COMMON ACHIEVEMENTS AND STRUGGLES

Below is a collection of our individual stories and how each of us have coped with challenges, and acheived, as well as our aims for the future. We are all different shapes, sizes, cultures. As adults with congenital heart conditions we have all struggled and survived many hurdles. Our common achievements include surviving the rigors and 'rules' of the school playground, the competitive nature of adolescence, and the demanding nature of tertiary education and /or work. We are taking up the challenge to establish ourselves as equal in the adult world of careers and household responsibilities.

Our common issues include communicating with people about our health. When to tell potential partners? What we have to tell our bosses and how this will affect our jobs? How to we communicate with doctors and receive as much information as we can? How to we make crucial decisions about our health and cope with disappointments? And there are also issues surrounding medication and new procedures.

Please read through our individual stories, remembering that these are personal renditions of our lives and for some people it has been difficult to write so openly. We ask for your sensitivity and that you share in our enthusiasm as we strive towards our goals.

If you would like to contribute your story, please email ACHC about email specifications. (Only for New Zealanders and Australians)