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I Have Congenital Heart Disease So I Created These Comics To Show What My Life Is Like (8 Pics)
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I Have Congenital Heart Disease So I Created These Comics To Show What My Life Is Like (8 Pics)

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Congenital Heart Disease is a heart disease that is present at or before birth. So in simple terms, you’re born with a bad heart. There are MANY variations of this disease and it is one of the leading birth defects. I had open-heart surgery when I was a few months old and had a pacemaker operation when I was 17.

I recently started making comics about my life with this illness. Featuring my heart, Brady. Brady is short for “Bradycardia” which is the medical term for a very slow heart rate which is one of the things that is wrong with my heart. This series shows all of the weird and strange things he does. Joking about daily frustrations and struggles I have when my heart doesn’t want to do its job.

I started this series to cope with my own situation through humor and art but to also teach people about an illness they might not know about. Thank you for reading!

More info: Facebook

Mornings

Mornings with a heart that doesn’t like to do its job goes about as well as you’d expect.

Transmissions

When you have a pacemaker there are things you have to get into the habit of doing. One thing is sending transmissions of your pacemaker to your cardiologist every other month. I am bad at this. Sorry.

To-Do List

Brady has one job. But he’d rather be a chaotic evil potato.

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Kind Of Works

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A lot of things about me fall into the category of “Kind Of.”
Are you an artist? Kind of. Are you okay? Kind of. Does your heart work? Kind of.

Behavior

Brady’s behavior seems to depend on the situation. Sometimes during my cardiologist appointments, he seems almost healthy.
Other times he is actively trying to implode.

Stairs

Climbing stairs feels like climbing a mountain when your heart wants to give out halfway up.
Also, the “We got this. We do not get this” is a whole mood for just how art school and college were in general.

Too Young

When you have an illness like CHD two of the most common things you’ll hear is “You’re too young” and “You don’t look sick”.
I need my pacemaker to get through life every day. When I got it put in my surgeon told me she once put a pacemaker into a two-year-old.
Heart disease does not care how old you are.

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More Than Enough

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This was a night during my freshman year of art school. I had a really bad CHD scare and contacted my friend. It was late but she still showed up.
I didn’t know what to do or what I wanted her to do. I just knew I didn’t want to be alone right then. She sat with me for as long as she needed to. It helped. A lot.
This isn’t just a CHD thing. If you want to help someone through something you don’t understand. CHD scares, depression, anxiety, episodes, panic attacks, or whatever else. Simply just being there is often more than enough.
It nice to know you aren’t alone when life gets scary.

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littlesaresare avatar
littlesaresare
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for making these. I have CHD (single ventricle) and no one understands beyond the assumption that I'm just unfit and lazy. There definitely needs to be more awareness and acceptance about it.

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I always used art to cope with my own condition. But realized I could use it to spread awareness and understanding to people who may not know about it. ❤️ I'm glad people have liked it.

Load More Replies...
243102 avatar
Little Dino
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

super cute and informational! I hope you continue to make more! :)

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you! Im glad you liked them! I'm planning on making more. (: I try to get a comic up every Friday. You can stay up to date with them on my Facebook page.

Load More Replies...
melkor669 avatar
Julian Restrepo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you so much for sharing. My wife was also born with a CHD, transposition of the great arteries, so I kind of understand how brave you must be and particularly making it fun through your drawings.

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm glad you enjoyed my comics! CHD is frustrating but I always liked dealing with it through art and humor. 😊

Load More Replies...
moonlight_bunni avatar
Tiffany Marie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The world is full of suffering.. It's really nice to see people take their suffering and turn it into something good that spreads awareness, joy and laughter. If more people did this we'd all be able to understand each other more and connect better. 💖 Keep doing what your doing! Your really great at it. 😊

sarahfox_1 avatar
Sarah Fox
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

these are really cute and funny, I love the drawing style :)

chrisdifonso avatar
Chris DiFonso
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm very sorry to hear about all the pain and challenges you face. I hope things get better for you.

gilwernovsky avatar
Gil Wernovsky
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these Open Heart Art. As practitioners, we must do our best to remain cognizant of the life-altering nature of CHD, and to advocate for mental, spiritual and cardiovascular health. I have shared your post with my department here at Children's National Hospital in Washington DC. Thank you Thank you thank you. Gil Wernovsky, MD

gilwernovsky avatar
Gil Wernovsky
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a pediatric cardiologist, these should be mandatory images to read, and learn, and integrate, during training. thank you for sharing them.

vampqueen1971 avatar
Melinda Jordan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for the comic. My late mother had CHD. We lost her right before lock down. This is what she went through. Thank you for making it very understandable.

