mute point. Perhaps Brian doesn't have any.... See Friday - you're putting Brian on the spot! -
In the blog, there are numerous situations where we use humor...most recently my depiction of Patty's "moonface" from steroids. So perhaps one good approach is to provide information while maintaining a cynical eye for the absurdity of the whole thing. Is that what you've been getting at?
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