Essential knowledge for everything related to heart disease
Heart disease has been the number one killer in the United States for more than a century—and most of the time, it’s fueled by lifestyle choices we make every day.
In this episode, we break down what really happens inside your heart when plaque builds up, arteries harden, or blood flow gets blocked. You’ll learn how to recognize the early warning signs of coronary artery disease, the often-overlooked symptoms of heart attacks (especially in women), and why heart failure is a life-changing but manageable condition.
From chest pain and shortness of breath to daily habits that can protect your heart, we’ll cover practical strategies, medication essentials, and simple lifestyle changes that may help you live longer and better.
If you’ve ever wondered how to take control of your heart health—or how to help someone you love—you’ll want to listen to this episode.
In this Episode:
- 03:00 – Recipe of the Week – Spicy Chorizo Sliders
- 03:49 – Things I Never Document, by Nurse Krypton
- 07:07 – Understanding Heart Disease
- 09:51 – Coronary Artery Disease
- 10:48 – Symptoms of a Heart Attack for Men and Women
- 13:42 – How to Manage Heart Failure
- 20:38 – Film Review: Sketch, with Tim Hartman – An Uplifting Story About Family Coping with Grief
- 35:47 – Outro
Understand the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack can be very different for men vs women. If you think you are having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY. Call 911.
References:
- 7 Ways to Improve Your Heart Health – The New York Times
- Heart Disease: 8 Factors That Raise Your Risk – The New York Times
- Can we reduce vascular plaque buildup? – Harvard Health
- About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery | Heart Disease | CDCRE
Resources
- ASCVD Risk Estimator +
- Patients Guide : Heart Failure 2019
- Living With HF Guide | American Heart Association
- Sketch Movie Trailer: SKETCH | Final Trailer | In Theaters Aug 6 | Angel
- SKETCH (2025) | Official Website | Now Streaming on Angel
Related Podcasts for this Episode:
- S2E28: How to manage difficulty breathing in last hours of living
- S5E44: Staying Safe in the Winter Wonderland
- S5E26: Food as Medicine- How to Improve Health through the Right Diet
- S4E36-Are You Aging Well? Learn How to Make the Best of Your Golden Years
The Things I Never Document
Nurse Krypton, also known as Arowosegbe Obafemi David, is a registered nurse, content creator, and advocate for healthcare and nursing education. He founded the Krypton Initiative Team Foundation and the Nightingale Legacy Project, initiatives focused on community outreach and mentoring nursing students. He is also the author of “Nurse Krypton Chronicles,” a memoir about his nursing journey.
The Things I Never Document
By Nurse Krypton
They ask for notes.
Vitals. Medications. Interventions.
Blood pressure at 9:00 a.m.
Wound dressing changed at noon.
IV line flushed at 3:15 p.m.
But there is no box to tick for heartbreak.
No field for the minutes I stood
holding the hand of a man who had just lost his wife.
No template for the way I swallowed my own tears so he could fall apart in peace.
I charted her temperature, her oxygen, her pain score.
But not the way she smiled when I braided her hair, because she said it made her feel less like a patient, and more like a woman again.
There’s no line to write that I paused at the door, took a breath, whispered a prayer, and asked for the strength to stay gentle, even when I was breaking too.
I document the time I administered morphine, but not how I sat beside her afterward, listening to her talk about her late husband, while death hovered like a shadow in the corner of the room.
I sign off tasks.
Not moments.
Not the way a teenage boy let out a sob
the moment his mother’s monitor went flat.
Not the way I caught him before he hit the floor.
Not the way I stayed long after my shift ended, because no one should grieve alone.
The system asks for symptoms.
But it doesn’t ask for the stories.
The fears. The sacred silences.
The way I sometimes go home
carrying names I’ll never forget
and faces I still pray for in the dark.
Because nursing is more than procedures.
It is presence.
It is prayer.
It is a thousand little acts of love
that never make it into the report.
So if you ask what I do,
know this:
Yes, I take vitals.
Yes, I give meds.
But I also bear witness.
To life.
To death.
To pain.
To resilience.
I am a nurse.
And the truest parts of my work
will never be documented.
Film Review – Sketch
Tom Hartman joins us again to review another film called Sketch.
Recipe of the Week
This week we travel to Nevada where we pick up some spicy chorizo sliders. Get the recipe here from Cooks Well With Others.
https://blog.feedspot.com/palliative_care_podcasts/
Everyone Dies: and yes, it is normal!
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