Monthly PHA Patient Telephone Support Group To Meet on Thursday, March 26

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is organizing another edition of its monthly Patient Telephone Support Group to help people diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension meet other patients and deal with the isolation and burden associated with the disease. This month, the meeting is taking place on March 26 and is open to anyone willing to participate.

The monthly telephone support group is meant to help patients, particularly the ones recently diagnosed, deal with the disease by sharing their thoughts and concerns. The meetings have designated hosts every month and this month’s meeting will include the participation of program associate for patient and caregiver services Olivia May and fellow patient Carol Bowling.

The association announced on its blog PH Daily Beat that the organization is “happy to provide a space where those affected by PH can support each other, develop friendships, share thoughts and ideas, obtain information from each other and learn coping skills in a nonjudgmental and caring atmosphere.”

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The meeting will take place at 8:00 pm EDT and will not run longer than an hour. To participate, patients need to register here and dial in to the free 866 number. The association also advises that there is no need for an Internet connection, but with it, patients may follow along with slides that are going to enhance parts of the conversation.

The Patient Telephone Support Group was launched last September by the PHA, since thousands of people are diagnosed every year with the disease and there is currently no cure for PH. The meetings are one of the ways used by the association to offer patients information and support to help them adjust to new life habits caused by the disease and its often life-changing symptoms.

While the telephonic resource may help patients with remote location issues, the association remains focused on relieving the sense of isolation that often accompanies the disease, as it leads more than 245 local support groups across the country. Despite the fact that there are still numerous patients and caregivers who do not have the capacity to attend support group meetings, the association works to offer in-person support, resources and education.

The PHA also recently launched a Transplant E-mail Group, designed to support and educate patients waiting for or interested in applying for a lung transplant. The only reliable solution for advanced pulmonary hypertension remains lung transplantation, as the disease continues to worsen despite treatment with a pulmonary vasodilator regimen, and it may comprise a life-saving solution.