"The moment I received my official diagnosis, I dropped all my assumptions about heart disease. It was so freeing." -Member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam

Living with heart disease can be difficult and even a burden, but also an opportunity to rid yourself of what you think you know.

Have you heard the saying, "People don't get it until they get it"? That is so true about heart disease.

"The more I learn about heart disease, the more I realize that it's not my fault." -Member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam

A heart disease diagnosis forces us to drop our negative assumptions about life with a chronic condition. Members on MyHeartDiseaseTeam gain perspective from other members' experiences to become better informed about what it's really like to live with heart disease.

Here are recent conversations from members of MyHeartDiseaseTeam:

• "Learning that I have an advanced heart condition has been difficult to digest. I returned to work in January and aim to walk 3 times per week. The medication has made me feel really good and I look well too!"

• "I am on a journey that has had days when I felt lost, alone and very afraid. Other days I have felt happy to be alive and grateful for the chance to see my family and friends and laugh and cry with them. I have decided now is the time to join and relate with others, who like me, are just starting a new life learning to live with heart disease."

• "It's a learning curve going from one day at a time to one step at a time, but I am up for the challenge. You know me when someone says 'You can't' or 'You won't be able to do this or that,' I say, 'Really? Watch this.'"

What negative assumptions have you let go of about heart disease? Tell us about it in the comments below or directly on MyHeartDiseaseTeam.com.