The Hidden Cost of Being a Firefighter

They Hand Her Your Life for 6 Hours | Cardiac Perfusionist Vivian Moreno

They stop the heart. She keeps you alive. In this episode of The Device Girls, we sit down with cardiac perfusionist Vivian Moreno to talk about one of the most intense jobs in medicine. Vivian shares what it’s really like being responsible for keeping patients alive during open heart surgery — from running the heart-lung machine to managing ECMO patients fighting for their lives. From hearing “time of death” after doing everything possible… to helping patients survive long enough to receive a heart transplant… this conversation gives a raw inside look into the emotional weight, pressure, and humanity behind one of medicine’s most overlooked professions. But this conversation goes deeper than medicine. Vivian also opens up about the mental toll of high-stakes healthcare, learning to stay grounded outside the hospital, and how this career completely changed her perspective on life. Raw. Honest. Eye-opening. 🎧 Episode highlights: • What a cardiac perfusionist actually does • What happens when surgeons stop the heart • ECMO, bypass, and life support explained simply • The emotional reality of withdrawing care • The hardest moments Vivian has experienced in medicine • What it’s like carrying the pressure of human life • Women in perfusion and healthcare • How medicine changed her perspective on life forever • Staying grounded outside of the hospital 👩‍⚕️ Guest: Vivian Moreno Cardiac Perfusionist 🎤 Hosts: Sarah Kruse — @sarahekruse Haley Gibson — @haleyygibsonfit 📲 Follow The Device Girls: Instagram: @thedevicegirls TikTok: @thedevicegirls 👍 If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone in healthcare. 💬 Question: What’s a profession people don’t fully understand until they hear the human side of it? #CardiacPerfusion #ECMO #OpenHeartSurgery #WomenInHealthcare #MedicalPodcast #HealthcareStories #Perfusionist #TheDeviceGirls ***Views Expressed Are Our Own***

What Really Happens Behind Hospital Doors

🔥 What REALLY happens behind hospital doors? After Ashley Duncan’s first episode sparked massive reactions online, she’s back… and this time, nothing is off limits. From the wildest things healthcare workers have actually seen in the OR (yes… including the stories that sound too insane to be real) to the emotional weight of patient care, broken healthcare systems, insurance frustrations, organ donation debates, and the realities providers carry home after work — this conversation goes deep. Some parts are hilarious. Some parts are heartbreaking. Some parts might make you question everything you thought you knew about healthcare. But one thing is certain: this is the side of medicine most people never hear about. 🎙️ In this episode, we talk about: • The stories Ashley held back the first time 👀 • The emotional toll healthcare workers carry • What patients never see behind hospital doors • Insurance, hospital systems, and hard conversations • Organ donation, childbirth costs & controversial healthcare topics • The moments that stick with providers forever • Why healthcare workers often go home carrying more than people realize ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:45 Reading the internet’s reaction to Ashley’s last episode 11:30 The stories Ashley held back 😳 28:30 The heartbreaking side of healthcare 35:00 The business of healthcare no one talks about 45:45 Insurance, hospitals & controversial opinions 1:03:00 What’s broken in healthcare — and what needs to change 1:18:00 Final thoughts 👩‍⚕️ Hosts: Sarah Kruse Haley Gibson 🎧 Follow The Device Girls for real, raw, and unfiltered conversations from the people inside healthcare. 💬 QUESTION FOR YOU: What part of healthcare do you think people misunderstand the most? Views Expressed Are Our Own Connect with us: Instagram: @sarahkruse @haleygibsonfit #Healthcare #MedicalSales #TheDeviceGirls #WomenInHealthcare #HospitalStories #HealthcareWorkers

