How I Learned to Embrace My Scars...Learning to embrace your scars is always hard at first. When I had my first surgery scar it was after getting a subcutaneous defibrillator. It was a small slit on...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
What To Expect In The ER...I am a respiratory therapist with 25 years experience. A good part of my job involves working in the emergency room (ER) and taking care of people with heart failure...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Cooking Strategies for a Low-Sodium Diet...One of the things that was the biggest adjustment for me after my heart failure diagnosis was the amount of work it takes to eat a low-sodium diet. Sodium is...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Trying My Best to Live a Full Life with Heart Failure...My story began in 2005 when I felt really tired one day. I was teaching at the time, so I thought one of the kids brought in an illness, but...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Echocardiogram Report (May 2023)...Good Morning HF Family, I am in need of help and hope I can find it here. I am experiencing the following symptoms that have prompted me to get additional...Reactions0reactionsComments14 repliesDiagnosis
Heart failure / bladder control...For some reason I have lost bladder control since heart attack. I can handle alot of things but I'm very depressed over this...Reactions0reactionsComments13 repliesDepression
What’s in My Pre-Packed Hospital "Go Bag"...When you are chronically ill, you’ll have seasons where you are constantly running around between different doctors appointments. At times, it even feels like trips to the ER aren’t that...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
Advocating for Youth Heart Screenings...Many people don’t realize they have heart disease until it's too late. Also, most people don’t know that young people can have heart disease. The only reason I am familiar...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Acceptance of My Diagnosis...When I was first diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, I never knew that my journey would end up changing the trajectory of my life. I didn't realize I was in heart...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Left Ventricular Non-Compaction...What has been your experience with this diagnosis?...Reactions0reactionsComments31 repliesAwarenessSymptomsSurgery
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension...I was diagnosed at age 48 with pulmonary arterial hypertension. I had been waking up in the middle of the night with what I thought were some sort of panic...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Staying Cool in the Summer Heat...With summer almost here, it's a good time to talk about tips for staying cool. For those who are newer to their heart failure journey, heat makes your heart work...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
CHD Baby...On April 19, 1973, my young teenage mother was informed by her obstetrician that he saw signs of me being considered a "blue baby" or a baby with limited oxygen...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Living with Low Ejection Fraction/Mitral Valve Regurgitation...An echocardiogram revealed I had mild mitral valve regurgitation with a low ejection fraction. On a daily basis since June 2021, I have had trouble breathing, severe fatigue, nausea, and...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
6-minute walk ...This is solely my personal experience with the 6-minute walk tests done for judging the level of fatigue/shortness of breath experienced during the walk. I think this test is all...Reactions0reactionsComments4 replies
Do you know any good online heart attack related first aid video I can reference to?...Hi, I have an aunt who is diagnosed with heart disease and I think I need a good first-aid video just in case. There was one time when she had...Reactions0reactionsComments6 repliesCaregiving
Back to Basics, Heart Failure and Heart Health...A new heart failure diagnosis can feel so overwhelming. Clair talks about a few things she wishes she had known when she was first diagnosed: "Heart failure" is a phrase...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Living in Survival Mode...I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in 2014 at the age of 25. At that point in my life, I had finished grade school, high school, and college. According to...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Women's Health Month: Spotlighting Patient Leaders With PPCM...May is designated as Women's Health Month. We want to raise awareness about heart failure and its impact on women's health. One form of heart failure that affects women is...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Eating Less Meat...I stopped eating red meat about five years ago. I gave up beef first, then slowly gave up pork. Bacon was difficult to give up because it smelled delicious, but...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
