Chris Moll breaks his heart transplant journey into three two-week chunks with Boots. In particular, he takes walks us through the mental health aspect of organ transplant and how he sought out support while he waited for a donor heart and how he coped post transplant.
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


0:00 introduction
1:30 In the fall 2017, Chris noticed he began to struggle with fishing trips. Out of breath. He rationalized it, saying he's 50 now. But, then it got worse. Much worse.
3:00 He sees his general doctor who immediately sends him to a cardiologist.
3:30 The local cardiologist orders an echocardiogram and it shows Chris's heart was only functioning at 6%.
4:40 On February 17, 2018, Chris was admitted to the local Jackson, WY hospital and then transported to the University of Utah.
6:00 What was it like to hear your heart was not ok?
7:00 A month prior, Chris had had a virus that possibly was affecting his heart.
8:00 Once at U of U, Chris had genetic testing that would eventually lead to a genetic disorder affecting his heart.
8:30 What it's like to be on a life flight.
10:30 Chris is met by the entire heart failure team at U of U. This marks the first of three 2 week segments of his hospital stay.
12:00 How Chris handled the series of events.
14:00 Chris's heart wasn't improving. He needed a heart transplant.
18:00 Chris undergoes medical testing to ensure he can undergo a heart transplant.
19:00 Chris is officially placed on the transplant list. This is the middle two weeks of his hospital stay.
20:30 He shares his struggles as he waited for his new heart.
21:30 While he waited for an organ to save his own life, there had to be tradgedy elsewhere and that the hard emotional component of his journey.
22:40 How Chris's family coped.
26:00 Chris gets the news that a heart is available. Now he enters the 3rd two week period. Saturday, March 17.
29:30 Chris shares his mental strategy as the hours ticked down to the transplant.
31:00 It's normal to have a range of thoughts but the more you can focus on the future in a positive way, the better the outcome.
33:00 Boots shares her approach to her surgery.
34:30 Chris strikes up a conversation with the anesthesiologist.
35:00 The heart transplant took 6 hours.
35:50 Chris walked right after surgery!
36:30 The first couple of days post surgery.
38:30 He is extubated. "I lost a few days."
39:20 His first thought coming out of the haze, was he could finally breathe.
40:00 He was able to go outside!
41:20 Food did not taste good to Chris except for fruit and yogurt.
41:50 A positive memory and a reality check.
44:30 Chris's struggle with being in the ICU.
45:00 Regaining autonomy was everything when he was moved to the PCU.
45:50 Chris pushes to be discharged from the hospital.
46:20 Juggling family logistics once Chris was released but he had to stay close to the U of U.
48:30 Chris is getting stronger so the family was able to be back at home more.
49:00 What the 6 months entailed while Chris was staying in SLC.
50:30 Cardiac rehab
51:30 Chris advocates for more independence.
54:00 The mental health component.
57:50 It was good for Chris's healing journey to be away from home for those 6 months.
59:40 Chris references the movie, Animal House.
1:01:30 What does thriving mean?
1:02:00 What was the genetic mutation? FLNC. Filamin C.
1:03:00 Two family members have the gene and are receiving care.
1:03:50 University of Colorado has specialists for the FLNC gene.
1:04:40 The source of Chris's heart and navigating the choice of knowing the source.
1:07:00 Chris decided that he did not need to know what happened to the person that gifted him his heart.
1:08:00 Chris celebrates five years post transplant. Initially, he thought of his heart all of the time. He struggled in the first couple of years. Now, he is stable with medications and supplements. Now, he doesn't think about it at all.
1:10:00 How he gauges progress now.
1:12:30 Chris is released from mental therapy as he is doing well now.
1:13:30 Chris is done doing things he doesn't want to do.
1:15:00 Chris's advice to others waiting for a transplant. Think "long game."
1:17:30 Chris shares how he wants to see a shift in how doctors approach medical care. He shares what he'd rather hear from doctors.
1:20:00 Boots hopes this podcast can inspire the medical community to shift patient care to more supportive care.
1:21:30 Closing.