“I have FH, FH doesn’t have me!”

Fran Emmolo Gamella is a young mother of two living with Familial Hypercholesterolemia. She was diagnosed with FH in her mid-20s but it wasn’t until she had a heart attack at age 31 that she became really serious about her medical care. Her six-year-old daughter has also been diagnosed with FH. Fran works as a Medical Assistant in a primary care practice setting and is passionate about raising awareness for FH. LDL of >190— definitely get it checked out! Story Reference Points: Fran’s diagnosis with FH in her mid-20s… and her 6yo daughter’s diagnosis @ 1:52 So…. what is FH? @ 7:49 23andme and FH testing @ 11:28 Misperceptions of what it “looks like” to have high cholesterol @ 13:55 Fran on being a non-compliant or “bad” patient @ 16:55 Fran’s heart attack… and her denial of the symptoms @ 18:30 Adjusting to what it takes to live a healthy life with FH @ 22:40 Challenges of insurance coverage @ 25:34 Links and Resources The FH Foundation Connect with the FH Foundation on Social Media: The FH Foundation on Twitter: @TheFHFoundation The FH Foundation on Instagram: @fhfoundation The FH Foundation on Facebook Grey Genetics News Corner blog post: Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Screening, diagnosis and management of pediatric and adult patients. National Lipid Association. 2011. Grey Genetics News Corner blog post: What can 23andMe results tell you about your cholesterol-related risks? Listen to a previous Patient Stories Podcast with Colleen McCready: Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The Symptomless Sickness Check out other Patient Stories podcast episodes. Read other Patient Stories on the Grey Genetics Patient Stories Page Do you want to support Patient Stories? You can now make a donation online! Want to support Patient Stories in a non-monetary way? Leave us a review on iTunes, or share your favorite episodes on Social Media. Patient Stories on Twitter: @GreyGeneticsPod Patient Stories on Instagram: @patientstoriespodcast Are you looking for genetic counseling? Patient Stories is sponsored by Grey Genetics, an independent telehealth genetic counseling and consulting company. Book an appointment with a genetic counselor specialized in your area of concern. Choose from our growing Network of Genetic Counselors. All genetic counseling appointments take place over secure, HIPAA-compliant video-conferencing or by phone. To see a list of genetic counselors who specialize in cardiovascular genetics, visit https://greygenetics.as.me/cardiovascular