Yolanda Marshall is a survivor who is learning that a supportive health community can change your mind, body, and life. For Yolanda, the toll of heart disease has led her to experience several heart attacks, each one taking a significant physical and emotional toll. However, with the help of a new healthcare provider and the support of therapists and patient navigators, she is able to make better health decisions and live her life to the fullest.
“The moment I came to Community of Hope it felt familiar,” recalls Yolanda. “I met the doctors and nurses, and they were so friendly and really kind.” Here, Yolanda connected with her nurse practitioner, Akite Daniel, who Yolanda credits for helping her get her health back on track and manage her illness. After years of navigating heart disease, she feels like this is the first time a doctor cared about her as a person and spends time explaining healthy changes to incorporate into her everyday life.
One big shift is in her medication management. Yolanda has had many medications over the years and admittedly forgets which one she’s taken that day and which one she hasn’t. She and Akite worked together on a plan to make it easier to manage and adhere to her daily medication regimen. Now also, Yolanda has with a patient navigator who calls in-between visits to check on any needs that she may have.
As Yolanda started to work on her physical health, she was also referred to a counselor to work on emotional wellness. “What people don’t realize is when you go through devastating heart attacks, it starts to mess with your head,” says Yolanda. Through Akite, she got connected to her Community of Hope therapist, Renata Powell.
Yolanda is grateful for a space to work through her complex feelings after her heart attacks as recovering can be overwhelming as you try to understand what happened and what’s next. “Miss Renata lets me cry, curse, and scream if I need, but I never have to worry about feeling judged or mistreated,” says Yolanda.
Today, Yolanda is proud of herself and the progress she’s making and so are those in her health community. Akite says, “It’s been a pleasure to witness Ms. Marshall take charge if her health and overcome some real challenges. She’s learned a great deal about how to manage her conditions and I’m truly impressed with the progress she has made.”
With the support of her new health community, Yolanda feels like she’s starting a new chapter in life.
“Right now, I’m supposed to be dead, but now I have help to get my [blood pressure] numbers in order,” says Yolanda. “It makes a difference to have a doctor that genuinely cares about me and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
