833 Days: A Tricuspid Valve Miracle
- maryrburrell
- Mar 11
- 3 min read
833 days—days filled with struggle, uncertainty, and a constant battle between giving up and pushing forward.
People often ask me, “Was there a specific moment when you thought, ‘I don’t know if I can keep going’?” The truth is, there wasn’t just one. There were dozens. Maybe even hundreds.
There were nights when I lay awake, too drained to cry, listening to the rhythmic beep of hospital monitors, wondering if I’d ever feel normal again. Mornings when I stared at the ceiling, debating if I even had it in me to sit up. Days that stretched endlessly, where every step forward felt pointless.
Because, at one point, I had already been given an expiration date. Hospice care. A phrase that carries an unspoken finality. I was supposed to be making peace with the end, not fighting for a future. But something in me wasn’t ready to let go.
What got me through?
It wasn’t one grand epiphany. It wasn’t some lightning bolt of motivation that struck at the perfect time. It was small moments—tiny sparks of resilience that, when put together, created a fire that refused to go out.
🔹 It was the memory of why I started. The promise I made to myself and the people who believed in me. The doctors, researchers, and medical teams who had fought to get me into a clinical trial for the EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement when there were no approved options left. The faith my husband, Louis, had in me, even when I had none left for myself.
🔹 It was the support of those who refused to let me sink. The messages from friends who reminded me of my strength when I had forgotten it myself. The advocates who believed my voice mattered. The words of encouragement from mentors, strangers, even a note I had scribbled to myself on a particularly dark day: “You made it this far. Don’t stop now.”
🔹 It was the understanding that pain is temporary, but regret lasts forever. That the discomfort of pushing forward would never compare to the agony of wondering, “What if I had just held on a little longer?”
🔹 It was science meeting faith. I was given access to a life-saving procedure—one that had never been approved before, one that gave people like me a chance where before there had been none. And even with the odds against me, something deep inside whispered, “Keep going.”
833 days is more than a number. It’s a testament to endurance, to grit, to the ability to stand back up every time life knocks you down. I didn’t just survive—I became an advocate, a voice for the unseen and unheard patients fighting battles like mine.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned through it all, it’s this: You don’t have to feel strong every day. You don’t have to have unwavering faith every second. You just have to take the next step. And then the next. And then the next.
Until one day, you look back and realize that the path you thought would break you has actually built you into something unshakable.
If you’re in your own fight right now, if you’re counting your own days and wondering if you can keep going—let me tell you this:
💙 You can.
💙 You will.
💙 And one day, you’ll look back at the battle and realize you won.
Now, I want to hear from you. Have you ever faced a moment where you questioned if you could keep going? What helped you push through? Share your story in the comments or tag someone who needs to hear this today. Let’s remind each other that resilience is built one step at a time. ❤️🩹🥑
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