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Posts by Nichole Smith

We have had dozens of bloggers since this blog began who have been so open with their stories. If you are interested in blogging, too, we'd love to hear from you. Please email info@achaheart.org.

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Finding an ACHD Program is Often Complicated and Stressful

by Nichole Smith on Friday, Jan 27, 2023

Earlier this month, I received a call from one of my adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) nurses telling me I was in Afib—again. This time I’ve been in Afib since November, which might explain why I could get my brain excited about the holidays but my body would.not.follow.

It’s times like this when I wish I had an ACHD team close by. I’m in transition to see an ACHD cardiologist once he comes to Anchorage this spring. It’s unsettling knowing your team is so far away and if, Heaven forbid, something bad happens, you are hours and sometimes hundreds of miles away from a team that knows how to treat you. It worries not only me, but my family too.

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Lessons Learned from a Non-Compliant Patient

by Nichole Smith on Thursday, Jul 07, 2022

Earlier this year I celebrated another trip around the sun. It is my 47th, and while I try not to pay too much attention to the number, I must admit, it’s pretty darn amazing that I’m still here. If my grandfather were still living, he’d be amazed too. Every summer during cookouts or our family reunion, he’d regale guests with stories of me and what a medical miracle I was. Grandfathers are awesome like that, aren’t they?

But I wasn’t always amazed. Much of my 20s and 30s were spent trying to ignore the need to see my cardiologist and acknowledge I had a CHD. In my mind, I had grown up under a microscope, pricked with needles, ogled at, and talked about.

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The opinions expressed by ACHA bloggers and those providing comments on the ACHA Blog are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of the Adult Congenital Heart Association or any employee thereof. ACHA is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the ACHA bloggers.

The contents of this blog are presented for informational purposes only, and should not be substituted for professional advice. Always consult your physicians with your questions and concerns.

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