Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan Salenger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Susan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

Who changes their entire self-concept in their 70’s? Much to my surprise, I did.

For over 25 years, my husband and I were in business together, producing and distributing management and sales training films. We produced films on customer service, telephone skills, sales training, etc. My husband ran the business and I wrote the films and the workbooks that accompanied them.

After we sold the business, I retired for about 3 seconds. Retirement and I did not get along. So I went back to school, UCLA, and took some anthropology classes. Of course, there were a lot of papers to write and the anthropology department was incredibly supportive of my writing. One of the professors suggested I write a book based on the work I had submitted to her. I said I would give it a try, but needed to take some writing classes first. She said my writing was lovely, I didn’t need any classes, and to just sit down and write. So I did.

That was my turning point. Up until then, I had considered myself a business woman. Even though I had always enjoyed writing, it never occurred to me that I was an actual writer. Her comment and support shook up the whole way I thought about myself. I wrote my first book, “Sidelined: How women can navigate a broken healthcare system,” and am now working on book two. It was a life changing moment.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When it comes to healthcare, women get the short end of the stick. Several of my classes were in medical anthropology and I learned about the many hurdles women must jump in order to get the best healthcare. What surprised me the most was how difficult it is for women to access this information. It is not readily available to the general public and I decided it was information women need to know.

For example, I did not know that women in chronic pain are more likely than men to have their pain dismissed. I did not know that women in pain have a lower likelihood than men of receiving treatment. Nor did I know that women with chest pain who visit emergency departments wait longer than men to be evaluated for possible heart attacks.

Medicine is not gender neutral! So to help women overcome some of its inherent inequalities, I wrote, “Sidelined.” The book is full of information women need and each chapter includes a “How to” section with plenty of tips to help women manage their health even more effectively than they already do.

My next book will be about medical gaslighting and how women can deal with it when it happens to them.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I could go back, I would choose to be a writer and write the kind of books I write today. My area of expertise is how women make their medical choices and how they feel about themselves when they become ill. I love the research my topics involve, I love talking with all the women I’ve met and hearing their stories. And most of all, I love how the research I’ve done supports their stories and the experiences they’ve had.

For example, so many women told me they hesitated to go to the doctor because they lacked time, or childcare, or transportation or whatever. The data supports their hesitation. Studies have shown that many women put themselves last, behind the needs of their children, families and even their pets.

Women also hesitate to get second opinions. We’re socialized to play nice and we don’t want to be rude or hurt our doctors’ feelings. Worse, we don’t want to be considered a bad or difficult patient.

I was especially surprised to discover how many women feel guilty and ashamed about becoming ill. So many women I met blamed their illness on stress and their inability to deal with it. It turns out that women and shame are huge research topics.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It takes a tough skin to be a writer. You need to learn that not everyone is going to love your book, that some will find it one of the best reads ever, while others will consider it boring and dull. That tough skin takes awhile to develop. I was positive that my very first draft of Sidelined was great. I was so proud that I hired a editor to help polish and refine it and I couldn’t wait for her to tell me just how wonderful it was. When we met the first time to discuss it, she said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think you have a book here.” You can imagine how devastated I felt. My first thought, of course, was to find a different editor. But I refused to give up so easily and so I said, “Then your job is to help me turn it into one.” That’s not like me. But I believed in the book, stood firm and refused to just let it go.

For any writers out there, let’s talk about editing for a minute. For writers, especially new ones, it’s a difficult but incredibly important part of the writing process. Here’s what it looks like for me: I send my editor (who, by the way, turned out to be totally fabulous) each chapter. Of course I think the chapter is great or I wouldn’t have sent it in the first place. Then she sends it back, totally redlined, cut, pasted, and completely different from what I had sent. Each time I receive her changes, I cry. Then I drink a glass (or two) of wine, and decide I’m obviously a terrible writer who should never write again. But then, a day or two later after I regain my equilibrium, I review her changes and most of the time agree with them.

“Sidelined” went on to win an award as best Indy women’s health book of 2022-23.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://susansalenger.com
• Instagram: @susansalenger
• Facebook: @SueSalenger
• Linkedin: @Susan-Salenger
• Other: TikTok: @grandmagains. This is my weight lifting/Pilates site

Image Credits

S. Kane, 2024