Category: Mended Hearts Blog
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Hearts Are Special | Share Your Heart Essay Contest Winner | Age Group: Child Grades K–5
By Gracelyn Schendel Hearts Are Special Hearts are special but for Caleb, his heart is extra special. I bet it is rough. As his little sister, I have to not be rough. This past COVID year, it was rough. We couldn’t see friends! I’m so glad he is ok and not sick but being at…
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CHD and COVID-19 | Share Your Heart Essay Contest Winner | Age Group: Child Grades 6–8
By Grace Hollenbach CHD and COVID-19 To say that my brother’s congenital heart defect has affected my life would be an understatement, in my opinion. I think an more accurate answer would be that it has turned my world upside down. Samuel was basically born with half a heart, to keep it simple. He was…
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My Little Heart Warrior | Share Your Heart Essay Contest Winner | Age Group: Child Grades 9–12
By Kaitlyn Hill My Little Heart Warrior My name is Kaitlyn. And this is what it was like having a Heart Warrior for a sibling to me. My little brother David. At first, I didn’t really understand what my brother had, or how bad it could get. But as the years went by, I started…
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Our Lives Are Changing Now | Share Your Heart Essay Contest Winner | Age Group: Adult 18+
By Mazen Hassan Our Lives Are Changing Now Our lives are changing now Was my first feeling Lump in my throat The rest had me reeling Our lives are changing now The call came around three Never expected that tone “Love, can you talk, it’s me…” Our lives are changing now “Tubes are in the…
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Can Horses Help With Post Open-Heart Surgery Recovery?
By David Rude There is no doubt that social isolation and loneliness have had a profound effect on personal health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. I imagine that anyone who had open-heart surgery during this time may have truly struggled. It is well known that mood swings and difficult feelings — including depression, fear,…
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Medicare and Heart Disease: What’s Covered and What’s Not?
Screenings Prescription drugs Cardiac rehabilitation programs Cardiovascular behavioral therapy Chronic care management services Takeaway Medicare offers coverage for a wide variety of heart disease screenings, rehabilitation, and behavioral training. The amount that Medicare will cover depends on the type of preventive services and treatment covered by your plan, as well as your specific health needs.…
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Tim’s Story
By Tim Nebergall My story with heart trouble begins in the year 2000. Up to that point in my life, I had been told that I had a heart murmur, but that was it. It was nothing to worry about. In 2000, I started to have some health issues and ended up with a hemorrhage…
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Battle Scars
By Mark Buttell Living with scars has not always been the most ego-boosting part of my life. When you’re young, it’s fun to show your battle scars, and of course, most older folks were amazed that a 5-year-old was showing them scars from open-heart surgery. Back in the 1970s, it wasn’t very common, and looking…
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The Best Heart-Healthy Foods to Start Eating Now
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and can be prevented by choosing to eat nutritious foods that help keep your arteries clear. You may be asking what causes congestive heart failure? Some common causes are alcohol abuse, high blood pressure and unhealthy eating habits. Research has found that eating…
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Getting Back on the Bike: A TAVR Procedure Story
By Jack Huber Early in 2015, my doctor detected a heart murmur. After I had an MRI and an echocardiogram done, he recommended that I see a cardiologist. The cardiologist diagnosed me as having moderate aortic stenosis. My situation was complicated by having a bicuspid aortic valve — instead of the normal three leaflets,…