Djara Walgien, a fellow heart warrior from the Netherlands, who not only survived a cardiac arrest but also battled cancer a decade ago, endured a sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep after discovering his heart condition just 3 months prior. Luckily, his wife was there with him to save him—along with plenty of other people who soon came to his aid.____🧡Get Involved - Support The Heart Warrior Project🧡Note that The Heart Warrior Project is run by one guy, which is yes, me (Jellis Vaes). In between work, studies at university, and just life, I try to squeeze in some time almost every day to work on this project. This project takes a lot of work, as I genuinely want to deliver high-quality and helpful content for survivors here. And I do it with a lot of love every day. However, help is always appreciated. If you have found any insights, lessons, or support from this or any other episode, and you’d like to support the project, we have a couple of ways to do so.We offer some ⁠awesome-looking merch⁠, such as T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs, with different designs that I personally love wearing/using myself. If you aren’t interested in any merch but still want to support the project, we also ⁠accept donations⁠.You can find more information here:⁠ https://heartwarriorproject.com/getinvolved/____Timestamps
00:00 - 02:29 Intro02:30 - 04:33 The benefits of a positive attitude 04:33 - 09:56 The story of Djara’s dilated cardiomyopathy diagnosis and his cardiac arrest09:57 - 16:44 The Dutch healthcare system: how it impacted Djara’s survival and care plan16:45 - 20:06 Djara’s ICD: how it works for him and how he feels about it20:07 - 26:46 Djara’s recovery process: physical and mental help and struggles26:47 - 29:20 Coping with an incurable condition: Djara’s perspective as a cancer survivor29:21 - 31:00 Cancer awareness versus cardiac health awareness31:01 - 34:49 The current treatment for Djara’s heart condition: types of medication and their daily impact34:50 - 36:23 Support the Heart Warrior Project36:24 - 42:40 The biggest challenges after the cardiac arrest: changes, uncertainty and restrictions42:41 - 44:44 Dealing with cancer and a cardiac arrest: mindset and having meaning44:45 - 46:31 How Djara involves his kids in the conversation about his cardiac arrest and ICD46:32 - 51:58 What Djara wishes he had learnt sooner: annoying ICD sensations and changing the device’s settings51:59 - 55:50 Getting an ICD shock: Jellis shares his experience and answers Djara’s questions 55:51 - 57:24 What helps Djara cope57:25 - 1:02:14 Current challenges1:02:15 - 1:06:53 Djara’s advice to other survivors 1:06:54 - 1:07:56 Outro1:07:57 - 1:09:07 Support the Heart Warrior Project