Beyond The Chart is a space for the in-between moments — the ones that don’t fit neatly into clinic notes or inspiration posts. I’m a healthcare worker who knows what it’s like to hold a chart in one hand and a diagnosis in the other. This is where I share the honest reality of that experience, not to make it prettier or darker than it is. Just real.

What the Chart Says

I am diagnosed with VHL and Renel cell Carcinoma. My first surgery was at the age of 15. My mom passed away from complications of the same disease when I was three years old. Nine surgeries later, years of scans, peeing into cups and countless blood draws, I have learned how to let life exist alongside all of it. At the same time, I built a career in healthcare which changed the way I understood both patients and providers completely.

What the chart doesn’t show

I am a lover of the outdoors. Camping, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, anything that that takes effort to reach something beautiful. I don’t know if my love for nature was inherited the same way VHL was or if it was something I learned from hearing stories about my mom. My Grandma used to tell me how much my mom loved fishing and being outsides, those stories stayed with me. I always feel closer to her when I am outdoors.