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Held Together by What We’ve Survived
Every scar tells a story worth sharing . Life and advocacy really is like a rubber band ball. Each band is something you’ve lived...
Jun 24, 20252 min read
I Lived What 95% Don’t—And I’m Telling the Story
How surviving fibrosing mediastinitis, a rare disease no one believed, changed everything. My first dance with death started in 1987....
Jun 17, 20253 min read
💓 One Less Thing to Worry About: My Lp(a) Test Result
Heart stuff is never simple, especially when you’ve walked through it like I have. But sometimes, we get a bit of good news in the...
Jun 4, 20252 min read
Healing Out Loud: The Story Behind the Smile
Because surviving isn’t the same as healing As we know mental health doesn’t always come with a warning sign. It’s not as visible as a...
Jun 3, 20252 min read
The Interview Every Patient Deserves
Questions Every Doctor Should Be Asked—Before You Trust Them With Your Care I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been let down by a...
May 15, 20254 min read
From Barely Breathing to Truly Living — Why I Won’t Stay Quiet About TVR
Why am I talking about Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation (TVR)? Because talking about it creates change.Because sharing our stories makes...
May 14, 20252 min read
🩺 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
"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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