30 Days of PH: Keeping The Faith

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by Jen Cueva |

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Day 1 of 30 Days of PH⁣⁣⠀ Topic: Keeping the faith⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ This is Tammy’s story @sunflower_princess_81⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Hello, my name is Tammy Sue Flores-Stephens. I am 37 years old. In 2005 I was 24 yrs old and living in the fast lane. Then came October 2005. I was enjoying a day at Six Flags. Let's rewind for a few months. I'd been experiencing shortness of breath and struggling to walk up one flight of stairs. I worked out and the symptoms got worse. I passed out at Six Flags. I knew I had to see a doctor. I go in and tell my PCP all of my symptoms. He was about to let me go with adult asthma. He decided to get an EKG on me just to make sure.⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ Well, thank God he did. He immediately got me worked in to get an Echo. I was then rushed to the ER to make sure I had no blood clots in my lungs. I was admitted to UTSW hospital in Dallas, Texas. My family was all there with me. My oxygen saturation dropped to dangerous levels. I was having symptoms of dizziness and severe shortness of breath. The right heart cath determined what was going on. I was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect, (ASD), and this had led to pulmonary hypertension. It was an undetected heart defect. The right side of my heart is severely enlarged and my lungs are permanently damaged. Doctors told me that I had 3 years left to live.⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ Here we are, in 2019. God has the final say. I have surpassed all of the odds & I have come to a point where there's no more medications that can help me. I am 37 years old and am now on a heart and double lung transplant list. Now I wait for the day that God says it's time. Bittersweet emotions as someone has to die in order to save my life.⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ You might ask how have I gotten to where I am now? Here are my answers: tears, praying, faith, an amazing support of family and friends, and a strong will to keep surviving. I now have a new appreciation of life and living in the right lane and not in the fast lane. I leave you with one bit of encouragement. Remember, if you can't see anything worth fighting for it's because you're not looking in the mirror! Look in the mirror! You're worth it!⁣⁣⠀ #30daysofPH

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About the Author

Jen Cueva avatar
Jen Cueva Jen Cueva lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and mini schnauzer, Zoe. Jen worked in nursing before the script changed upon her diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH), group 1, in 2005. Advocacy has been essential to her life. Her passion is to instill hope and remind others in the PH community that they are not alone. To do this, she serves as a forum moderator for Pulmonary Hypertension News and in her weekly column she delves into the roller coaster of emotions that accompany PH. It is powerful and meaningful to her to have this opportunity to play a role in helping others become more informed and educated so they are more empowered in their journey. Together, we PHight stronger!

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30DaysofPH, awareness, faith

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