About Andrea

Welcome to my site! First, I need to give you a little DISCLAIMER & Hold Harmless statement.

I am good at a lot of things, but I am not a medical professional. I shouldn’t have to say this, but that’s the world we live in. So here goes – one more time. I’m not a medical professional, and you really shouldn’t follow random people on the internet for your healthcare. This is my story, what works for me with advice from my doctors. I’m not here to tell you how to live your life. Seriously, I don’t have my life together. There’s no way I can hold yours together too. You are responsible for all the decisions you make, and you should consult your doctor before making any changes in your medications or major changes in diet or exercise. Along those lines, please don’t send me unsolicited advice. I don’t listen to random people on the internet. Feel free to discuss your experiences, but don’t tell me how to manage my health. There. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Now we can move on to all the fun stuff.

I’m a goofball! I love to have fun and make people laugh. My husband and I love to go camping, kayaking, hiking, and for long Jeep rides. We also love to eat, and our favorite hobby is to explore international grocery stores for new flavors and foods. Our only son has grown and flown the nest, so we got our precious Maggie (West Highland Terrier, aka a Westie) to replace him.

After spending more than a decade as a medical transcriptionist, I changed directions and went to work as a Special Education Instructional Assistant at a middle school. I’m currently in school to get my teaching license for Middle School Science (as if I don’t have enough going on already!). I also have an obsession with true crime, and started a podcast with a couple of friends talking about various cases. You can follow us at www.MorbidlyCaptivating.com or listen on most anywhere you find podcasts. Of course, we also have a Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channel for that content as well.

I was unexpectedly diagnosed at 42 with congestive heart failure. The doctors told me I had this condition, gave me some medicine, and said to go on a low sodium diet. But they didn’t tell me how to do that. They just pushed me out of the nest and said “Fly, baby bird!” So, I hurtled toward the ground and had to learn to fly. Having a heart condition is scary, because if it doesn’t work properly, you can die! But I have a lot of living to do. This website is all about my journey learning to manage my health. My hope is that others can learn from what I put together and don’t have to feel like they’re going it alone.