30 MAY 2023 · Boots shares how much she has grown from launching this podcast as well as all the people she has had the priviledge to meet with Michael Moeri, the sound guru for this podcast. She also shares recent developments with her health and the importance of holistic dentistry. Michael reflects as well on how he met Boots and the episodes that touched him. You can hear Boots in https://thejacksonholeconnection.com/episodes-archive/suzanne-boots-knighton/

23 MAY 2023 · Mallory Streacker, a professional body builder and currently studying exercise science, was born with a tricuspid defect called Epstein Anomoly. She had her first open heart surgery at 12 years old which caused serious depression for her. Then, at 16 years old, she had another valve replacement as well as a bypass to reroute blood flow to reduce pressure on the right ventricle. At 25 years old, she went into atrial flutter which put her in end stage heart failure. It was then she had open heart surgeries 3 and 4. At 30 years old, her heart took up 75% of her chest cavity and she was admitted to Cleveland Clinic and put in IV meds to keep her alive. There, she had her 5th open heart surgery to transplant a RVAD. 3 days later, she got a new heart. After such a series of events, Mallory had two choices: feel sorry for herself or become a body builder. She is now thriving as a body builder and is in school for exercise science. She is also acutely aware of the importance of nutrition in her healing journey. Boots asks her pointed questions about the physical, mental and spiritual impacts this path has had on her and Mallory is raw and real in her answers. Mallory and Boots also talk about how they met through https://www.womenheart.org/ and their new roles as Heart Champions.

16 MAY 2023 · Kathy Hoseth was the first patient to be unroofed for her myocardial bridge in the state of Michigan at age 58. She began experiencing symptoms at age 8 from a myocardial bridge but would not receive the diagnosis until age 58. Throughout childhood, she couldn't catch her breath, her legs hurt, and she just didn't feel right. She even passed out when standing in line for too long in high school. She kept living her life, had two boys in her 20s and even went back to school as a mom. She had her first ER visit during college and was discounted as having stress. She kept going back to the doctor and was diagnosed with pleurisy as well as pericarditis. She was told to take Motrin. She kept living her life. Then, she bought a Fitbit and noticing her heart rate which would be as high as 185. After several more doctors and a heart monitor, Kathy spoke up and said "my inner voice said something is not right." Finally, she had a nuclear stress test and heart catherization which found the myocardial bridge. BUT! Then she was put on medications which did not help. Finally, Kathy had another heart catherization with a female doctor who could see how significant her bridge was. Thanks to Spectrum Health Hospitals for performing the first unroofing procedure at that facility. Kathy is now living her best life. She reflects at the end about how heart surgery changed her. Boots also weaves in some of her story with Kathy's including her ridiculous experience attempting to participate in track in high school. Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

9 MAY 2023 · Belen Blanton was born with tricuspid atresia in Caracas, Venezuela back in 1965. When she was born, many doctors told her mom that she was not going to make it. Fortunately, her mother took her to a cardiologist that had contact with Houston Children's hospital in Texas, where she had surgery, a Potts Shunt procedure performed by Dr. Denton Cooley. From age 15 she began to experience complications including arrhythmia. When she was 21 she moved to the US and from age 30 experienced atrial fibrillation, endocarditis, Eisenmenger Syndrome, and pulmonary hypertension. She is married with two sons and has recently started a charity to help those living in her home country of Venezuela. She believes her life has been a gift and she has felt a need to give back to others in her country by creating a nonprofit organization called ‘Estrellita de Belen Foundation.’ Belen's foundation can be found at https://fundacionestrellitadebelen.org Or email her at belenblanton@fundacionestrellitadebelen.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/belenblantonaltuve/ https://www.instagram.com/estrellitadbelen/ Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

2 MAY 2023 · On March 4, 1976, Jason Crutchley was born with 4 congenital heart defects: Atrial Septal Defect, Transposition of the Great Vessels, Sub-Aortic Stenosis and Pulmonary Atresia. In layman terms, he was born with 1 chamber of my heart working, not 4! All four defects individually are very common in males, but to have all 4 in 1 is extremely rare. At six weeks old, he underwent his first surgery called a Pulmonary banding. At that time, the doctors gave him a life expectancy of 3 years. At 6 years old, he underwent (as the first child at UCLA) the classic Fontan procedure. At the time he turned 21, he would need a revision (the lateral-tunnel conversion fontan). At age 23, his son was born perfectly healthy and then Jason promptly underwent 3 pacemaker surgeries. Jason thrived for the next 17 years working in radio and as a wine tour specialist in Napa. In 2017, after loosing his mother, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and was in need of both a heart & liver transplant and began evaluation. By February 2018, he was fully listed on the transplant list and on 1/28/19, he was the only the 19th heart and liver transplant Stanford had performed. Now, 4 years later, Jason is thriving as a maintenance tech working in Virginia. His transplant continues to be successful with no rejection. Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

