Jackie 00:11
Hey, hey, this is Jackie Tann, and welcome to the body’s built better podcast. On the show, we chat with experts, athletes, coaches and authors to educate and inspire you. We explore the body’s incredible ability to heal, adapt, and evolve so you could crush limitations reconnects your body and mind and discover your extraordinary potential.
Jackie 00:44
Today on the show, I chat with Kaylee, entrepreneur Ange Foster. I learned of Angela’s story this year at the start of the COVID restrictions around Australia. And if you met her at a gathering or bumped into her on the street, you’d never know that she has to take medication to keep her heart, doing its job. diagnosed with heart failure back in 2017, gave her a renewed outlook on life. She started a premium gift box business that helps other businesses showcase their products and get their name out to the public. She volunteers as a committee member on the heart Foundation’s supporting young hearts programme. And she has a full time job. Her story is so important. And she wants everyone to know that no matter what you’re dealing with, there is help and support for you. You are not alone. Be inspired by this incredible woman, Ange Foster. Ange thank you so much for chatting with me today.
Jackie 01:53
What people don’t know is that we only met e-met cyber met, whatever you want to say it, this year in the beginning of the year, because we both own a business. And we were looking to collaborate. And then COVID hit and I remember talking with you, and it was the time where I had just closed down or shut down my business temporarily. And and it was through that, that I began to learn your story. And more importantly, your health challenges, which is one of those things when you’re in a situation And you know, I remember thinking back then, and in my situation, I’d close down the business and I was pretty distraught. After talking with you, I’m like, well, holy shit. I mean, I’ve got my health I’m, I’m pretty good, like otherwise. And so I guess what I’m trying to say is, you’re an inspiration to me. And I think your story is a really important one to tell. So thank you for for sharing it with us today.
Jackie 03:14
So let’s kick this off. Can you give our audience or the audience a bit of background on you?
Ange 03:23
Sure. Well, firstly, thanks for having me on Jackie. I think it’s really important as part of my house journey, to hear from others and connect with others. So that’s why I’m so passionate about sharing my story. I guess it’s not so people, can have that oh shit moment where they go, Oh, poor Ange, I have had to deal with a lot. But you know, I share my story because I hope that it inspires others to face life head on, no matter what’s thrown their way. And we all have different curveballs thrown at us. And I reflect on when we met and hearing your story and the challenges that you were going through, particularly because we’re in different states. I’m in you know, Victoria here in Melbourne, you’re in South Australia. So it was really interesting to hear, from your perspective, what was happening in your world.
Ange 04:15
You know, I guess in terms of my health journey, it’s really been, gosh, I guess, over 10 years that I’ve been experiencing challenges with my health. So really, things sort of started to feel a lot better. I you know, I wasn’t on top of my health too much in my late 20s and right through to my late 30s. I’m now in my 40s but um, I guess it’s just been a really long road over those 10 years of discovering how to listen to my body and seeking help and making sure that I kep t going until I received diagnoses and was able to pinpoint what’s going on.
Ange 05:01
So yeah, over the last decade, I’ve had a lot to deal with, I have now three chronic health conditions. The first one I was diagnosed with, in my late 20s was hashimotos disease. So that’s an autoimmune disorder that affects your thyroid.Specifically, basically, your body attacks your thyroid, so it stops working. So it’s similar to how some people have type one diabetes, that’s also an autoimmune disorder where the pancreas stops producing insulin. So for me with the thyroid, basically, it stopped producing the hormones my body needed to operate and, and run itself, essentially.And the second diagnosis, I received the following that so about three or four years after that diagnosis, I was still feeling quite rundown and fatigued.And I had had a lot to deal with in my personal life as well.
Ange 06:04
And I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which is a really tricky kind of, I guess, condition. But mainly it’s fatigue and lack of being able to sleep for me that I found, and particularly a lot of pain and my muscles and bones and joints. So the way that that was diagnosed was basically a process of elimination. And there is no test definitive tests that you can really do for fibromyalgia, but I had sleep studies and blood tests, and I saw, you know, lots of specialists and spoke to my GP, and essentially, based on ruling out anything else and seeing a rheumatologist. to diagnose certain trigger points in my body, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and both of those conditions are treated with medication and lifestyle change. So I was going along pretty pretty well, all things considered. After that I had learned a lot about my body and how to look after myself. And, you know, in regular contact with my GP and my medical team, I guess, different specialists. And then the biggest surprise of all was when I was diagnosed with heart failure.
Ange 07:22
And that happened about actually, nearly three years ago to the day I was diagnosed, with heart failure, severe heart failure. So I was in hospital for a couple of weeks. Until all the tests around and like and the the team could figure out what’s going on. So that’s been my, my significant health curveball, I think so, you know, a lot has happened in the past three years as well.
Jackie, Ange 07:53
That’s, that’s Yeah, past three years and decade. But some, you know, it is it is part of who I am. But obviously, it doesn’t define who I am. And I think that’s a really important point that, you know, I do have challenges like everyone.
Ange 08:12
And those, I guess, the more formal health diagnosis I’ve received over the last 10 years. But also with that comes challenges with mental health, challenges with navigating the world around me my career, my family life.
Where to Find Ange:
Website: www.thelittlegiftloft.com.au
Instagram: @thelittlegiftloft
More on Ange : https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/blog/Cardiomyopathy-another-health-curveball-for-Ange
DISCOUNT CODE: Type LGL10 at The Little Gift Loft checkout to receive 10% off (Use by 31st December)
Get in touch: jackie@jackietann.com | @jackietann_rmt
