30 Days of PH: Staying Active

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by Jen Cueva |

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Day 22 of 30 Days of PH⁣ ⁣Topic: Staying active ⁣ ⁣This is Jessica’s story @bones_phighter⁣ ⁣ My name is Jessica. I was born premature and spent the first two years of my life in the hospital. I was tiny, weighing one pound and 7 ounces. Because of my premature birth, I have a rare disease called pulmonary hypertension (PH). I wear oxygen 24/7 at a level of 7 to 8 liters depending on my activity. My lung capacity is at 17% lung function. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and in the heart. Scarred lungs, like mine, make it very difficult to retain oxygen. ⁣ ⁣ My social life is very limited due to the fact that I have this health condition, pulmonary hypertension. My immune system is very weak and I get sick quickly. This is why I limit myself from exposures as much as possible. Most of the time when I get sick with a cold, I end up in the hospital. This can easily lead to bronchitis and pneumonia if not caught early. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣I met Kelly Frederick, at pulmonary rehab. She does in-home personal training. At one point, I was no longer able to get myself to the pulmonary rehab class. This was due to my illness, PH. That is when I called on Kelly Frederick, in-home personal trainer. She offered to come to my home for a 30 minute exercise session. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣Kelly put together a strategic exercise plan. She taught me the proper form, sets, and reps. She also taught me breathing exercises while resting in between sets. ⁣ ⁣ She also encouraged me to exercise on my own two times a week for 30 minutes. Kelly taught me about better eating habits. I agreed to follow through with my new exercise plan and goals to work toward a stronger me!⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #30DaysofPH #exercise

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Jen Cueva Jen Cueva lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and daughter. 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, fitness

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