25 APR 2023 · Boots interviews Erin Borbet, her acupuncturist and coach, to highlight the role Erin's acupuncture and coaching has played in Boots's recovery from heart surgery. There are so many important lessons in this episode. Boots shares about working through the emotional components of heart surgery with Erin. It's an important listen. Erin is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Board Certified in Chinese Herbal Medicine, a DONA Trained Labor Doula, Certified Nosara Yoga Instructor, Intuitive Life Coach and eternal student of the healing arts. Erin helps her clients unlock their vibrant health potential using acupuncture, custom botanicals, constitutional nutrition, stress management tools, distance energy healing and intuitive life coaching. She works in-person with clients at her clinical practice in Victor, Idaho and remotely with clients all over the world. She uses her fifteen+ years of clinical experience to provide her clients with a comprehensive holistic health strategy specific to individual needs and goals, and always in alignment with other care providers. It is her belief that true and lasting healing must integrate emotional and spiritual aspects, which she addresses via consistent communication (by phone, in person and email). Erin currently lives in a small town in the Teton Mountains outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming with her husband and three children. The best way to get in touch with her is via email, or book an appointment online via her website (https://acusimple.com/access/4098/#/appointments/). 1:00 About acupuncuture and herbal medicine 3:20 Nutrition and Chinese medicine 4:10 Erin's approach to a new acupuncture client 7:00 Tongue diagnosis 8:30 Pulse diagnosis 10:00 Heart specific acupuncture 13:40 Boots stress's the importance of acupuncture post open-heart surgery 15:00 Erin stresses the importance of practitioners meeting the client where they are on a given day 16:30 Points around the sternum scar (Window of the Sky kidney points) and the impact those points have had on Boots 20:00 How shifting your thinking can be a miracle 21:00 Boots reflects on her time working with Erin as a heart patient and Erin reflects as a practitioner 23:00 It's a journey for heart patients 24:50 When Erin asked Boots "What does healing look like to you?" 27:25 Erin describes watching Boots grieve her heart and come to radical acceptance of what is 28:30 Dealing with anger around heart surgery 30:00 The benefits of releasing energy and how it impacts real life 31:30 How to find an acupuncturist near you. 34:00 Acupuncture should not be painful! 36:00 Erin's coaching practice Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

18 APR 2023 · Frank and Anna Jaworski's baby, Alex, was born in 1994 and was seemingly ok...to the doctors and nurses. Frank and Anna disagreed. Alex was showing many symptoms of concern including not feeding well, tachycardia, not gaining weight, jaundice, and lethargy. Frank and Anna were continuously gaslighted until Alex's problems became emergent at just two months old. From there, a miracle began to take shape as Alex eventually landed in the right doctor's arms and a diagnosis was made: hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Alex would undergo three open-heart surgeries in before he was 18 (we cover two in this episode) all at University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. This story is an incredible story of hope and highlights the importance of listening to your instinct and advocating for your child(ren). Anna speaks interchangably about Alex and Hope. Alex made the transition to a woman in her early 20s and now goes by Hope. I hope to have Hope on this podcast soon. Anna is now a fierce advocate for those suffering with congential heart defects. You can find her, her podcasts, and other resources at http://www.heartsunitetheglobe.org/ Her publishing company is https://www.babyheartspress.com. Medical terms used in this podcast include: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome single ventricle Norwood procedure bi-directional Glenn Hemi-Fontan procedure B-T-T shunt (Blalock-Thomas-Thomas shunt) Dr. Park was Alex's former cardiologist Dr. John Calhoon is Alex's cardiothoracic surgeon ASD = atrial septal defect VSD = ventricular septal defect TGA = transposition of the great arteries PDA = patent ductus arteriosus PFO = patent foramen ovale Anna's books: "Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Handbook for Parents" "The Heart of a Mother" "The Heart of a Father" "The Heart of a Heart Warrior" (this is my newest book) websites: http://www.heartsunitetheglobe.org/ http://www.babyheartspress.com/ Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

11 APR 2023 · Bill Wingate will always hold on to hope, faith, and his bourbon. Thanks to his incredible community of friends and his wife, Martha, he has endured a medical journey few take and he has kept his humor in the process. In 1997, while a student at Auburn University, Bill began to experience issues in his neck. He went to see a doctor who heard a heart murmur and sent him to a cardiologist. Soon thereafter, he underwent his first open-heart surgery for the Ross procedure to repair his aortic valve at University of Alabama Birmingham. In 2013, another valve and an aneurysm. In 2014 and after 15 months after the second surgery, he had developed an infection from having a cavity filled at the dentist. His pulmonary valve had failed as well as his tricuspid. In 2019, another surgery. And then again, on January 12, 2023, he had another patch put on an aneurysm. Thank you, Bill, for sharing your story. Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

