This Is What Life After Hospice Looks Like

Advocacy wasn’t the plan—but it became my purpose.

Advocacy is deeply personal for me.

I’m a two-year hospice survivor living with torrential tricuspid valve regurgitation. At one point, I was told to prepare for the end. I was dying, and there were no more options—until I fought for access to a treatment that ultimately saved my life.

Too many women like me are overlooked, dismissed, or denied care. We need better policies, better coverage, and more awareness—because no one should have to fight this hard just to survive.

I Didn’t Plan to Become an Advocate

I didn’t see myself in advocacy—not at first.I didn’t think my story was “big enough” or “important enough” to tell.Who would care? I was just trying to survive.

But then I started hearing my story reflected back to me—through other people’s eyes.And something shifted.They didn’t just hear it. They felt it.And I realized… maybe my story was enough. Maybe it was more than enough.

After that? I couldn’t shut up.

Because when you’ve been dismissed, when your symptoms were brushed off, when your pain was questioned, when your life was quietly being stolen while no one listened— and you somehow survive that?

You don’t stay quiet. You speak up because silence almost cost you everything. You speak up because someone else is sitting in a waiting room right now, being told the same lie you were: "It’s just anxiety."

You speak up because you know what it feels like to be handed a death sentence and walk out anyway. 

And now? Every word is a way to reach back and grab the hand of the next person fighting for their life—and their dignity.

Advocacy isn’t something I stepped into. It’s something that rose out of me the moment I realized my story could light someone else’s way. And once that fire lit up inside me, there was no turning back.

So I kept going. I turned my pain into purpose. I became an advocate—not because I planned to, but because I couldn’t stay silent anymore.

It Changed Me… Even More Than Hospice Did

Advocacy gave me what illness and hospice had taken away:

🗣 A voice when I felt voiceless 👭 A community when I felt invisible 🧭 A mission when I had no map forward

It gave me something to live for.

I’m not the same woman who entered hospice.And honestly, I’m not the same woman who walked out of it either.

This version of me?She’s fierce.She’s not afraid to ask the hard questions.She fights for the ones still in waiting rooms, still being told, “It’s all in your head.”

She survived for a reason—and this is it.

If you’re living with tricuspid valve disease—whether you’re newly diagnosed, post-procedure, or still searching for answers—you don’t have to walk this road alone.

🫀💬 Let’s connect, support, and uplift each other. Our stories matter. Our voices are stronger together.

📣 Share your story. Drop a comment or message me directly. And if you're still finding your purpose—keep going. It’s waiting for you.

❤️‍🩹 Curious about advocacy or not sure where to begin? I’ve been there. If you’re interested or have questions, I’m happy to walk beside you. Just reach out.

👇 Drop a comment, send a message, or tag someone who needs this. Let's build the support we wish we had.

#TricuspidValveAwareness #Heart2HeartTalk #YouAreNotAlone #PatientVoice #HVVUSAmbassador #TricuspidValveMiracle #LifeAfterHospice #AdvocacyHeals #TurnPainIntoPurpose