Finding a Balance: Enjoying Asian Cuisine on a Low-Sodium DietFood is a huge part of our lives, bringing comfort, joy, and social connection. For those with heart failure, however, diet undergoes a significant transformation due to restrictions on sodium...reactionscomments
The Importance Of Family SupportI have been reading through the posts this morning. I found it enlightening to read how many people posting had the support of their family. I have, since my early...reactionscomments
Ineligible For A TransplantI have known I've had congenital heart failure since 2018. I got sent to a transplant doctor, and this year, on Aug 9th, they said I had to have a...reactionscomments
Tracking My Fluid RetentionAfter two hospitalizations due to heart failure fluid retention, my cardiologist suggested I take on a CardioMems fluid sensor. Thus, a tiny sensor was inserted in the pulmonary artery by...reactionscomments
Learning More About Cardiac RehabilitationHas your doctor talked about cardiac rehab? Maybe you've thought about it, but still have questions. Starting something new can feel a little scary. This includes going to a new...reactionscomments
What Can You Do to Improve Your Ejection Fraction?Some people in this community have a low ejection fraction (EF). And we often receive questions like, "How do I improve my ejection fraction when it is low?" The good...reactions2comments
Palliative Care: A Personal ExperienceI am a heart failure patient who recently had my first palliative care consultation. I wanted to explain how I got the appointment and what it is for people who...reactions2comments
Late-Night ThoughtsI should be asleep. Instead, I'm pondering. About my health, and the shift of my life’s journey. Fighting this discontent that is trying to take over me. While never knowing...reactions6comments
When and Where Should I Seek Care?Editor's Note: This article is authored by Amber Blackburn, RN. As I do every winter, I have been sick for what seems like months. When you live with a chronic...reactionscomments
Heart Failure 101: A Guide to Educate and Spread AwarenessFebruary is heart failure awareness month. What better way to honor this important time than by helping our community members to spread awareness through education? If you have heart failure...reactions2comments
Why Advocate?Have you ever considered, "Why is health advocacy needed?" Communicating with healthcare providers may come naturally to some such as, asking questions with ease to better understand their diagnosis and...reactionscomments
What Is Medical Gaslighting?If you have ever felt dismissed by a doctor, you may have experienced a type of bias (prejudice) called medical gaslighting. Medical gaslighting can happen to anyone, but it most...reactionscomments
Common Heart Failure AbbreviationsWhen it comes to healthcare, a lot of abbreviations are thrown our way! I created this cheat sheet to help you understand some of the common abbreviations associated with heart...reactions3comments
Umami - What Is It?As I have written before, when eating a reduced sodium diet for heart failure it's helpful to think about incorporating others taste's into your foods. Believe it or not, salty...reactions1comment
Newly Diagnosed With Heart FailureNo matter what age you were diagnosed with heart failure, we all remember receiving the news. We all remember what life was like before the diagnosis. For me, there wasn’t...reactionscomments
Adusting to Life with the LVADWhen I found out that I had advanced heart failure it felt like the ending of my story was near. There were suddenly all these feelings of things I’d never...reactions2comments
Self-Care and Heart FailureAccording to www.selfcarefederation.org, “self-care is the practice of individuals looking after their own health using the knowledge and information available to them.” It can range from going for a walk...reactions3comments
Feeling Like a Burden with Heart FailureFeeling like a burden because of heart failure is one of the hardest feelings to overcome. You may feel that everything is your fault and people have to rearrange their...reactions3comments
My Thoughts On Getting a LVADI remember when the doctors found out that my heart was in the advanced heart failure stage. My parents and I were shocked because when I was diagnosed with dilated...reactionscomments
Decoding Audible Wheezing: Understanding Its Link to Heart FailureAs a respiratory therapist, I have observed a curious phenomenon: People with heart failure (HF) may have audible wheezing, even when their condition is stable. While this may seem perplexing...reactionscomments