The Quiet Side Effects of Survival

Because Some Wounds Don’t Show Up on X-Rays

I’ve talked about this before, but I don’t think I realized just how real it was until now.

Since hospice.Since heart failure.Since surviving what I wasn’t supposed to survive…

Something in me changed. I'm not talking physically.

My brain hasn’t felt the same. I lose my train of thought mid-conversation. I struggle to find words that used to come naturally. I forget what I was doing just moments ago. It’s like there’s this fog that follows me around—sometimes thick, sometimes light—but always there.

I chalked it up to being worn out. Life had been so heavy, I figured my brain just hadn’t caught up. But slowly, the question crept in…

Is this the part of healing no one warns you about?

Turns out it might be.

There’s a name for it: Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI).

VCI happens when the brain doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen. And that can be the result of heart failure, low oxygen levels, or even long hospital stays. It's common in people who’ve had serious heart conditions like I have. Especially those who’ve lived through advanced heart failure or experienced periods of low blood pressure or lack of oxygen to the brain.

This isn’t just “brain fog.” This is medical. It’s real. It’s physiological.

And it can affect memory, decision-making, focus, and even emotional regulation.

I wish someone had told me sooner.

So I’m telling you now.

If you’ve been feeling off…If you forget things you used to remember easily…If you feel slower, foggier, not quite you…You’re not imagining it.

Healing the brain, especially after heart trauma, takes time.

VCI is still under-recognized and under-discussed, especially in women. And to be honest, so many of us already carry shame around being “scatterbrained,” “too emotional,” or “not sharp enough.” Add in a medical condition that’s invisible on scans? No wonder we feel like we’re going crazy.

But you’re not.You’re surviving.

And survival sometimes leaves marks we don’t always see but we feel every single day.

I’m scheduling with a doctor now to learn more and get the support I didn’t even know I needed.If any of this sounds familiar, maybe it’s time you do too.

💬 Have you felt this too? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments.

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Let’s walk this road together fog and all.

#HospiceSurvivor #InvisibleWounds #CognitiveHealth #PatientVoice #SelfAdvocacy #BrainFogIsReal #VascularCognitiveImpairment #HeartValveDisease #HealingTakesTime #FromTheHeart