Before her surgery, Barb didn’t think much about her heart. Her blood pressure had always been on the low side, and her main focus was managing type 2 diabetes.
When her employer, LTI Lynden, sent an email offering a free Hello Heart monitor, she signed up—mostly to help manage her diabetes.
“I just wanted to make sure my blood pressure was okay,” she says. “It’s usually low, not high.”
Barb has worked at LTI Lynden for more than 20 years, managing equipment licensing and fleet permits. Her days start before sunrise—she’s often in the office by 6 a.m.—and by evening, she’s ready to rest. In warmer months, she and her husband love to get outside and go fishing.
But last spring, a sudden infection sent her to the hospital for two weeks. Barb had surgery and went home to recover. The doctors told her it would take time to get her strength back, but something felt off.
“I was so weak,” she says. “I just didn’t feel right. I knew something was wrong.”
Listening to the Signs
At first, she assumed the weakness and rapid heart rate were part of recovery. The hospital had told her she’d feel tired for a while. But as the days passed, she still didn’t feel any stronger.
So, she took her blood pressure using the Hello Heart monitor. Her reading was normal, but the app flagged an unusually high resting heart rate and suggested she contact her doctor.
“That’s when I knew it wasn’t just in my head,” Barb says. “Something really wasn’t right.”
Her Fitbit showed the same pattern. Her heart rate wasn’t dropping below 100, even when she was lying down.
Barb made an appointment with her doctor and he found multiple blood clots, including a large one in her lungs and others in her legs.
Her care team acted quickly. Barb returned to the hospital for treatment and spent six months on blood thinners while her body healed.
“It was scary,” she says. “I remember thinking, am I going to live? But I’m thankful that my company provided this tool that could alert me to something so serious.”
Learning to Trust Herself, and Her Tools
Today, Barb is off blood thinners and feeling great. She’s regained her strength, built back muscle, and enjoys getting outside again when the weather is warm. She still uses Hello Heart, though not every day.
“I check it as needed,” she says. “If I get a reminder or if I just don’t feel quite right, I’ll take a reading. It’s easy to use, and it’s nice to know it’s there.”
What she loves most isn’t just the simplicity—it’s the reassurance. Seeing her numbers brings her peace of mind.
“When you see the numbers and you know that it’s better, it just gives you more confidence,” she says. “Not only do I feel better, but I can see that I’m better.”
That visual confirmation matters. For someone who had never been seriously ill before, recovering from such a major health scare required rebuilding not just her strength, but her trust in her body.
Trusting Your Intuition
Barb encourages others to use Hello Heart as a trusted check-in, no matter how they feel.
“The thing is, it doesn’t hurt to check it,” she says. “If you have the capability to just look once in a while and make sure everything is okay—and especially if you don’t feel well—that’s really a reason to check.”
She also reminds others to trust what their body tells them. “You know your body,” Barb says. “If everyone’s saying you’re fine but something in the back of your mind says something’s wrong, listen to that. That’s what helped me.”
Peace of Mind, One Check at a Time
Barb doesn’t take her health—or her peace of mind—for granted. “I’m thankful,” she says softly. “I’m thankful that I had that monitor, and that my company provided it.”
Her experience is a reminder that you don’t have to wait for something to feel wrong to start paying attention. Understanding your heart health builds confidence, and one small check can make all the difference.
Trusting your instincts with tools like Hello Heart can turn uncertainty into peace of mind.
👉 Ready to understand your heart health? Open your Hello Heart app and take a quick reading today. Your next check-in could be the reassurance you need to feel confident and in control. Check your eligibility here.
👉 Looking to support heart health in your organization? Learn how Hello Heart makes it simple for employees to understand their numbers, build healthy habits, and take charge of their heart health.
1. Gazit T, Gutman M, Beatty AL. Assessment of Hypertension Control Among Adults Participating in a Mobile Technology Blood Pressure Self-management Program. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(10):e2127008, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.27008. Accessed October 19, 2022. (Some study authors are employed by Hello Heart. Because of the observational nature of the study, causal conclusions cannot be made. See additional important study limitations in the publication. This study showed that 108 participants with baseline blood pressure over 140/90 who had been enrolled in the program for 3 years and had application activity during weeks 148-163 were able to reduce their blood pressure by 21 mmHg using the Hello Heart program.) (2) Livongo Health, Inc. Form S-1 Registration Statement. https:/www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1639225/000119312519185159/d731249ds1.htm. Published June 28, 2019. Accessed October 19, 2022. (In a pilot study that lasted six weeks, individuals starting with a blood pressure of greater than 140/90 mmHg, on average, had a 10 mmHG reduction.) NOTE: This comparison is not based on a head-to-head study, and the difference in results may be due in part to different study protocols.
2. Validation Institute. 2021 Validation Report (Valid Through October 2022). https://validationinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hello_Heart-Savings-2021- Final.pdf. Published October 2021. Accessed October 19, 2022. (This analysis was commissioned by Hello Heart, which provided a summary report of self-fundedemployer client medical claims data for 203 Hello Heart users and 200 non-users from 2017-2020. Findings have not been subjected to peer review.)
