I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 1999, when I was just 4 years old. My parents were obviously responsible for overseeing my healthcare at the time, particularly my mother, who has been…
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When I was in college and my health was in decline with pulmonary hypertension, I had a month when my symptoms became exacerbated. That led to a week of things becoming noticeably worse,…
Last October, I had an annual checkup with my OB-GYN, where I renewed my birth control prescription, which helps to control excessive bleeding in my uterus. This is vital for me because my hemoglobin…
All my Halloween nights were the same when I was growing up. First, my parents would bring me and my siblings to our family friend’s house, where we consumed sloppy Joes and Jell-O…
At the start of the month, I embarked once again on something called the “Inktober” challenge. Created by artist Jake Parker, Inktober invites participants to make one piece of art per day during…
I grew up in Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” In fact, my childhood home was located on one of the largest lakes in the state. The summers in our lake town centered on…
The night before my 15th birthday, my mom looked at me and took a moment. Then with love and a bit of bluntness, she said, “Every year is a gift.” It could’ve been…
In 2002, three years after my pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis, my family and I made our way to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s (PHA) International PH Conference. I have no memories of…
One day, when I was 15, I tagged along with my cousin and her partner to run a few errands. In the car, Ben Howard, an artist I’d never heard of, played on the…
In the world of chronic illness, medications can be many things. At best, they’re a blessing, but more often than not, I’ve found them to be a necessary evil. While living with pulmonary…
Since May, I’d been faced with a challenge familiar to many women: finding the perfect dress for a wedding. Two close friends of mine were married last weekend, and I had the honor of…
The approach of summer always catches me off guard. For about six weeks between May and June, I can’t avoid keeping a packed schedule. Along with several holidays and birthdays, including my own,…
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