If you are searching for a story of resilience, spiritual growth, and perseverance through prolonged hardship, this memoir invites you to keep going and trust that your story still matters. [Perhaps, use this P as a statement/charge/invitation above the rest of the description below?] Kelly Portillo's Chronic Overcomer is memoir is of faith, hope, perseverance, healing, and redemption that spans almost three decades. Her health saga began at age thirteen when she was misdiagnosed with anxiety. After six years of not knowing what was ailing her, she underwent multiple surgeries to address her heart problem and other medical conditions – all while navigating other tragedies that caused her grief and sorrow. Several near-death episodes later, she finally received the correct diagnosis: a myocardial bridge. She looked it up on the internet. Myocardial bridge was a congenital heart defect in which a major branch of the left coronary artery has tunneled through the heart muscle rather than lying on top. Every time the heart beats, the artery gets squeezed, causing a reduction of blood flow to the heart. The author emphasizes the importance of patient advocacy to obtain necessary medical treatment and reveals how she navigated the bureaucracy surrounding health insurance, so she could tackle the root cause of her health problems. Her faith in the Lord gave her the fortitude to persevere through every step of her journey. She reminds readers that faith can pervade even when circumstances seem bleak.
