Dr. Kendall Soucie of the University of Windsor Story by Jennifer Brignall-Strong Photo by Syx Langemann

ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE THE H.E.A.L LAB

University Researchers Work to Understand and Improve Women’s Healthcare Experiences

By Jennifer Brignall-Strong Photo by Syx Langemann

This has allowed us to help people feel connected and give them a platform to share their experiences.

Years of misdiagnosis. Stigma. Depression. Disordered eating. For women living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, the road to understanding their condition can be riddled with frustration and chronic health issues.

While Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects one in ten women, there is shockingly little research on the subject and minimal resources for those seeking support with long-term management.

The Health Experiences and Longevity (HEAL) Lab at the University of Windsor is working to change all that.

Directed by Dr. Kendall Soucie in the Department of Psychology, the lab studies the social, cultural, and institutional determinants of women’s health and chronic illness diagnosis and management, particularly within the context of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

“I think this research is overdue in terms of understanding what it's like to live with this condition every day,” says Dr. Soucie. “Millions of Canadian women have it, yet it's the most under recognized and underfunded syndrome.”

PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder for women of reproductive age. Symptoms include infrequent, prolonged or abnormally heavy menstrual cycles and elevated levels of male hormones that can result in excess facial and body hair, severe acne, and male-pattern baldness. If left unmanaged, the condition can worsen over time and lead to serious complications including: Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and an increased risk of uterine cancer, infertility, depression, and eating disorders.

Soucie shares that it was her own personal experiences that initially drove her to dig deeper into the subject of women’s health and why so many are dismissed or misdiagnosed.

“When I was in my mid-20s, I started to get a lot of weird symptoms. I was experiencing rapid weight gain and I was super tired; I felt dizzy all the time and had no energy. My skin changed colour in spots,” she explains. “I went to my family doctor and was basically dismissed and told to lose weight and I’d feel better.”

Discouraged and seeing no improvement in her symptoms, Soucie eventually took advantage of the American healthcare coverage she had through her teaching position at Wayne State University. After numerous tests and appointments with allergists, internists, and endocrinologists, she was diagnosed with PCOS.

“It basically explained all my symptoms,” she says.

After Dr. Soucie received her diagnosis, she began touching on PCOS in some of her lectures at Wayne State and the University of Windsor.

“I’d be teaching a Child Development course and would talk about women’s health just to test the waters and see if anybody knew anything about these conditions,” she says. “Students would come up to me after and say, ‘I have PCOS and you're the only

person that has ever explained this to me. I had these horrible experiences in healthcare and nobody listened to me. I still don't know how to manage my condition.’”

Soucie began to delve into scientifi c literature to see if anyone had written anything on the subject.

“After reading a few journal articles, I noticed it was all really biomedical and the focus was mainly on restoring fertility,” she recounts, noting that she also found a few papers on negative health care experiences and women experiencing misdiagnosis or diagnosis delay.

“On average, it took at least fi ve years to get a diagnosis and the women experienced frustrating, rushed appointments with providers. They were belittled and told to lose weight or to come back when they wanted to get pregnant,” she says. “It was pretty consistent with what I was hearing from my students.”

It was then that Soucie decided to conduct her own study, applying for a small women’s research grant through the University of Windsor. After putting out a call for study participants through the newspaper and social media, Soucie’s inbox and voicemail fi lled up quickly, with over 200 applicants ultimately applying.

From 2017 to 2019, Soucie and her student research team were able to interview 75 women. Participants charted a diagnostic timeline and refl ected on their diagnosis journeys. The study is part of a long-term research agenda to better understand the reason behind lengthy diagnosis and the impact these lags have on women’s quality of life.

“I feel like many people have health experiences that shape their lives, yet they don’t get the opportunity to talk about them,” says Jasmine Kobrosli, H.E.A.L Lab Coordinator and fourth year undergraduate student. “This has allowed us to help people feel connected and give them a platform to share their experiences.”

Though their continued work, Soucie and her team hope to change the conversation and help women of all backgrounds get the most out of their healthcare experience.

“We need to expand research to look at lived experiences in terms of gender diversity, ethnicity, age; all of these things are so important,” she says. “So often in medicine, you’re just your chart. We need to humanize the experience of living with a chronic health condition and amplify voices that have historically been left out of the conversation like women, trans, and non-binary people. That's part of what we're trying to do in our lab.”

The team is also currently exploring links between PCOS and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), as well as medical gas lighting; a term used to describe when a healthcare provider refuses tests and tells a person what they’re experiencing isn’t real. The lab’s plan is to build a comprehensive understanding of why it happens and how to fi ght back against it through self-advocacy and healthcare reform.

