Articles

In 2014, I was diagnosed with a form of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy. This is when the ventricles become enlarged and can no longer pump blood efficiently. Before the...

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder that causes abnormally high levels of cholesterol. This elevation significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Most people who...

It happened about a year and a half after my first one. Thankfully (?), I had the experience to know what was happening, so it didn’t turn into a massive...

When I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in 2014, I didn’t know my life would change so drastically. The impact it has had on my life is beyond belief —...

On the outside, I look like a healthy, 30-something-year-old — fit, energetic, active. But on the inside, there’s a constant, invisible weight I carry. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) isn’t something people...

There are many misconceptions about heart disease, but the fact of the matter is it can be an invisible disease — meaning that we don’t look sick, and most of...

When I had a stroke and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, I didn’t know what kind of twists and turns I would have to go through. When I had the...

Most people think of cholesterol as a number they can change with diet or exercise, but those of us with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) know it’s not so simple. This genetic...

When I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy after suffering a stroke, I thought it was because I was pushing myself too hard. I used to compete in fitness competitions, and...

When I was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), it was a lot to take in. Knowing I had a genetic condition that put me at high risk for heart disease...

Receiving a diagnosis can be shocking and very difficult to deal with. Like most people, we all have plans and goals that we want to reach and are currently working...

Days after my sister was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), my mother, now realizing that our family had genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, took me in to be checked as well. During...

I was first diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in September of 2013 at the age 14, during my first month of high school. The only reason I was even diagnosed...

The holidays are such a fun and festive time — but, let’s be real, they’re also bittersweet when you’re dealing with a chronic health condition like familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). There’s...

Every day I wake up, I realize that I’m blessed, because I have beaten everything meant to destroy me. Life is a gift and is one of those things where...

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a type of heart disease in which the heart muscle becomes too thick. This can make it harder for the heart to pump blood. The thickened...

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart condition in which the heart muscle becomes thicker than normal. This thickening can make it harder for blood to flow out of the heart...

I have a minor surgery coming up in a couple of weeks, and I’m going through the steps of getting ready for it. Some of those steps relate to being...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a type of heart disease that affects the coronary arteries. These are arteries that supply blood to the heart. CAD is usually caused by atherosclerosis...

Living with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) has always been a journey of highs and lows, but I am currently in a season of being unmedicated, and it feels particularly raw. FH...