More than 700 women gathered to spend Monday among peers and professionals to learn about health and life issues affecting women of all ages.

The eighth annual Women's Health-Women's Lives conference sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and other businesses was held at the Civic Center. The conference had seminars and 45 booths covering a variety of issues from silent killers of women, financial stability, how to say "no" to others and how to cook healthy for a family on the go. Testing also was done for blood pressure, cholesterol, bone mass density and depression.

"I took a day for myself, away from my work and my family," said Trina Schilling, director of nursing at the Wishek hospital. "This is my first time here, and the fact that they focus on women's health is phenomenal."

During her seven years in the health care industry, Schilling said, heart disease remains the main issue in women's health as the silent killer.

"Knowledge is power," said Melanie Carvell, director of women's heart advantage at Medcenter One. "Women are their own best health care advocates."

Carvell helped women get tested for high blood pressure and learn about methods to lower their chances of heart disease, the number one killer of women. Heart disease used to be considered a man's disease because of stereotyping symptoms. Carvell said women's symptoms can be more vague and are treated less aggressively, which is why women need to know how their symptoms are different from men's.

New to this year's conference was an enrichment seminar on how to say "no" to volunteer work and families. The seminar encouraged women to spend more time on themselves.

"We say yes and then we hang up the phone and get angry because we didn't say no," Myrt Armstrong, a speaker and volunteer in the Bismarck community, said. "We need to know our own limitations and not feel guilty for saying no."

Volunteer duties need to be appealing, rewarding, flexible and have clear expectations for the volunteer. Marty Boeckel, another speaker, said volunteers need to ask questions about time commitments and responsibilities for people to find out exactly what they are getting into. Women should not have to feel burned out before they say no.

"For many volunteering is a social outlet and needs to be fun," Boeckel said.

The speakers told the audience they need to be able to laugh and have some fun because when life gets too serious women can become stressed.

"In the state of North Dakota, the work ethic among women is so strong, and not saying no can have serious mental and physical side effects," Randi Schaeffer, manager of the children's hospital at Medcenter One, said.

Schaeffer said women need to make lifetime priorities for their careers and families and concentrate on them before a tragedy happens. As a single mother of four, she said it took a tragedy in her life before she was able to say no to some of her volunteer activities and really prioritize on her kids.

A variety of women, whether it was their first time or not at the conference, said the speakers were able to give them information about health issues they could understand and apply to their lives.

"We learn so much about our health and how to maintain it as we keep getting older," said Selma Carson from Mandan.

"The speakers are enlightening and speak on our level."

Next year's conference will be in Fargo.

(Reach reporter Kayla Cogdill at 250-8251 or kaylacogdill@bismarcktribune.net.)