A different shaped heart conversations about disability awareness

Win Charles

Welcome to A different shaped heart conversations about being awesome with a disability and raising awareness at the same time and absolutely Yes sometimes you have to say F…..CK you to your own mindset and especially your disability! 

  1. 3D AGO

    Chocolate Cake Tried To Kill Me, But Insurance Might Finish The Job

    Send us a text A single bite changed everything. What began as a straightforward recovery from hip and hamstring surgeries veered into aspiration pneumonia, a fight for air, and a crash course in medical advocacy. We walk you through the minute-by-minute reality: the warning signs that were missed, the plea for intubation that took too long to land, and the moment a routine anesthesia choice nearly collided with a known allergy. It’s unvarnished, emotional, and grounded in practical takeaways you can use if you or someone you love ever faces a similar crisis. We open up about how a caregiver’s voice can cut through chaos when yours won’t, why documenting allergies and repeating them matters, and how to handle transfers when hospitals are out of ICU beds. From the suction that cleared thick mucus to the sedation that fogged memory, we share the clinical steps alongside the human ones—staying calm, asking direct questions, and pushing for the right level of care. You’ll hear how our aides balanced fear and focus, how a medical liaison showed up before sunrise, and how community support steadied the ground under our feet. Then we turn to rehab reality: a heavy cast, energy budgeting, and building a plan that integrates physical therapy and occupational therapy when insurance only funds so much. We map out practical strategies for continuity of care, including choosing facilities that fit your needs, pacing progress to protect surgical gains, and preparing for the first days back home. If you’ve navigated disability, chronic illness, or complex post-op care, you’ll recognize the small victories and the stubborn barriers. If you haven’t, consider this a guide to speaking up, writing things down, and not apologizing for persistence. If this story resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s advocating inside the system, and leave a review with your best tip for surviving hospital chaos. Your words help others breathe a little easier. Subscribe and stay with us as we work our way back home. Support the show

    14 min
  2. JAN 7

    What If Recovery Is The Moment I Find Myself Again

    Send us a text The countdown is real: I’m heading into a total hip replacement on Monday, and I’m bringing you into the plan, the fear, and the hope. After months of pain and a stubborn leg pulled up by CP tone, the goal is simple but big—get this leg to drop straight and make sitting, standing, and moving a whole lot more human again. I talk through what the surgery involves, why a titanium joint could change everything, and how we’re preparing for the curveballs that come with cerebral palsy. I share the practical details that matter when your body doesn’t follow the manual: bracing if the leg needs guidance, sleeves to protect skin, and a pain plan that avoids an anesthesia that once sent me to the ICU. There’s a real chance of six weeks in braces, and an equally real chance we skip them if the alignment holds. Either way, I’ve lined up outpatient PT with a team that knows hip replacements and CP, because consistency, careful weight‑bearing, and smart pacing are the path to progress. Beyond the operating room, this is about rebuilding life. I’ve set targets to return to work and school by mid‑January, with podcasting back on the horizon as soon as the body allows. I also talk honestly about the emotional toll—months in bed, the frustration of dependence, and the messy moments that happen when pain piles up. You’ll hear how I’m documenting recovery with before‑and‑after photos, planning transport, and leaning on community to keep me grounded and accountable. If you’ve faced surgery, CP spasticity, or just a long season of waiting, this conversation will feel like a hand on your shoulder. Stick around for updates, share your recovery tips, and send some strength my way. If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need a little hope today. Support the show

    16 min
  3. 12/09/2025

    We Map A Hip Replacement Journey While Laying Out A Bold Plan For Dual Degrees And A Counseling Future

    Send us a text A fall on a birthday changed everything—and sparked a plan that’s equal parts grit and vision. We open up about living with a hip 50% out of its socket, the decision to move forward with replacement surgery, and the systems we’re putting in place to make recovery sustainable. From pre-op countdowns and pain management to the day-by-day updates we’ll record after surgery, you’ll hear how structure, community, and honest storytelling turn fear into forward motion. At the same time, we lay out a big academic move: stepping back from work through spring to pursue counseling at Grand Canyon University and reviving a path in fashion communications and styling at the Academy of Art. The cornerstone is inclusion—building disability-forward styling that respects braces and mobility aids, designs for seated wear, simplifies closures, and still looks sharp and personal. We talk about why counseling pairs with fashion: the goal is confidence, self-advocacy, and safety, delivered through practical design and empathetic care. We also get candid about accessibility in higher education: requesting accommodations, managing timelines around PT and recovery, and navigating FAFSA and student loans without losing momentum. There’s no sugarcoating the friction between disability and college bureaucracy, but there’s also a clear strategy: backup plans, flexible formats, and firm boundaries. Community shows up in powerful ways—from aides and local friends to a hip replacement forum where support flows both directions. If you’re navigating surgery, balancing school with disability, or curious about adaptive fashion and counseling as a combined path, this conversation offers a grounded map and real talk about the tradeoffs. Subscribe, share this with someone facing a big medical decision, and leave a review with your best recovery tips or accessibility wins—we’ll read our favorites on a future show. Support the show

    12 min
  4. 12/08/2025

    From Diagnosis To A Voice: How Sam Built “Autism Rocks And Rolls”

