Multiple stents, open-heart surgery and "biohacking" for a healthy heart

Explicit content warning

02/28/23 • 41 min

Michelle Sheely shares her story of three stents and open-heart surgery for myocardial bridging of her LAD. She also shares about WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Boots and Michelle's conversation focuses on advocacy as well as the effect of hormones on the heart. Thank you for listening!

0:00 intro

1:50 Michelle shares her story of suffering and how she advocated for herself to get help with several stents put in place.

3:30 She changed her diet and lifestyle.

3:55 She has a cardiac ablation.

4:30 She is back in the ER and learns she has a myocardial bridge.

5:00 Michelle meets with Dr. Schnittger at Stanford and fiercely advocates for herself.

6:20 Self advocacy is so important especially in women.

7:00 Michelle has unroofing surgery. Her recovery has been difficult and stressful.

9:00 Reflecting on when she was young versus now.

9:40 Using social media for advocacy.

10:15 Why it can take so long to get heart surgery.

14:00 Medication is working now but it was a journey to get here.

16:00 Hormones were playing a role. She is "biohacking" her way through it.

18:00 There just isn't enough knowledge about myocardial bridges.

18:30 Various non-heart medications were causing Michelle's vasospasms.

19:20 "Western medicine will save me; Eastern medicine will sustain me."

22:40 Boots asks about those with heart issues who do not know how to advocate for him/herself.

26:00 Women, we are the authorities of our own bodies.

27:00 Read your own doctor's notes on your health portal!

28:30 It is ok to fire your doctor!

29:00 Doctors respond to data, not feelings.

31:00 Vasospasms aren't just related to the heart but related to the biochemistry of the body.

31:30 Michelle has worked to retrain her body and is seeking support.

33:00 Finding support is so important.

34:00 Michelle explains what WomenHeart is, her role and how to connect.

39:00 How Michelle's heart disease has affected her daughter and the importance of mental health therapy for the child(ren).

Website: The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

Transcript: Joyful Beat | The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

The Heart Chamber (@theheartchamberpodcast)

Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. Michael Moeri - Audio Editor, Podcast Producer and Marketing Director

Thanks to Denise Hardy for your support and believing in me. linkedin.com/in/denise-hardy-30a51086

0:00 intro

1:50 Michelle shares her story of suffering and how she advocated for herself to get help with several stents put in place.

3:30 She changed her diet and lifestyle.

3:55 She has a cardiac ablation.

4:30 She is back in the ER and learns she has a myocardial bridge.

5:00 Michelle meets with Dr. Schnittger at Stanford and fiercely advocates for herself.

6:20 Self advocacy is so important especially in women.

7:00 Michelle has unroofing surgery. Her recovery has been difficult and stressful.

9:00 Reflecting on when she was young versus now.

9:40 Using social media for advocacy.

10:15 Why it can take so long to get heart surgery.

14:00 Medication is working now but it was a journey to get here.

16:00 Hormones were playing a role. She is "biohacking" her way through it.

18:00 There just isn't enough knowledge about myocardial bridges.

18:30 Various non-heart medications were causing Michelle's vasospasms.

19:20 "Western medicine will save me; Eastern medicine will sustain me."

22:40 Boots asks about those with heart issues who do not know how to advocate for him/herself.

26:00 Women, we are the authorities of our own bodies.

27:00 Read your own doctor's notes on your health portal!

28:30 It is ok to fire your doctor!

29:00 Doctors respond to data, not feelings.

31:00 Vasospasms aren't just related to the heart but related to the biochemistry of the body.

31:30 Michelle has worked to retrain her body and is seeking support.

33:00 Finding support is so important.

34:00 Michelle explains what WomenHeart is, her role and how to connect.

39:00 How Michelle's heart disease has affected her daughter and the importance of mental health therapy for the child(ren).

