Change the Narrative

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I hardly think about heart failure at all. Especially in young people, check out the story below⬇ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160603072131.htm All transplant patients are exceptional, but Stan Larkin's successful heart transplant comes after living more than a year without a human heart and relying on a heart device he carried in a backpack. The first patient in Michigan ever discharged with a SynCardia temporary total artificial heart in 2014, Larkin was back at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center in May for a heart transplant. The surgery performed by Jonathan Haft, M.D., was a unique national triumph in efforts to replace the failing heart as heart disease grows and donor hearts remain scarce. "It was an emotional rollercoaster," Larkin, 25, said at a news conference when he described living with the total artificial heart that was implanted to keep him alive until a donor heart became available. "I got the transplant two weeks ago and I feel like I could take a jog as we speak. I want to thank the donor who gave themselves for me. I'd like to meet their family one day. Hopefully they'd want to meet me." Stan's older brother Dominique also relied on a TAH before a heart transplant in 2015. The brothers were diagnosed as teenagers with familial cardiomyopathy, a type of heart failure that can strike seemingly healthy people without warning. It's linked to a leading cause of sudden death among athletes. "They were both very, very ill when we first met them in our intensive care units," says Haft, associate professor of cardiac surgery. "We wanted to get them heart transplants, but we didn't think we had enough time. There's just something about their unique anatomic situation where other technology wasn't going to work." The temporary total artificial heart is used when both sides of the heart fail, and more common heart-supporting devices are not adequate to keep patients alive. Rather than stay in the hospital, Larkin used a wearable, 13.5 pound Freedom® portable driver to keep the artificial heart working..." #sciencestuffwithsteph #stem #medicine #perserverance #sciencedaily #universityofmichigan #podcast

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My biggest challenge in life is procrastination. I tend to over think things and it is so easy to over think the challenges. Then the challenges become excuses and then comes self-loathing. Rinse and repeat. I am working on just doing things and letting the chips fall where they will. I am reminding myself that life flies by. No regrets. I am planting something today with the hard dirt in my backyard. I think I will use a spoon to dig:) #urbangardening #livinginthemoment #livingwithms #endprocrastination #riseandshinemovement #sciencestuffwithsteph #self-love #personaldevelopment #growsomething #tvhost #podcast #doing #blackgirlmagic #naturalhair #blackgirlsrock #livelaughlove #random #ramblings

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160601112553.htm Rice University researchers who developed the first nanocars and colleagues at North Carolina State University found in recent tests that driving their vehicles in ambient conditions -- exposed to open air, rather than a vacuum -- got dicey after a time because the hydrophobic single-molecule cars stuck to the "road" and created what amounted to large speed bumps. The findings were reported in the American Chemical Society'sJournal of Physical Chemistry C. The work by Rice chemist James Tour, NC State analytical chemist Gufeng Wang and their colleagues came as Rice prepares to take part in the first NanoCar Race in Toulouse, France, in October. Rice researchers are members of one of five international teams that plan to enter the competition. Just like in the macro world, driving conditions are important for moving nanocars. Though the race will be run in an ultra-cold vacuum, the Rice researchers thought it wise to study how their latest model of nanocars would fare in a more natural setting. "Our long-term goal is to make nanomachines that operate in ambient environments," Tour said. "That's when they will show potential to become useful tools for medicine and bottom-up manufacturing." The newest generation of Rice nanocars features adamantane wheels that are slightly hydrophobic (water-repellent). Tour said some hydrophobicity is important to help keep the nanocars attached to a surface, but if the tires are too hydrophobic, the cars could become permanently immobilized. That is because hydrophobic things tend to stick together to minimize the amount of surface area that is in contact with water. Things that are hydrophilic, or water-liking, are more amenable to floating freely in water, Tour said. #sciencestuffwithsteph #sciencedaily #nanomechanics #hydrophobic #learnsomethingneweveryday #stem #nanocar #france #riceuniversity #tvhost #podcast #blackgirlmagic #blackgirlsrock #teachmesomething #tools

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My most peaceful moments are experienced in nature. When I breath and take in the serenity I can escape the worry and pain that runs deep through my mind With the sounds of birds and crickets I can momentarily forget all that haunts me. I am so grateful that life is bigger than humanity. When the anxiety sneaks in I thank God for life and pray for peace and love for my family. And on the best of days I lose myself in nature for hours and hours. It has been too long since I have had a day lost in the woods. So I just stop and take pictures on my phone. I am sending love and prayer from the depths of my soul to the people who need it today and beyond. Please take a moment to look at the clouds in the sky. The leaves on the trees and the ants meandering through their day.... Peace and love, Steph #nature #serenity #family #anxiety #love #life #humanity #pain #beauty #memoirs #sciencestuffwithsteph #blackgirlmagic #worldpeace

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Part 2 I should have gotten down harder on that pie! #vistastrawberryfestival #carefreeblackgirl #blackgirlmagic #sciencestuffwithsteph #memorialdayweekend

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Whenever I go to an art museum I just want to zone out and think about everything I see...but I always have someone with me. This piece is on display at @molaaart. I can totally relate. See the next post for more about the artist, Andreana Santo-How. #art #latinaart #identity #politics #psychology #immigrant #women #longbeach #artmuseum #sciencestuffwithsteph #colors #perspective

