“Your heart is not pumping like it should,” the cardiologist said. “You’re in heart failure. It’s amazing that you’re running at all.”

He said her ejection fraction was at 20%, meaning 80% of her blood stayed in the heart’s ventricle instead of pumping through her body.

“Do you want me to start running less?” she asked. “Like maybe 5 miles?”

“No running at all,” he ordered…

Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.