The CHC Podcast

About The CHC Podcast

The CHC Podcast: Congenital Heart Conversations is a podcast for and by the CHD community. Hosted by heart mom Anna Jaworski and The CHC Podcast Team, they will talk with people about a variety of topics of interest when living with a life-threatening chronic illness. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

Publisher

Anna Jaworski

Category

health & fitness · kids & family · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Feb 2023

Latest episode

31 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

46 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Oct 2026

   Hot Flashes and Heartbeats: Menopause in the CHD Community

   (00:00:00) Listener Advisory (00:01:40) Meet The Hosts And Guests (00:04:00) Menopause Is Not Only For Women (00:05:51) Heart Risks And Symptom Mix Ups (00:12:54) Treatment Options And Hormone Therapy (00:16:43) Making Clinics Safer For Everyone (00:19:07) HUG Message (00:20:04) Audience Question On Estrogen For Trans Women (00:25:04) How Do You Know It Started (00:36:44) Producer Reflections and Inclusive Language Takeaways (00:47:54) Safety Reminders, Key Advice, And Closing Hot flashes that feel like a cardiac emergency. Palpitations that spark old fears. Mood swings and insomnia that get dismissed as “stress” or “you’re too young.” When you live with congenital heart disease or an acquired heart condition, perimenopause and menopause can hit differently, and the uncertainty can be exhausting. We sit down with longtime CHD clinician Disty Pearson and CHC volunteer Ayrton Beatty to make the hormonal transition clearer, safer, and a lot less isolating. We dig into the real overlap between menopause symptoms and heart symptoms, including night sweats that can be mistaken for infection, hormone-driven palpitations, rising blood pressure, cholesterol shifts, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea risk, and the body composition changes many of us notice even when we are “doing everything right.” We also get practical about what helps: strength training and aerobic exercise, stress reduction, CBT for mood and sleep, nutrition strategies, and how to think about menopausal hormone therapy and local estrogen options when you have a complex cardiac history or long QT concerns. Just as important, we challenge the idea that menopause is only a women’s health topic. Non-binary and transgender people need accurate information and respectful care too, and we talk about inclusive language, clinic systems that normalize pronouns and names, and how to stop assumptions from blocking good medicine. If you have ever felt brushed off because of your age, anatomy, or identity, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more congenital heart conversations, share this with someone navigating hormone changes and heart health, and leave a review with the symptom or question you want us to tackle next. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   The Emotional and Mental Health Aspect of a Late CHD Diagnosis Episode

   (00:00:00) Healthy Until Suddenly Not (00:00:16) Welcome And The Emotional Aftermath (00:01:01) Remembering Belen Blanton Your body can be giving you signals for years, and then one test changes everything. We’re talking about the emotional and mental health impact of receiving a heart diagnosis later in life, or learning that the condition you thought you had was never the full story. We also take a moment to honor Belen Blanton, a beloved advocate and friend of our heart community, whose legacy of service and openness continues to shape these conversations. We hear three very different paths to answers. Heidi Scoggins goes from a routine appointment to a life-altering discovery: a heart murmur leads to a diagnosis of PAPVR and an atrial septal defect, and suddenly, open-heart surgery is on the calendar. Jeff Holden, an avid cyclist, lives through heart attack symptoms, a myocardial infarction, and the confusion of “no blockage” before finally learning he has a symptomatic myocardial bridge. Jackie Renfrow shares a heartbreaking family story where seizures and sudden deaths were long believed to be epilepsy until an ECG revealed Long QT syndrome, unlocking both grief and a way to protect the next generation. Along the way, we talk honestly about fear before surgery, medical trauma, survivor’s guilt, the frustration of being dismissed, and the practical power of advocacy. If you’ve ever felt like you “shouldn’t” be sick, or you’ve struggled to get a clinician to connect the dots, you’re not alone. Listen, share this with someone who needs it, and please subscribe and leave a review so more families can find these stories when they’re searching for answers. Jeff's Podcast, Imperfect Heart: https://www.myimperfectheart.com/ Jeff's book: https://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-Heart-Stories-Myocardial-Bridges-ebook/dp/B0DZ6Z4Y2J/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Strength in Vulnerability: CHD Patients Turn Caregivers

   (00:00:00) Strength in Vulnerability: CHD Patients Turn Caregivers (00:00:05) Intro & Guest Introductions (00:03:11) Donna: From Patient to Parent-Caregiver (00:05:04) Dillon: Fatherhood & Jackson's Diagnosis (00:06:03) Karen: Caring for Two with Parkinson's (00:07:35) Balancing Own Health with Caregiving (00:11:53) Karen's Medical Advocacy: The Decision Tree (00:14:53) Does Patient Experience Help or Hurt as Caregiver? (00:20:15) What Healthcare Teams Should Understand (00:24:41) Advice for CHD Adults Becoming Caregivers (00:31:42) Audience Q&A: Having Children with CHD (00:37:16) UK Healthcare Challenges & Annie's Caregiver Journey (00:40:06) Generational Progress in Cardiac Care (00:42:31) Frank Jaworski: A Healthcare Professional's Perspective (00:45:00) Co-Producer Reflections (00:54:44) Biggest Takeaways & Closing The day you realise you’re booking more appointments for someone you love than for your own heart can feel like crossing an invisible line. We sit with that role reversal and get specific about what it looks like when adults with congenital heart disease become caregivers while still managing lifelong cardiac care, including adult congenital heart disease follow-up, medications, fatigue, and the mental load that never really shuts off. We’re joined by Donna Giles, who lives with a complex single ventricle and Fontan circulation while advocating for her two adult children with cerebral palsy, and she shares the slow shift from “parent” to “carer,” plus the hard work of letting a care team step in. Dillon Wheatley, a CHD survivor and father, walks us through the heartbreak of a prenatal diagnosis, the terror of newborn open heart surgery, and how hands-on hospital education made home care possible. Karen Krymski reflects on years of caregiving for loved ones with Parkinson’s disease, the discipline of medication management and speaking up, and what happens when grief and stress collide with congestive heart failure risk. Across their stories, we keep coming back to caregiver burnout, advocacy, emotional intelligence in healthcare, and the single best piece of advice: don’t try to walk this road alone. If you’ve ever been the patient and the caregiver, you’ll hear your own thoughts out loud, and you’ll leave with practical language for asking for support. Subscribe, share this with someone who’s carrying a lot, and leave a review so more CHD families can find these conversations. Here is the link to Dillon Wheatley's book (https://a.co/d/0dREUnCp) Here’s Donna’s Substack (https://substack.com/@donnagiles?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8cg96)--Life and Other Stories Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chc-podcast-congenital-heart-chronicles--5779157/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

Who has been a guest on The CHC Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Shaun Jones
• Joe Flowers
• Frank Jaworski
• Amy Erhart
• Meagan Houpt

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

47

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60