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Good morning ☀ apricot and almond butter sandwiches are divine✨✨ #cheap #yummy #eats #tuesday #blackgirlmagic #naturalhair #carefreeblackgirl #grateful #foodlove

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I am so grateful for this journey called #life. I feel like we all have potential to make this journey beautiful. Life takes you on so many tours. Some beautiful, ugly, tragic, violent, heroic, lost, humble and for me simple and peaceful is my zen. I want to live a rich, minimalist, curated, loving and giving life. Consuming less, creating and giving more. I strive to appreciate every moment and accept that change is constant. I am never stuck or cursed. Just living my best:) Happy Sunday😊😘 Peace Steph ☀😊 #blackgirlmagic #bodypositive #gratitude #carefreeblackgirl #buckletlist #minimalist #sciencestuffwithsteph #lifeisajourney #philosphy #ramblings #dtla #photoshoot #selflove

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Today was so nice ☀ making memories with my mini-me:) #carlsbad #art #mural

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Blurry fun with an old friend;) What a great night! @graphiteghost

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Yay! The room to myself for a selfie before it gets crowded haha:) It is my girl's birthday party. Dinner and club in Gaslamp. I will be way sweaty later haha:) #pinupgirlclothing #naturalhair #girlsnightout #blackgirlmagic

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So you know about that whole transfer of energy thing? "How is heat transferred? Heat can travel from one place to another in three ways: Conduction, Convection and Radiation. Both conduction and convection require matter to transfer heat. If there is a temperature difference between two systems heat will always find a way to transfer from the higher to lower system. That being said, be mindful. No cold water on hot glass, oil etc. Trust me😧 #thermodynamics #sciencestuffwithsteph #science #stem #naturalhair #blackgirlmagic #cooking #disaster #heat #tvhost #random

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Don't you hate when you get up on time...At around 4am.⏰..you do some chores. Make dinner and breakfast: apple pancakes, broiled Greek chicken, balsamic broccoli (is that how you spell it? 😉) Guacamole for later. Pat myself on the back. I am the Chopped Chef in the morning🍳🍎🍗🔪 Do a super quick workout, yay! I did it! Prepped and got pretty👏👏👏 Walked to the bus stop counting my blessings: Family and friends, love, health, hope, peace. Thinking to myself, "Today is going to be great!✨✨" When you look down and see that you are wearing your tights inside out... I have to do better, hah! 😯😓😉 #blackgirlmagic #humor #morningwalk #morning #morningroutine #thingsthatmakeyougohmm #humpday #wednesday #naturalhair #sciencestuffwithsteph

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I read the other day that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the #US. That is crazy! I thought we were doing better than that. But I guess having the most expensive healthcare costs in the world does not translate to the highest quality care. But one way to hopefully reduce the number of medical errors would be to use robots to perform most surgeries. The robots are especially equipped, never get tired, and are programed and supervised by the surgeon. Do you trust robots or do you prefer the human surgeon? Is there anything that you think we should save for human competence only? See more details in the articles below: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160504085309.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160504151855.htm #stem #robotics #surgery #biomechanical #biomedical #future #technews #sciencestuffwithsteph #science. #women #tvhost #sciencenews #blackgirlmagic #naturalhair #randomtalk #health #healthnews

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Heyyyy...funny story so...I had a photoshoot in February to celebrate going into remission. My #ms flare up was fading. I drove to LA by myself and I was kind of feeling myself after being bedridden for a month. I had my makeup done and took pictures down by the #lariver . It was cool, I had never been there before. A bunch of people were there filming a movie and other photoshoots. It was a day of victory for me. To be honest I did not like most of my pictures that day. And the post production experience with the photographer was horrid. Note to self, you get what you pay for for sure...But in that moment on that day, I felt hopeful about healing and doing bigger things. Life ain't always pretty but we livin'. Cheers to always pushing forward😉 Steph #naturalhair #pinupgirlclothing #blackgirlmagic #photoshoot #selflove #mslife #healing #optimist #women #multiplesclerosis #hope

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You know something? When I was a kid until the dawn of the #AMC show #TheWalkingDead, I was petrified by the concept of #zombies. It all started with the great film #Nightofthelivingdead, that movie haunted me with many nightmares. A part of me always thought, science could bring about zombies. And all the movies and stories were preparing the world for this reality. I know, it is crazy talk but tell that to the #preppers out there. They know what I am talking about😒 Now look what has happened! A company has patented the procedure for using stem cells to bring back dead brains. Scary! What do you think? Am I tripping? Is this just the pathway to a breakthrough in medicine or is this the beginning of the end? Serious stuff:) Check out the article below: http://www.iflscience.com/brain/biotech-company-use-stem-cells-reactivate-brains-dead #stemcells #bioscience #braindead #cheatingdeath #endoftimes #immortal #Blackgirlmagic #naturalhair #glasses #tvhost #writer #conversation #curiosity #sciencestuffwithsteph

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#venicebeach I was walking by wide eyed and smiling like the eager tourist that I am. I always feel so lucky to be in Venice Beach. I stopped to look at this piece near the boardwalk. I love it! Very majestic and #badass. I wish that I got the artist's tag. If you know who it is tag them below. Happy Friday! Peace, Steph #art #gorilla #sciencestuffwithsteph #mural #fun #LA #blackgirlmagic