    Send us a text Sam Mitchell Tuesday, December 2, 2025 A Different Shaped Heart: http://adifferentshapedheart.weebly.com/. A Different Shaped Heart sponsor: https://melodyclouds.com. Please donate to A Different Shaped Heart by going to Payment Venmo Win1195 at https://venmo.com/. Win Kelly Charles’ Books: https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1. Win Kelly Charles' MONAT: https://wincharles.mymonat.com. Flying Has Become Hell for Passengers with Wheelchairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRntgEiTHIY. PodMatch: https://podmatch.com. Win Charles’ TiTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@a.winning.heart?_t=ZT-8yE9mRvWmz1&_r=1 . Win Charles has given you an exclusive offer of $50 off of delicious chef-prepared meals: https://www.cookunity.com/referral?utm_campaign=wch3003078&utm_source=referral&utm_content=link&promo=wch3003078. How Cdiff changed my life: https://open.substack.com/pub/wcharles622/p/how-cdiff-changed-my-life?r=1baro&utm_medium=ios. A gentle voice: https://blubrry.com/3955765/. Win Charles’ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@she13win?si=WaPoCCwM1C0z6W4A. On A Different Shaped Heart today (Tuesday, December 2, 2025), Best-Selling Author, Win C welcomes Sam Mitchell. Same run a successful podcast called Autism Rocks and Rolls. Sam have autism himself and have a very successful podcast. Sam would like to be a guest on your podcast to spread the mission of my podcast and nonprofit. Sam is at 22K downloads. Sam have had some big names on his show: Armani Williams, first NASCAR driver open about having autism, and American Idol Rocker James Durbin who has autism and Tourette’s. His biggest guest of all was Dr. Temple Grandin, professor in Animal Science at Colorado State University and autism activist. Sam had WWE legend Mick Foley on my show! Huge guests are upcoming as well! Same also is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, sell merchandise, have several sponsors, sell ad space, am writer and blogger, and love to promote his podcast and business. Sam also have a published TED Talk called Souled Structure. Sam is a high-functioning human being on the autism spectrum, but have a mission: to show people that Sam has not broken, do not need to be fixed, there is no normal in this world, and Sam is successful, with autism. Sam wants to celebrate the successes of all people. Sam embrace who he is and feel as though everyone should do the same. Sam’s mission is powerful and this extraordinary idea is catching on and getting the world’s attention. Sam have made it to the top 10 in the People's Choice Podcast Awards, placed second in the state of Indiana for the JAG Entrepreneurship project, was selected as the best business at the CEO trade show in Indiana, have had tremendous guests on his show, and am in the top 200 podcasts in all of Canada while also being a current Davey Award winner. Sam look forward to chatting with you and am hoping you will help him with your platform to spread awareness about autism and mental health. To learn more about Sam visit autismrocksandrolls.com Support the show

    29 min
  5. 12/08/2025

    I’m Choosing Recovery First While I Go Back To School And Start A Flexible New Job

    Send us a text A single change rewrites the whole plan: what started as two surgeries has become one hip replacement, and that clarity ripples through everything—work, school, and the way we make and share our work. We open up about the decision to prioritize healing, the relief of a simpler surgical path, and the honest timelines that follow: earliest return to work in March, with June looking smarter for a full, stable comeback. We walk through how recovery will actually look, from pre-op clearances to rehab schedules to the choice to avoid hospital Wi‑Fi chaos and record from home and the rehab center instead. Alongside the medical plan, school becomes a new anchor. Communications is the academic focus, with options on the table for a double path—bachelor’s plus master’s or two master’s across schools—depending on how rehab unfolds and what support we can secure from the Office of Disabilities. Access, accommodations, and pacing are non-negotiable, and we share what’s working and what’s not when it comes to getting help. There’s a backstory, too: a birthday fall, delayed care, and an ER that didn’t believe what the body knew. That experience reshaped how we advocate, prepare questions, and push for answers. On the home front, a broken medical bed and constant logistics test patience, but they’ve also forced a cleaner setup and calmer routines. A flexible online side job will run in the background, with links in the notes, but health leads the strategy. Expect candid updates, realistic goal-setting, and content that respects the energy it takes to heal and learn at the same time. If you’re juggling recovery, education, and work, this is a roadmap built on pacing, self-advocacy, and sustainable habits. Subscribe to follow the journey, share this with someone facing a tough timeline, and leave a review with your best tip for healing without losing your momentum. Support the show

    15 min
  6. 11/29/2025

    When A Birthday Becomes A Milestone For Healing

    Send us a text A new name signals a new season—and we’re opening the door on a deeply personal journey. I’m heading into a hip replacement with cerebral palsy on January 12, and I’m inviting you to see the real process: the planning, the pain, the awkward logistics, and the small wins that make recovery possible. No gloss, no vague updates—just clear, candid storytelling that follows the road from hospital to rehab and back to daily life. We talk through why the rebrand matters and how it connects to a bigger mission: disability awareness that lives in the details. I share where to follow along—YouTube at she13win and short daily clips on TikTok and Shorts—plus the nuts and bolts of filming in medical settings, working around Wi‑Fi limits, and pacing updates around energy. You’ll hear how a birthday became a milestone that links the original injury to a future of full weight on both legs, why chosen family shaped my rehab choice, and how honest community turns isolation into momentum. This conversation doesn’t hide the tough parts. Daily pain is part of the reality, and so are the unglamorous side quests, like dealing with a yeast infection while prepping for surgery. We get practical about timelines, school decisions, and what stable Wi‑Fi really means when connecting with listeners becomes a form of support. And because hope needs light, we set up a softer, joyful turn next week with a Disney cruise chat to balance the grind of rehab. If you care about recovery stories, disability advocacy, and the truth behind orthopedic surgery, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this episode with someone facing rehab, and leave a review with the one question you want answered during the post‑op journey. Your questions will shape what we film and what we explain next. Support the show

    9 min
4.7
out of 5
64 Ratings

About

Welcome to A different shaped heart conversations about being awesome with a disability and raising awareness at the same time and absolutely Yes sometimes you have to say F…..CK you to your own mindset and especially your disability!