Naomi talks about how connecting with others in the same situation builds hope.
Transcript
None of my friends had heart failure so I just couldn’t really, and it was a complete game changer a complete a 180, like a full 180 kind of game changer to talk to other heart transplant patients talk to another LVAD patient. It made me go from anxious, terrified, and honestly depressed about my situation to being like wait a second. Life goes on and like the girl I had talked to that I connected with through my nurse, because this patient is also was another one of my nurses patients.
And when the nurse connected us like we had so much to relate on and she’s like yeah like I work, I have a son, I you know go to concerts, I go to the beach, I go swimming. And I was like and you had a heart transplant like this is possible. I was completely shocked and so excited because I was like ok so this is actually a good things and like I will be ok and life does go on and not only does it go on, it can be fun and beautiful and full of life.
More from: Naomi
More content
- Stigma & Gender Bias – NaomiNaomi expresses the need for age-appropriate resources.
- Mental Health & Emotional Support – NaomiNaomi describes role changes and difficulties within her family as a result of her illness.
- Mental Health & Emotional Support – NaomiHaving access to a psychologist on her care team was extremely helpful to Naomi.
- Finding Support – NaomiNaomi stresses the importance of online support and meeting other heart failure patients.
- Finding Support – NaomiNaomi gives thanks for her friends who continued to treat her as normal despite her illness.
- Access – NaomiNaomi feels that poor communication caused delays in her care because she was transferred back and forth between two hospitals.
- Diagnosis – NaomiNaomi learned she had heart failure by reading it on a whiteboard.
- Impact on Work, School, Finances – NaomiNaomi has decided to switch career paths due to her heart journey.
- Impact on Work, School, Finances – NaomiNaomi talks about how she felt not graduating with her class.
- Impact on Work, School, Finances – NaomiNaomi shares how her employer created a part time position to meet her needs.