4 APR 2023 · Lisa Mihan shares how she felt 20 years younger after her myectomy at NYU Langone to treat her hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Now, 57 years old, Lisa lives her life like "a leaf in the stream." Boots and Lisa also talk about navigating the healthcare system and how we hire doctors to help us heal our hearts. Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/

28 MAR 2023 · Chris Moll breaks his heart transplant journey into three two-week chunks with Boots. In particular, he takes walks us through the mental health aspect of organ transplant and how he sought out support while he waited for a donor heart and how he coped post transplant. Website: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/ Transcript: https://www.theheartchamberpodcast.com/blog/ https://www.instagram.com/theheartchamberpodcast/ Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. https://michaelmoeri.com/ 0:00 introduction 1:30 In the fall 2017, Chris noticed he began to struggle with fishing trips. Out of breath. He rationalized it, saying he's 50 now. But, then it got worse. Much worse. 3:00 He sees his general doctor who immediately sends him to a cardiologist. 3:30 The local cardiologist orders an echocardiogram and it shows Chris's heart was only functioning at 6%. 4:40 On February 17, 2018, Chris was admitted to the local Jackson, WY hospital and then transported to the University of Utah. 6:00 What was it like to hear your heart was not ok? 7:00 A month prior, Chris had had a virus that possibly was affecting his heart. 8:00 Once at U of U, Chris had genetic testing that would eventually lead to a genetic disorder affecting his heart. 8:30 What it's like to be on a life flight. 10:30 Chris is met by the entire heart failure team at U of U. This marks the first of three 2 week segments of his hospital stay. 12:00 How Chris handled the series of events. 14:00 Chris's heart wasn't improving. He needed a heart transplant. 18:00 Chris undergoes medical testing to ensure he can undergo a heart transplant. 19:00 Chris is officially placed on the transplant list. This is the middle two weeks of his hospital stay. 20:30 He shares his struggles as he waited for his new heart. 21:30 While he waited for an organ to save his own life, there had to be tradgedy elsewhere and that the hard emotional component of his journey. 22:40 How Chris's family coped. 26:00 Chris gets the news that a heart is available. Now he enters the 3rd two week period. Saturday, March 17. 29:30 Chris shares his mental strategy as the hours ticked down to the transplant. 31:00 It's normal to have a range of thoughts but the more you can focus on the future in a positive way, the better the outcome. 33:00 Boots shares her approach to her surgery. 34:30 Chris strikes up a conversation with the anesthesiologist. 35:00 The heart transplant took 6 hours. 35:50 Chris walked right after surgery! 36:30 The first couple of days post surgery. 38:30 He is extubated. "I lost a few days." 39:20 His first thought coming out of the haze, was he could finally breathe. 40:00 He was able to go outside! 41:20 Food did not taste good to Chris except for fruit and yogurt. 41:50 A positive memory and a reality check. 44:30 Chris's struggle with being in the ICU. 45:00 Regaining autonomy was everything when he was moved to the PCU. 45:50 Chris pushes to be discharged from the hospital. 46:20 Juggling family logistics once Chris was released but he had to stay close to the U of U. 48:30 Chris is getting stronger so the family was able to be back at home more. 49:00 What the 6 months entailed while Chris was staying in SLC. 50:30 Cardiac rehab 51:30 Chris advocates for more independence. 54:00 The mental health component. 57:50 It was good for Chris's healing journey to be away from home for those 6 months. 59:40 Chris references the movie, Animal House. 1:01:30 What does thriving mean? 1:02:00 What was the genetic mutation? FLNC. Filamin C. 1:03:00 Two family members have the gene and are receiving care. 1:03:50 University of Colorado has specialists for the FLNC gene. 1:04:40 The source of Chris's heart and navigating the choice of knowing the source. 1:07:00 Chris decided that he did not need to know what happened to the person that gifted him his heart. 1:08:00 Chris celebrates five years post transplant. Initially, he thought of his heart all of the time. He struggled in the first couple of years. Now, he is stable with medications and supplements. Now, he doesn't think about it at all. 1:10:00 How he gauges progress now. 1:12:30 Chris is released from mental therapy as he is doing well now. 1:13:30 Chris is done doing things he doesn't want to do. 1:15:00 Chris's advice to others waiting for a transplant. Think "long game." 1:17:30 Chris shares how he wants to see a shift in how doctors approach medical care. He shares what he'd rather hear from doctors. 1:20:00 Boots hopes this podcast can inspire the medical community to shift patient care to more supportive care. 1:21:30 Closing.