“The fact that The H.E.A.L Lab is one of the only research labs in Canada exploring these issues is alarming, but also why I joined,” says Kenzie Tapp, Lab Coordinator and fi rst year Clinical Psychology graduate student. “We’re doing the work that needs to be out there, and we’re doing it in new and innovative ways. I feel like we’re the voice that I always needed in my diagnostic journey.” For more information on The H.E.A.L Lab and resources on PCOS, log on to healuwindsor.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@theheallab) D

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How to Help Your Pet Live More

We are our pets’ advocates, Alina emphasizes, which means we have to be as in tune and connected with our pets as possible to understand what’s going on with them. Since our pets don’t speak verbally, we need to spend time identifying their non-verbal cues and learn to associate them with their needs. Connecting with our pets allows us to be their best advocates and to be able to speak for them in their times of need.

holistically

The Hungry Pooch takes the health and wellness of our pets seriously, and for them that means helping to educate pet owners on how to approach their pet’s health holistically. Alina Sherman, and the entire knowledgeable team behind the shop, want to empower us to look at and address the “whole system” and work to support both the bodies and minds of our pets.

Here, Alina shares some tips with us on how we can learn to view our pets’ health holistically to improve their quality of life for the long haul. HELP MANAGE THEIR STRESS (AND OURS)

Animals can absolutely pick up on our energy, Alina explains. If we are in distress, our pets can pick up on that and may begin displaying signs of anxiety or stress like restlessness, panting, circling when outside, or having a hard time finding a spot to settle into. It’s important to help manage our own stress to help keep our pets calm. If our pets are displaying these anxiety or stress signs out of the blue, they also may be trying to communicate a physical discomfort, which is another reason to watch these behaviours closely with our pets to mitigate further harm.

GIVE OUR PETS MASSAGES

It may seem silly, Alina says, but giving your pet a weekly massage is another way for pet parents to become in tune with their animal and get an understanding of their physical well-being. Massaging their full body can help owners see if their pet flinches in a specific area to help catch a lump, bump, disease, or ache early on to help treat it sooner rather than later.

LOOK INTO OUR PETS’ NUTRITION

Our pets’ health starts with their diet. Alina says that making sure they’re eating what’s right for them is a top priority, and we don’t often think about the type of water that our pets drink. Studies have shown the difference in animal health when they’re given filtered water because they’re sensitive to the types of minerals, chemicals, and antibiotic runoff found in our tap water.

Along with diet and water intake, holistic health also stretches into limiting medications and antibiotics when possible and looking into natural supplements and vitamins that support their overall health.

EXERCISE OUR PETS’ BODIES AND MINDS

Just as we thrive with physical and mental stimulation, our pets need it for their general health and wellness too! Alina suggests guiding your pet through activities like puppy puzzles or even hide and seek (her dogs’ favourite game) to help with their mental agility. Since our pets, specifically dogs, are more in tune with the natural world, it’s also crucial that they get outside as often as possible.

The team at The Hungry Pooch hopes that by empowering the community with the tools and information about their pets, that they can help them make better decisions for their pets’ overall health and wellness. If you have any other questions about your pets’ diet or how you can make adjustments to your pets’ lives, reach out to the team at The Hungry Pooch by visiting their locations in Windsor (519-915-9933) or Lakeshore (519-9771120). You can also find them online at www. thehungrypooch.com or follow their social media Dpages: @thehungrypooch.

BUILDING TODAYS' WALKERVILLE

The Sood family is reshaping Walkerville for both businesses and families

By Devan Mighton Photos by Trevor Booth

Walkerville is a cornerstone of Windsor. Founded by whisky revolutionary Hiram Walker and incorporated as a town in 1890, it was conceived by the liquor magnate as a "model city" to be the envy of both the region and all of North America. Favouring whisky production – growing grains, milling flour, raising livestock – the town built around the distillery on the Detroit River also served as a home for Canada's fledgling automotive industry.

By 1931, Walkerville had a population of over 10,100 people and its own school – Walkerville Collegiate Institute, built in 1922. However, the writing was already on the wall for the growing community. On July 1, 1935, Walkerville, Ford City, and Sandwich joined the previously annexed communities of Ojibway and Riverside as historic neighbourhoods amalgamated into the City of Windsor. Today, Walkerville is far from forgotten. A bustling hub of activity in the heart of the city, sharing the Walker Rd. artery with Ford City to its east.

