Posts by: Colleen Steele

Colleen Steele

August 12, 2019August 12, 2019

The ‘Healthy’ Sibling’s Struggles with PH

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

The siblings of medically frail children grow up fast because they witness harsh realities at an early age. They experience emergencies, hospital stays, medical equipment, and scary treatments, and ... Read more

August 5, 2019August 7, 2019

How PH Changed Me, from Being More Compassionate to Managing PTSD

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

When my son was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH), I noticed a change in how people interacted with me. They hesitated before sharing personal problems, and if they did ... Read more

July 29, 2019August 5, 2019

My Son’s Transplant Fundraiser Helped to Build a Community

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

Two positives came out of my son’s pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis: It strengthened my belief in the power of prayer and rekindled my faith in people. My family has ... Read more

July 22, 2019July 18, 2019

How I Learned to Keep the Faith After My Son’s Diagnosis

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

Almost 10 years ago, my husband and I were sitting in a pediatric cardiologist’s office with our son awaiting the results of an echocardiogram. The doctor described in simple ... Read more

July 15, 2019July 10, 2019

The Therapeutic Benefits of 40 Years of Journal Writing

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

As a little girl, I developed a huge crush on the character John Boy from the television drama “The Waltons.” I was attracted to his aspiration of becoming a ... Read more

July 8, 2019July 2, 2019

My Son’s Transplant Experience Taught Me That Practice Makes Perfect

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

Due to pulmonary hypertension (PH), my son was on the transplant list for almost a year when he received the call that a heart and lungs were available. We ... Read more

July 1, 2019June 27, 2019

Taking Turns While Sharing Responsibility for Our Son’s PH Care

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

When my husband and I said our vows, “To have and to hold … in sickness and in health,” we had no idea to what extent that promise would ... Read more

June 24, 2019June 21, 2019

Walking Together: My Sons’ High School Graduation Was Extra Special

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

My son’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was idiopathic, which means it developed suddenly with no known cause. He was healthy until he became symptomatic at 6 years old. Before ... Read more

June 17, 2019June 21, 2019

The Hidden Truths About My Strength

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve been described as strong, but what if people knew my weaknesses, unfathomable sadness, and heartbreaking mistakes? As a caregiver ... Read more

June 10, 2019June 6, 2019

Am I a Caregiver or a Mom?

Columns, Life As A Caregiver - a Column By Colleen Steele

I struggled with the title for my column because what I write about will be from my perspective as caregiver to my son. However, using the word “caregiver” was ... Read more

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