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In 2012, after giving birth to her youngest son, Kassandra Y. was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a hereditary disease that affects the heart muscle and makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. Although cardiomyopathy is a very serious condition, Kassandra and her family had no idea the journey…

While pregnant on a trip to California with her husband, Kyle, in September 2019, Connie suddenly became very ill and swollen. Still concerned about her health once she arrived back home in New Mexico days later, her mother encouraged her to go to the doctor. She was worried  she may be experiencing preeclampsia, a complication…

In 2010, during a routine physical, Christopher H.’s doctor suggested a colonoscopy. As a 51-year-old at the time, Christopher knew it was a good idea, especially considering his family history of colon cancer, but his fear of knowing if anything was amiss prevented him from undergoing the procedure. Fast-forward to March 2020, at the urging…

Lisa Markland and her husband Dave Markland completed the 10K for the Run, Walk & Roll event on the C&O Canal towpath that went from Darnestown to Potomac, Maryland and back. Her husband is a very healthy 62-year-old Coast Guard veteran but Lisa’s story is a bit unique, and why they chose this particular race…

On August 2, 2020, Brandon Esquibel was going to meet a friend when the unthinkable happened: he had to make a split-second decision when a truck was barreling toward him from behind as he was approaching a red light on his motorcycle. Brandon knew he had two options: get slammed by the truck or speed…

“Having a sibling means you are never truly alone here.” – Roar, 10 years old Juggling two or more children has its own challenges, but the biggest worry for most parents who are welcoming the second child, is how the first child will react to the new baby. Adding another person to the family changes…

As a result of new information regarding the relationship between the cardiovascular system and COVID-19, there’s been a lot of chatter around the question of should you consider a heart scan after recovering? Answers vary depending on the individual and the severity of their stint with the virus. If you had a mild case, or…

“Her urine test came back dirty. She is a drug user.” OR “She tested positive for an illegal substance. She may have substance use disorder.” Do you notice the difference in the words used in each sentence? The same person is experiencing the same outcome, but the first sentence has words that are dehumanizing and…

In 2010, about two weeks before his hospitalization, Albert Gonzales began feeling dizzy during walks with his wife. These dizzy spells were incapacitating, requiring Albert to stop and sit down to catch his breath. He also noticed an uptick in his weight, gaining 20 pounds, with no change to his diet or exercise routine. With…

In 2017, Jim B. came home from work one evening and complained to his wife that he was feeling awful. Even without feeling common heart attack symptoms such as chest pain or tingling in his arms, for some reason, Jim believed he was experiencing a heart attack. He rushed to a hospital in downtown Albuquerque…