Website: The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

Transcript: Joyful Beat | The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

The Heart Chamber (@theheartchamberpodcast)

Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. Michael Moeri - Audio Editor, Podcast Producer and Marketing Director

Thanks to Denise Hardy for your support and believing in me. linkedin.com/in/denise-hardy-30a51086

Previous Episode

The Hidden Battle: Myocardial Bridging, Misdiagnosis, and Redemption

#6 What happens when your heart doesn't perform as it should, and the answer isn't clear? In this episode, Rob Thornett reveals his fight against an elusive heart condition, his eventual lifesaving surgery, and the aftermath. He and Boots Knighton discuss the steep learning curve with medical terminologies, the power of patient advocacy, and the unspoken toll of being misdiagnosed. Rob also uncovers fascinating insights about the genetic links of myocardial bridge conditions and the remarkable role of Facebook support groups. Experience their stories of recovery, resilience, and the community's role in healing.

Website: The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

Transcript: Joyful Beat | The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

The Heart Chamber (@theheartchamberpodcast)

Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. Michael Moeri - Audio Editor, Podcast Producer and Marketing Director

Thanks to Denise Hardy for your support and believing in me. linkedin.com/in/denise-hardy-30a51086

Music by AudioCoffee

0:00 intro

1:30 Boots explains her reason for bringing Rob onto the Podcast.

2:10 Rob summarizes Boots's story and how they came to know each other.

2:50 Rob tells us about his teaching career and how he always had a nagging "issue" and how many of us Heart Warriors are told we have anxiety

4:20 Rob dives right into the myths of myocardial bridges

6:00 Then, while in China, he began to really struggle

7:40 He rattles through the various ER visits

8:10 He begs for a heart CT and offers to pay in cash at a rural Chinese hospital

9:15 Rob notices there is "note" on the Chinese CT report and pushes for translation

11:10 Rob finds himself infront of a Chinese hospital wondering what to do now with the knowledge that he had a myocardial bridge

12:45 No one found Rob's myocardial bridge in the United States and often patients in the US are not told that myocardial bridges are found

14:00 Boots emphasizs the importance of reading your own doctor's reports after doctor visits

15:00 Rob gets to work trying to find someone in the US to help him

16:00 Stanford is the main team in the US for myocardial bridging

17:30 Rob walks us through how he got insurance back in the States

18:00 Boots shares which arteries were bridged on her heart

20:30 Rob explains the holding pattern he entered as he waited

21:30 Rob begins to deteriorate even as he taught school

23:00 As Rob waits for Stanford, he unsuccessfully pursues robotic surgery

28:00 Side story: Rob shares stories of other patients experiencing the issues with getting diagnosed properly

28:00 Rob finally had surgery at Stanford and walks us through the process

32:10 Boots shares her surgery process during Covid

40:00 Rob goes into the Facebook support group for myocardial bridging

42:30 Boots reflects on getting to wake up every day

44:00 Rob goes back to work after surgery 17 days after surgery!

47:00 Doctors who are doing robotic surgery now with success that have been shared on the Facebook site

49:00 Do not let a doctor do a bypass on your bridge!

52:00 Six months post op until present day

52:30 Endothelial dysfunction explained and how it takes time to heal

55:00 Boots reflects on walking the day after surgery as well as her recovery

57:00 Boots has been in a master class of learning how to listen to her heart

58:40 Mayo would not have unroofed Boots and she pushed back

1:00 Boots feels she's on bonus time

1:02 Rob explains Lipoprotein A and how it affects arteries

1:04 EECP to help expand arteries to stimulate their growth to treat endothelial dysfunction

1:08 The role of social media in saving Boots's life as well as so many others

1:11 Rob's role on the Facebook group site

1:18 Boots talks about the importance of validation and knowing we are not alone

1:25 Stanford believes that myocardial bridging is congenital

Next Episode

Overcome Open-Heart Surgery Challenges: Tools and Techniques for a Successful Recovery

#8 Boots Knighton has a candid conversation with Kari Potter on how Reiki, sound healing, and acupressure helped Boots remain calm in preparation for open-heart surgery as well as how it helped her process her grief when she learned she had been born with several congenital defects. Kari uses Suzanne, Boots's first name, to refer to Boots throughout the episode.

