Proof that healing is possible, even when the journey takes longer than expected. Rachelle’s story reminds us that second chances are worth the wait.  First off, my name is Rachelle, and I'm thrilled to share my journey with you. Originally from Colorado, I now call Oregon home, and I'm grateful for the fresh start. I've always been passionate about exploring the mountains, and the views are simply breathtaking. However, it was during these adventures that I first noticed som

How a Century-Old Mindset Still Shapes the Way Patients Are Seen and Heard I’ve been thinking a lot about why the doctor–patient relationship can feel so distant.And when you peel back the layers, it goes way back — more than a hundred years. Where This All Started Around 1910, the Flexner Report  reshaped medical training across the U.S.It pushed a strict “science first, emotions last” model. By the 1920s–1950s, that mindset had become the blueprint. Doctors were taught to:

Making Clinical Trials Easier to Reach and Easier to Live Through When I first tried to join a clinical trial, I had no idea how much time, travel, and hope it took. I drove to another state three times, chasing a chance at life.The first two trips ended in disappointment, a quiet, heartbreaking “no.” By the third, I was exhausted and scared, but hope wouldn’t let me stop. That final trip changed everything. It gave me my second chance at life . My daughter took time off work

Building a bridge between research language and patient voices. I’m part of a virtual medical study, and it’s been a fascinating...

Learning from the Past to Protect You. We’ve all heard about new medicines that help people live longer and feel better. Some can even...

Every life-saving treatment starts with a clinical trial . You can’t approve a cure no one is willing to test. I didn’t say yes to the...

When Access Takes Everything You've Got—And Then Some Nobody really talks about how hard it is to get access to care when you're already...

My Heart Story, Their Health Policy Living with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) isn’t just challenging—it’s exhausting, isolating,...

I Had No Idea My Story Would Matter This Much I didn’t choose to become a patient pioneer out of bravery. I said yes to a clinical trial...

Risk vs. Reality: The Fear That Almost Cost Me My Life I understand why people fear clinical trials. The unknown is terrifying. You hear...