Living

The Person Before Patient Survey is now closed. Thank you for your interest! What makes us the people we are? Living with a serious health condition like heart failure can...

Editor's note: This is part 1 of a two-part series. Be sure to check out part 2! Experiences are really a beautiful thing. It's nice to hear other people's experiences...

When it comes to eating healthy, it can be a challenge to do so cheaply when living with heart failure and on a budget. This is especially true when unhealthy...

Whether you are new to your heart failure diagnosis or a seasoned heart failure patient, advocating for your own health can make a world of difference. Advocating for yourself and...

When faced with a chronic health diagnosis like heart failure, many different emotions come to the surface. It can become easy to focus on the negative and fear what life...

Editor's note: This is part 3 in a 3-part series. Check out part 1, PPCM Changed My Life: I Don’t Have Heart Disease – or Do I?, and part 2...

Most people living with heart failure are aware of the biggest ways that the diagnosis affects the body. However, they may not know all the ways this diagnosis can impact...

I remember waking up from my heart transplant strapped to the bed, confused and lost, trying to utter words and realizing there was a tube in my throat. I tried...

Being chronically ill is hard. The things we deal with on a daily basis are more than anyone ever should. Many of us have been there and done that when...

Heart failure has a fascinating history. Well, at least it’s fascinating to a history buff/nerd like me. I would think that heart failure has plagued mankind since its beginnings. That...

How did my heart failure and previous incidents cause me to mistake a stroke for heart-related complications? That’s a good question and one I will answer for you so you...

Living with a chronic illness like heart failure brings many struggles. The impact of symptoms on daily life is significant. It can be hard accepting and adjusting to the changes...

When you are newly diagnosed with heart failure, the many life changes can feel overwhelming. Implementing all the recommendations for staying healthy can feel impossible and unrealistic. Fortunately, this community...

For starters, being approached, harassed, and discriminated against by a complete stranger while having an invisible disability is intimidating. This type of action has caused anxiety and PTSD. These ordeals...

Disparities in health care access have prevailed in the health system for centuries. While these disparities are recognized today, many reports continue to highlight the inequality that people who identify...

November 2007 was the second turn of my life. I had been having some chest pain that was becoming unbearable so the Texas Children's Hospital was the next place for...

I had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implanted almost six years ago to prevent fatal arrhythmias from turning into cardiac arrest. It wasn't an easy decision at first, but I am happy...

I was diagnosed with CHF at 35, never married, and with no children. While I always wanted to find a partner, the diagnosis made it even more important as I...

“You have reached the Melville Nauheim Shelter. This shelter was built in 1977 and sleeps 8. There is water just north of the shelter side trail on the AT.” As...

Nearly everyone remembers the first thought that popped into their head when their doctor first told them about their heart failure diagnosis. The types of thoughts – from fear to...