For over 30 years now, Ashok Sood has been a shaping force in modern Walkerville. "I moved here in the early 90's," recalls Ashok. "We bought our first property on Walker Rd. and then began assembling more and more. At different times, we bought seven or eight properties in the area. Walkerville is so close to the border, it's convenient, it's close to downtown, close to the water – I just love the area. Walkerville, in general, has always been my choice of area – a great neighbourhood."

Founding his cleaning supply business, Champion Products, he created work for local residents. He raised his family here and brought his sons, Amit and Anuj, up in the family business tradition. "Champion Products is well recognized in the community," boasts Ashok. "I started the business in 1991 as a one-man show and it's a pretty big organization right now – we're 150 employees total. We have facilities in Michigan, Toronto, and Windsor, servicing Ontario, Quebec, and Michigan. My boys are involved in all aspects of Champion. We just want to put this land to the best use possible."

Therein lies the Sood's dream of "Walkerville Village". A revived residential community built on the border of Walkerville and Ford City – with a goal of up to 500 new housing units. "We've been accumulating all of this land for quite some time now," explains Amit. "The initial project that was first kicked off was The City Market. Champion Products used to be at that location – 1030 Walker Rd. was where our paper products were based out of – and then we had a fire in 2011, which was devastating. We were able to repurpose the property many years later. In 2015, we opened the market. There's so much land in and around the area, so a couple years ago we started another project where we put in 12 townhomes that are mostly occupied now. The second phase of these homes are now going up a couple addresses away, and we are building another 12 there."

However, that is only the beginning – the Soods are thinking big. "We are looking at developing and building a combination of apartments, condos, townhomes and, eventually, single family homes as well," says Amit. "In total, the project is calling for close to 500 new units that will be coming into that area."

What started with The City Market in 2015 has now become a full on community rejuvenation project for the Soods. "We started building and improving the area – got a little bit of support from the city, and I would like to see more of it to bring it up to where it's supposed to be," explains Ashok. "Why run around miles and miles out of the city when you can do this right here?"

Now in the community fabric for almost seven years, The City Market has proven to be a success for the Soods. "I deal with a lot of different businesses and over the years I have seen them struggle – getting a 500 sq. ft. store, advertising on their own, and paying for utilities. So, I came up with the idea, why don't we create a community place where people can come in for as low as $100 per week, all in – and there is already traffic coming through, they don't really need to advertise if they've got a good product – they can come in and start selling it instantly." Ashok adds that the market is currently oversized for their needs, and they are remodeling to cut the space down to a more cozy 30,000 sq. ft.

The Soods have done their part with local philanthropy, as well, through charitable contributions, donations, and fundraiser events. "We've never said no to anybody," states Ashok. "Do we do anything in a big way? No, but we do a lot of small stuff. For example, we've supported the Downtown Mission for the longest time. Also, we work with the Canadian Mental Health Association – we've sponsored them a few times."

Amit says that they hosted an annual golf tournament up until the start of the pandemic with proceeds going to the Downtown Mission. They also donated around $40,000 worth of Champion Products items, like toilet paper and cleaning supplies, to the June 27th Miracle event in 2020. "We saw that people were donating and we wanted to do something as well, so we called the organizers and said we have a bunch of stuff we'd like to donate and we made the donation," explains Amit. "No one asked us to donate. We felt it was something we should do to help the community during a time that was scary for everybody."

Amit also sits on the Drouillard Place board and, in the name of Champion Products, has sponsored as many as 40 local kids to attend summer camp.

In 2011, Champion Products moved into the historic Long Manufacturing Building just east of Walker Rd. on Edna St. in Ford City – just off Drouillard Rd. The property, which dates back to roughly 1910, has been rejuvenated by the Soods and is again a key part of Drouillard Rd. and Ford City. "When we moved in here, there was all this talk about Drouillard Rd. being run down and the quality of people," explains Ashok. "I can tell you – I've owned this building for almost 20 years now and they're great people, they just had a stigma attached to them." "We, personally, feel proud when we take a derelict piece of property, such as our building on Edna and turn it into what it has become," adds Amit. "When you see these vacant lands that have been sitting vacant for 20-plus years at least, and you turn it into something new – that is what we feel is the reward in all of this – creating something new out of something old."

The Soods see Walkerville and Ford City as community partners – a community and bond that they would like to see grow. "We just want to improve the area, which we really believe in," praises Ashok. "I think Walkerville is "the place" – you could call it the new Downtown Windsor – it's the most happening place. There's a large amount of investment coming into the neighbourhood. I don't know any other neighbourhood in Windsor where there's this much action. "We are excited more than ever before about this development and the response from the public is unbelievable. If we put a sign up tomorrow, within a week, everything will be sold." For more information on Champion Products, please visit their website at championproducts.com. D

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