Boots interviews Rob Thornett, a former myocardial bridge patient. They swap stories about their heart surgeries, lessons learned, struggles, and triumphs. This episode is for anyone struggling for any reason. You don't have to go through life alone. There's likely a social media site support group for whatever issue you are struggling with.
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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