Articles

My name is Olivia, and I am a 2-time stroke survivor, former LVAD patient, and heart transplant recipient. I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2014 after suffering a stroke. I...

Growing plants in your mind and heart is as effective as growing them in your home. Often with heart failure, we may need to give up or downscale our major...

Heart failure has caused many of us to slow down, as we no longer have the same level of functionality as before. For instance, I have less energy, and the...

As a registered nurse (RN) for 15 years who has spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital over the last decade due to chronic illness, I have seen...

Many people with a heart failure history do not need home oxygen therapy. But there are some in this community who do benefit from it. A majority of those who...

Some of us with heart failure may have stents, or for some other reason, have been told to try to limit the amount of saturated fat we eat. For me...

"What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversations." -Glenn Close The first time I was introduced to mental health was when I was in the...

Staying positive is something I struggle with and it is an everyday mental battle for me. It is so much easier to be negative, in my opinion, especially when it...

Exercise when you have heart failure is one of those conversations that can truly go any which way. Many people have very strong opinions about this. What one person is...

In my experience, the "what if's" and future trajectory of my heart failure are sources of stress. And it's hard to forget that you are a heart failure patient given...

After suffering my second stroke in December 2018, and my LVAD (left ventricular assist device) surgery in January 2019, I started being evaluated for cardiac rehab. According to the American...

When I was first diagnosed with Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) I was very confused, and I felt very alone and uncertain. When I searched for my condition on google, the prognosis...

Heart health is a very important topic. I honestly feel that it does not get enough limelight. This is not only valid for people with heart failure and related health conditions. I...

So, sometimes heart failure causes flare-ups (exacerbations), and flare-ups often require you to seek help, which often results in a trip to the emergency room (ER). Once in the ER...

As a heart failure patient, my doctors have told me how important regular exercise is. I think it is far easier to do something consistently when it is fun! And...

According to John Hopkins Medicine, "a stroke or brain attack happens when blood flow to your brain is stopped." I think the biggest misconception when it comes to strokes is...

It's likely that you have experienced stress, anxiety, or panic at some point. But overwhelming worry, stress, and panic can cause your body to physically respond through cardiac symptoms. These...

I am aware there is a high risk for heart disease in my family. My mom and her 7 siblings all have/had high blood pressure, and of those who passed...

I was first diagnosed with a heart problem at the age of 12, and because of that, through the years my mom fought for me to get disability/medical insurance to...

The thought of motherhood is something I have dreamed about since I was younger but when I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, things changed. Dilated cardiomyopathy is when the left...