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No Two Humans Are Alike — So Why Do We Treat Medicine Like They Are?
Your story, your chemistry, your care — no one else’s body works like yours. Have you ever stopped and thought about how no two people are exactly the same?Not even identical twins. We might share the same diagnosis or take the same pill, but inside, our bodies work in their own way.Our genes, hormones, gut bacteria, past illnesses, and even how we handle stress make us unique.That’s what makes life interesting and what also makes medicine complicated. 🧬 Medicine Talks in Av
Dec 4, 20252 min read


🚨When the System Makes You Wait for Hope: Surviving the Valley of Death
When I first started speaking up about my story, I had no idea how much it would teach me.I never imagined my journey could be used to highlight gaps in our healthcare system—or to help push for solutions that give patients real hope. 🫸 The Waiting Game The truth is, even after the FDA approves a breakthrough treatment , patients often still have to wait years for Medicare to decide if it will be covered. That waiting period is sometimes called the “valley of death.” I know
Nov 18, 20253 min read


✈️ Hope Has Luggage Now
The invitation that changed everything. Because sometimes, the seat at the table is the miracle. I’m so excited! We are headed to Dublin, Ireland for the #GHHUnite Summit 🌍 The Global Heart Hub brings together people from all over the world who care about heart health — patients, caregivers, doctors, and researchers. We come together to learn, share ideas, and make sure patients’ voices are heard. 💫 Why This Means So Much It’s hard to describe what this invitation means t
Oct 30, 20253 min read
Healing Isn’t a Solo Journey — It’s a Bridge We Cross Together
When One Patient Reaches Out, We All Learn Something There’s something about walking beside another patient that opens your eyes all over...
Oct 21, 20253 min read
When Compassion Meets Clarity: Out of 100 People, Every One Deserves to Understand
Have you ever sat in a doctor’s office, listening to numbers and percentages, and thought, What does that actually mean for me? I’ve been...
Oct 16, 20252 min read


When Frustration Becomes Data: A Simple Act of Patient Advocacy
A reminder that every reaction, emotion, and question tells a story worth hearing. There's a moment in every care journey when you feel...
Oct 14, 20253 min read


The Everyday Battles That No One Sees
The unseen moments that define what it means to keep going. At one point in my journey, my whole life felt ruled by lab results. Every...
Oct 9, 20252 min read


A Toddler of Fluid? Hospice Diary Note
A look at the real truth of living and sometimes laughing through hospice. When I was in hospice, I kept a diary. It became my way to...
Oct 7, 20252 min read


My Backyard Therapy ~ a little love letter from my heart to yours
There are hours you can count and hours you can’t, the kind that fold into one another until days feel like a single long breath. I...
Sep 25, 20253 min read


What if ‘We don’t know’ isn’t the end of your story — but the beginning?
The words hit you like a wave: “We’ve run all the tests, and we just don’t know what’s wrong.” For a long time, I thought those words...
Sep 23, 20252 min read


The Day My Body Gave Out in a Grocery Store
💔 A Moment I’ll Never Forget. Right before I went into hospice, I could feel my body getting weaker every day. Still, I tried to keep...
Sep 11, 20251 min read


The Guinea Pig Myth: Myths vs. Facts Every Patient Should Know.
I spent two years on hospice because my tricuspid valve disease had no good options. Surgery wasn’t possible for me, medicines weren’t...
Sep 9, 20253 min read


My Heart's Journey: Living with AFib and A-flutter
How Heart Valve Disease Taught Me to Listen to My Body's Other Rhythms Hey everyone, you know I'm a big advocate for heart valve disease...
Sep 4, 20252 min read


Why “Averages” Don’t Tell the Whole Story in Clinical Trials
When new trial results are announced, the headlines often sound hopeful: “this treatment helped most patients.” But averages only tell...
Aug 28, 20252 min read


From Intensive Follow-Up to Silence
Early follow-ups kept me seen. Then came the silence. As part of an Early Feasibility Study , my first year after receiving a...
Aug 21, 20252 min read


Clinical Trials: From Dark Spots to Safety Rules
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...
Aug 5, 20253 min read


This Is the Gap No One Wants to Talk About
Why does care disappear when we need it most?The system stops at the procedure. We don’t. They saved my life—and then handed me discharge...
Jul 24, 20252 min read


From Misquote to Misdiagnosis: How Tori Took Control of Her Medical Story
🫀 Real Advocacy. Real Impact. Tori Lungren’s Two-Story Reminder That Your Voice Might Be the Most Important Tool You Have 🩷 PATIENT...
Jul 22, 20253 min read


My Rent or My Medicine: No One Should Have to Choose
People are breaking down in Facebook comments—because they can’t afford their Eliquis. It’s hard to read.Some are skipping doses.Others...
Jul 8, 20252 min read
Women Were Left Out of Research—And We're Still Paying the Price
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention. Before 1993, most women weren’t included in medical research. Not because...
Jul 3, 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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