I had the opportunity for a heart to heart conversation on The 1% Heart podcast hosted by Drezden Plotkin
He, like me, was born with multiple heart defects, and now he explores the complexities of cardiac care and the significant gaps in the healthcare system that many patients still face today. We talked about mental health and the unique impacts of medical trauma.
Sharing
Research
On Medical Trauma
Childhood Medical Trauma
I was born with a congenital heart defect that has filled my spirit heart with a deepened understanding of how fragile and beautiful life is. Aside from the large scar on my chest, my experiences were invisible and I grew up thinking I needed to be brave for all the adults surrounding and loving me from doctors to family members.
Throughout my life, I had this feeling of not belonging and being different than others because of this story of my own survival. There were many hard things from the painful medical procedures to the confusion of what was happening and the emotions of the professional and loved adults. These feelings became pages of my own stories and shaped my relationships and challenges with feeling I needed to overachieve in order to be me. Through my own therapeutic experiences, I have begun to understand the stories hidden in my heart, but I have always felt that I was alone in this journey.
I happened upon the book Healing Hearts and Minds by Tracy Livecchi and Liza Morton which changed and inspired my professional research and validated my own personal journey. I am so grateful for their own professional and personal stories and I feel that this book has been like finding sisters who share an intimate, scary and beautiful heartfull journey with me.
