I’m not a Swiftie, but I am a fan of Taylor Swift and her music.
A Swiftie, to me, is the next-level fan who spends hours dissecting everything she says and does, hunting for “Easter eggs.” I don’t have that kind of time or energy.
I did, however, totally geek out over Swift’s recent appearance on the New Heights podcast, co-hosted by brothers Jason and Travis Kelce. No, I didn’t geek out over her and Travis Kelce’s relationship, or even her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl” (although I do have it pre-added to my Apple Music library already).
What resonated with me, both professionally and personally, was her candid discussion about her father’s recent quintuple bypass surgery.
“He learned a lot through this process,” Swift said of her father, Scott Swift. “He’s had a healthy, perfect EKG every year that he’s gone to get his physicals… but what found his five blockages in his heart was a resting stress test. So, he’s been telling all his friends, ‘You need to get the stress test because that’s what’s actually preventative.’ If you can find that earlier you don’t have to have a bypass surgery, you can sort out those blockages with stents and things that are a lot less invasive.”
That’s when I paused the podcast to text-shout to my husband: “Taylor Swift is talking about medtech!”
Beyond the medical technology angle that connects to my professional interests, Swift’s description of role reversal with her father struck a deeper chord. She spoke about having to take her dad’s phone away while he was recovering because he’d been on FaceTime with friends all night instead of resting — a moment many caregivers will recognize.
When she described using a gait belt to help her father walk during recovery, I was instantly transported back to 2021, assisting my late father-in-law after his stroke. The image was vivid and familiar.
“I’m having these moments where I’m like, ‘this dude built playsets and swing sets and cribs for me, and I’m building his shower chair and his walker,'” Swift reflected. “It’s just surreal.”
These words capture exactly what my husband and sister-in-law experienced with their father. While I didn’t have the pleasure of growing up with Bernie, I stepped into a caregiver role alongside my mother-in-law after his stroke. Some readers might recall my column from a few years ago, “Don’t Cry Over Spilled Urine,” where I discussed all the caregiving mishaps of one particularly long day.
What makes Swift’s comments particularly valuable isn’t just their relatability, but how they highlight an important medical reality: preventative testing can make the difference between minimally invasive procedures and major surgery. Her father’s experience — where routine EKGs missed what a stress test revealed — serves as a powerful reminder about being proactive with our health.
In our industry, we often discuss medical innovations in technical terms. But Swift’s simple explanation about stress tests and stents reached millions of listeners who might otherwise never consider such preventative measures. That’s the kind of public health messaging that transcends celebrity gossip.
And perhaps that’s what touched me most about Swift’s podcast appearance. Behind the glamour of stadium tours and record-breaking albums is someone experiencing the same healthcare challenges and caregiver role reversals that many of us face. It’s a reminder that medical technology isn’t just about devices and procedures — it’s about the human moments they enable, like a daughter helping her father regain his independence.
So, while I may never qualify as a true Swiftie, I’m grateful for Swift’s willingness to share this deeply personal chapter. In doing so, she’s not only normalized the caregiver experience but potentially saved lives by highlighting the importance of comprehensive cardiac testing.
REFERENCE: MD+DI (Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry); 25 AUG 2025; Amanda Pederson