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad my comics make what CHD is like more understandable though. Thank you for checking out my work.

Load More Replies...
vannguyen_3 avatar
Van Nguyen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The last one is touching and a very very useful advice. Even though I will never be able to understand what you go through, as I'm lucky to have everything functioning normally, but I've always doubted what I could do better than just being available and provide help when needed for my best friend who has symptoms of depression, and those last texts of your post really hit me. Thank you!

hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are so great. They really give people insight into your life without alienating or preaching or complaining... this is your everyday. I have a very different condition, but I find it really hard to not throw myself a pity party but also accept my limitations.

mirutzidona avatar
Miradona
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My best friend is in this situation, pacemaker, blood leaking from her heart... And this... this made me cry

littlesaresare avatar
littlesaresare
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for making these. I have CHD (single ventricle) and no one understands beyond the assumption that I'm just unfit and lazy. There definitely needs to be more awareness and acceptance about it.

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I always used art to cope with my own condition. But realized I could use it to spread awareness and understanding to people who may not know about it. ❤️ I'm glad people have liked it.

Load More Replies...
243102 avatar
Little Dino
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

super cute and informational! I hope you continue to make more! :)

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you! Im glad you liked them! I'm planning on making more. (: I try to get a comic up every Friday. You can stay up to date with them on my Facebook page.

Load More Replies...
melkor669 avatar
Julian Restrepo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you so much for sharing. My wife was also born with a CHD, transposition of the great arteries, so I kind of understand how brave you must be and particularly making it fun through your drawings.

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm glad you enjoyed my comics! CHD is frustrating but I always liked dealing with it through art and humor. 😊

Load More Replies...
moonlight_bunni avatar
Tiffany Marie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The world is full of suffering.. It's really nice to see people take their suffering and turn it into something good that spreads awareness, joy and laughter. If more people did this we'd all be able to understand each other more and connect better. 💖 Keep doing what your doing! Your really great at it. 😊

sarahfox_1 avatar
Sarah Fox
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

these are really cute and funny, I love the drawing style :)

chrisdifonso avatar
Chris DiFonso
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm very sorry to hear about all the pain and challenges you face. I hope things get better for you.

gilwernovsky avatar
Gil Wernovsky
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these Open Heart Art. As practitioners, we must do our best to remain cognizant of the life-altering nature of CHD, and to advocate for mental, spiritual and cardiovascular health. I have shared your post with my department here at Children's National Hospital in Washington DC. Thank you Thank you thank you. Gil Wernovsky, MD

gilwernovsky avatar
Gil Wernovsky
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a pediatric cardiologist, these should be mandatory images to read, and learn, and integrate, during training. thank you for sharing them.

vampqueen1971 avatar
Melinda Jordan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for the comic. My late mother had CHD. We lost her right before lock down. This is what she went through. Thank you for making it very understandable.

heartart avatar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad my comics make what CHD is like more understandable though. Thank you for checking out my work.

Load More Replies...
vannguyen_3 avatar
Van Nguyen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The last one is touching and a very very useful advice. Even though I will never be able to understand what you go through, as I'm lucky to have everything functioning normally, but I've always doubted what I could do better than just being available and provide help when needed for my best friend who has symptoms of depression, and those last texts of your post really hit me. Thank you!

hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are so great. They really give people insight into your life without alienating or preaching or complaining... this is your everyday. I have a very different condition, but I find it really hard to not throw myself a pity party but also accept my limitations.

mirutzidona avatar
Miradona
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My best friend is in this situation, pacemaker, blood leaking from her heart... And this... this made me cry

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