In December I met with my transplant doc (whom I love. She is bright and funny and so interesting!). After our initial check-in, we reviewed my numbers. My labs are stable, my EF (ejection fraction) is holding steady in the mid 20s, and (drumroll please) my LVIDd (size of my heart) is down to 6.6 (from 7.2 last year)! I’m always at least a little anxious heading in to these appointments and was thrilled to get this good news.

After reviewing the numbers, Dr. Cogswell looked at me and asked, “How are you doing this?!? When I got my hands on you a couple years ago, I did not think you’d be sitting here without more stuff (meaning LVAD or someone else’s heart) inside you.” 😊

Part of “what I’m doing” is receiving excellent health care and having tons of resources and support in my life. And there is a level of privilege that comes with being a white, cis-gender, hetero, neurotypical, middle class, educated woman. So that’s a factor, too.

But another piece of “what I’m doing” is using the tools I’ve learned about through Positive Psychology. These are the tools I’m sharing in my classes each month! These simple techniques have changed my brain (for the better), improved my relationships, and helped me look for and find good things — even on my worst days.

The other interesting thing about my visit with Dr. Cogswell is that, because things are going so well, we are now considering a new-ish valve-clip procedure that could potentially buy me another 5 years before transplant. Typically they don’t consider valve work in someone with long-term heart failure like mine (it tends to be the least of the concerns at that point)… but here we are! I meet with the valve specialist next month to talk about whether this would be a good fit for me. I will keep you posted!

All in all, I am over the moon with relief and joy and profound appreciation for all of the many, many people who play a role in my continued existence. If you are reading this, you are one of those folks and I appreciate you! Thank you. ❤️