Website: The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

Transcript: Joyful Beat | The Heart Chamber (theheartchamberpodcast.com)

The Heart Chamber (@theheartchamberpodcast)

Thanks to Michael Moeri for being my right hand man. Michael Moeri - Audio Editor, Podcast Producer and Marketing Director

Thanks to Denise Hardy for your support and believing in me. linkedin.com/in/denise-hardy-30a51086

Music by AudioCoffee

Show notes

1:20 How Boots came to know Kari.

2:30 Boots’s “why” for today’s episode with Kari.

3:00 Kari shares the birth of Greenhouse Yoga and the benefits of what she and her husband bring to their practice each day.

5:30 Boots’s experience during a Sound Bath at Greenhouse Yoga.

6:20 Kari explains what Sound Baths do to the body and why it is so beneficial.

7:00 The parasympathetic nervous system and how Kari supported Boots in preparation for her open-heart surgery.

9:00 What is Reiki and how Boots was buoyed by it.

12:00 Boots was not feeling safe in her body waiting for heart surgery but Kari was able to help her calm her nervous system.

13:30 Distance energy work - what is it and how Kari used it to support Boots post open-heart surgery.

14:30 If listeners struggle with the word “intention,” substitute in the word “prayer.”

15:30 Since heart surgery, Boots feels as if she is a barometer now.

16:50 Kari offers the idea that we all have superpowers to heal ourselves and shares several ways to help yourself.

17:30 How to calm the nervous system through several simple exercises (acupressure points) you can do anywhere (while driving, in the hospital, waiting in a doctor’s office, at work). These exercises can help you get to sleep or calm you when you find yourself stressed from a conversation or while sitting in traffic.

21:40 Boots shares that the most difficult part of her heart journey were the medical bills and dealing with health insurance and how these exercises calmed her down.

22:30 The meridians in the body and our ability to work with them to support the body.

23:30 Working with the heart meridian.

27:40 Boots stresses the importance of visualization in preparation for heart surgery.

29:20 Kari talks about strengthening the spirit and what that means.

32:20 Everytime we go through a tough experience, layers of ourselves that aren’t true are stripped away.

33:00 Boots had to grieve that her body was broken and how she came to the other side of surgery and is able to reflect on one of the “best weeks of her life.”

36:00 Surgery does not have to be awful.

37:00 Kari met Boots wherever she was in her emotions pre-surgery.

38:00 Where emotions are stored in the body and how emotions affect the heart.

39:00 How grief protects us and our hearts.

40:30 Boots laments the toxic positivity culture and how it harms us and uses skiing as an analogy.

41:30 Kari shares two more acupressure points to clear grief for the heart.

42:30 Boots lacked the courage to feel grief.

44:20 Kari gently leads Boots into supporting herself to feel grief. This was profoundly powerful for Boots.

47:40 Boots has made peace with her heart journey with support from these practices.

49:20 How we can use our own sound to move energy and emotion.

52:40 Boots dares you to make your heart journey joy-filled.

53:30 Boots stresses that she needed a large and diverse team to help her heal. You can’t just do a little cardiac rehab and think all will be well. Be an extraordinary heart patient.

Open Heart Surgery with Boots - Multiple stents, open-heart surgery and "biohacking" for a healthy heart

Transcript

We feel it is important to have podcast transcripts available for accessibility.

This transcript was part of a portfolio of work that transitioned with this podcast when it joined our network. It has not been reviewed by our staff and may not match the formatting or standards of other episodes. If you find an error in the transcription, or if you would like to use a quote, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Boots Knighton: [00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to another episo