The Cases That Make Surgeons Lose Sleep

🔥 What are the cases that trauma surgeons never forget? In this episode of The Device Girls, we sit down with Dr. Antebi, an orthopedic trauma surgeon, and his wife Mindy, an ICU nurse, for an honest conversation about the realities of trauma medicine, rebuilding bodies after devastating injuries, and the emotional weight healthcare workers carry. From life-changing accidents and amputations to the patients that stay with you long after the surgery ends, Dr. Antebi shares what it’s really like being the surgeon hospitals call when cases are at their worst. But this conversation goes deeper than medicine. We also talk about the emotional toll of healthcare, marriage in medicine, staying healthy in high-stress careers, and what it means to care for people, even in the hardest situations. This episode is raw, funny, inspiring, and full of moments that will completely change the way you think about trauma surgeons. 🎙️ Episode Highlights: • The trauma cases surgeons never forget • What happens when injuries are too severe to repair • The emotional side of orthopedic trauma nobody talks about • The patient story that challenged everything • The truth about health, aging, and protecting your body • Nurse + surgeon marriage and making it work in healthcare • Why resistance training matters more than you think ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:12 How Dr. Antebi became an orthopedic trauma surgeon 08:43 What trauma surgery actually looks like 17:55 Being on the other side as a patient 30:20 The reality of pain, health & aging 41:18 The patient story that changed everything 52:30 Marriage, medicine & balance 57:30 What he hopes to be remembered for 💬 Question for you: What part of this conversation stuck with you most? 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who’d love it. 🎧 The Device Girls Podcast Hosted by Sarah & Haley Instagram: @sarahekruse @haleygibssonfit Views expressed are our own. #TheDeviceGirls #TraumaSurgeon #OrthopedicSurgery #HealthcarePodcast #NurseLife #MedicalPodcast #TraumaMedicine #SurgeonLife #HealthcareWorkers

You Have No Idea What Happens In The O.R.

🔥 What really happens inside the operating room? In this episode of The Device Girls, we sit down with surgical first assistants Amy Burton and Alyssa Ellis to talk about the role most people have never heard of… but surgeons rely on every single day. From life-saving surgeries to heartbreaking patient moments, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it’s actually like behind the doors of the O.R. They share the emotional weight of healthcare, the chaos, the pressure, the teamwork, and why being a surgical assist is far more than “just helping.” This episode is raw, honest, emotional, and incredibly eye-opening. 🎙️ In this episode: • What surgical first assists actually do • The hidden roles inside the O.R. • The emotional toll of surgery and patient loss • The cases they’ll never forget • Why the healthcare system overlooks surgical assists • The toxic culture that can exist in healthcare • Teamwork, advocacy, and speaking up in the O.R. • Advice for students wanting to enter the medical field • What makes a GREAT rep in the operating room • Why they’re fighting to improve the profession Whether you work in healthcare or have never stepped foot in an operating room, this conversation will completely change how you view the people behind the mask. 👩‍⚕️ Guests: Amy Burton Alyssa Ellis ***Views Expressed Are Our Own*** Connect with us: Instagram: @sarahekruse @haleygibssonfit 💬 What part of this conversation surprised you the most? #TheDeviceGirls #HealthcarePodcast #SurgicalAssistant #OperatingRoom #MedicalPodcast #WomenInHealthcare #SurgicalTech #FirstAssist #ORLife #HealthcareWorkers

The Hidden Cost of Being a Firefighter

🔥 What no one tells you about being a firefighter… Behind the lights, sirens, and adrenaline is a reality most people never see. In this episode of The Device Girls, we sit down with a firefighter to talk about the real cost of the job — mentally, emotionally, and physically. From high-pressure calls to the quiet moments that stick with you long after the shift ends, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to do this work. This isn’t just about the job. It’s about identity, resilience, and carrying weight most people will never understand. 🎙️ Episode Highlights: The hidden emotional toll of being a firefighter What happens after the adrenaline wears off Balancing normal life with an abnormal job The moments that stay with you forever Why this career changes you — for better or worse ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:30 What people think firefighting is vs reality 05:12 The calls you don’t forget 18:47 Life outside the station 32:10 The mental load no one talks about 48:55 Why they still choose this job 1:05:20 Final thoughts 👩‍⚕️ About The Device Girls: Real conversations with real people in high-impact careers. We talk about the things most people don’t say out loud. 🎤 Hosts: Instagram: @sarahekruse @haleygibssonfit 📲 Follow The Device Girls: Instagram: @thedevicegirls TikTok: @thedevicegirls ⚠️ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode are our own and do not reflect those of any employer or organization. 💬 Join the conversation: What surprised you most about this episode? #Firefighter #FirstResponder #Podcast #TheDeviceGirls #RealStories #MentalHealth #BehindTheScenes