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🩺 The Truth About Life After Hospice: Surviving Isn’t the Same as Healing
Some stories don’t end. They evolve—with every scar, every stumble, and every ounce of strength it takes to keep going. t’s strange what...
May 13, 20253 min read
From Hospice to the Hill: Why I’m Honored to Join CLA by PACH
📍 Washington, D.C. | June 7–9, 2025 ✉️ Hosted by the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health (PACH) I’ve learned that life after...
May 8, 20252 min read
📰 From Bellingham to Australia AGAIN: My Story Travels
My Heart Story, Their Health Policy Living with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) isn’t just challenging—it’s exhausting, isolating,...
May 7, 20252 min read
Well, Here We Go Again… Aflutter’s Back
Just when I thought I could finally hit cruise control for a bit, atrial flutter decided to make a comeback. If you’re not familiar,...
May 6, 20252 min read
The Heart Surgery I Couldn’t Have – And the One That Saved Me ❤️🩹🥑
When traditional surgery failed me, innovation gave me a second chance I’ve always known I wasn’t a candidate for open-heart surgery. My...
May 1, 20253 min read
✨ When the World Shut Down, My Fight BeganSurviving Hospice in the Time of COVID
Facebook Memory April 2020 | UW Regional Heart Center This popped up today, and I felt it in my bones.April 2020, UW Medical Center. I...
Apr 30, 20251 min read
When the System Doesn’t See You
The Overlooked Reality of How Heart Disease Shows Up in Black Women—and Why It’s Costing Lives I can’t speak for Black women—but I won’t...
Apr 28, 20251 min read
I Just Wanted to Survive — How Surviving Turned Into a Mission
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...
Apr 24, 20252 min read
365 Days of Saying the Hard Stuff Out Loud
“ From Get Your Affairs in Order” to “Keep Telling Your Story” One year ago today, I started writing about something most people don’t...
Apr 23, 20252 min read
Grateful and Overwhelmed: Three Appointments, One Deep Breath
💥 Preventive care is still care—and this week, it’s hitting differently.💥 The results are in—and your girl tested positive for the...
Apr 17, 20252 min read
💬 My Symptoms Spoke—And So Did My Doctor: Why I’m Getting an Urgent ECHO
Dr. Beglin sent an urgent referral for an ECHO this week. Here’s why that matters… Even though I’m starting to physically feel a bit...
Apr 15, 20252 min read
Second Chances Come With Scars ❤️🩹🥑 The Hidden Side Effects of Survival
This photo isn’t just a wound. It ’s the truth I carry every day as a woman who’s been on blood thinners for over a decade. It's the...
Apr 10, 20253 min read
Weathered, Not Weak: Let’s Call It What It Is—Weathering and Why We Need to Talk About It
Because being worn down doesn’t mean we’re worn out. There are some things in life you don’t understand until you’ve lived them. Like how...
Apr 10, 20253 min read
More Than a Beat: The Truth My Heart Knew Before My Mind Caught Up
The heart doesn’t lie. It just waits patiently for you to hear it. I used to think my emotions were just background noise—something to be...
Apr 9, 20253 min read
It Wasn’t the Hours—I Needed the Rhythm
I used to think sleep was all about the numbers. Eight hours? Cool. Check the box and move on. But that didn’t work for me. Living with...
Apr 8, 20252 min read
From Forgotten to Front Page: CMS Approves National Coverage for Tricuspid Valve Replacement
There was a time—not that long ago—when the tricuspid valve was known as the forgotten valve . If you had severe tricuspid regurgitation...
Apr 3, 20251 min read
The Struggle to Breathe: Why I Stopped Laughing
Breathing is automatic for most people. For me, it was something I had to think about constantly. I wasn’t wheezing or dramatically...
Apr 2, 20252 min read
Risk vs. Reality: The Decision That Saved My Life
Risk vs. Reality: The Fear That Almost Cost Me My Life I understand why people fear clinical trials. The unknown is terrifying. You hear...
Apr 1, 20253 min read
This Setback Hit Harder Than I Expected. Getting Back to Movement After Illness—With AFib, and With Louis
I thought I was ready. After weeks of battling a lung infection, the flu, and a rough patch of AFib (atrial fibrillation), I had my mind...
Mar 28, 20253 min read
Throwback to 2021: 34 Days Post Valve Replacement & Making Memories with Nahla
There are moments in life that stick with you, not because they were grand or planned, but because they were real . Because they reminded...
Mar 27, 20252 min read
"If no one else was telling their story, then maybe I needed to tell mine. And maybe, just maybe, that would give others permission to share theirs too."
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