Sometimes a news headline rattles you so deeply that you’re still thinking about it nearly two months later. I probably can’t shake this particular headline because I was at the airport when I read the article. Let’s rewind to the week before last Christmas, when I was preparing to fly…
PHighting Words — Mike Naple
Mike Naple (he/him) lives in Washington, D.C., but calls San Diego, California, home. Mike was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2016. He also manages living with interstitial lung disease, sleep apnea, scoliosis, and a stutter. These chronic conditions are mostly invisible except for when Mike uses oxygen therapy while engaged in rigor exercise or activity. Mike is a public affairs and communications professional who still works full time. He is excited for readers to join him as he navigates the intersections of disability, chronic illness, rare disease, public policy advocacy, and living with PH.
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A decade later, I still remember standing in the kitchen on a phone call that would change my life. On that morning in March 2016, I left my apartment and returned nearly two weeks later with a pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis. I never thought I’d reach this milestone: living…
My relationship with acceptance, especially regarding my body and sense of self, has always been complicated. Then, a pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis brought an avalanche of changes into my life and forced me to rethink my approach. As a child, my family spent summers in upstate New York, exploring…
During the holidays, I love spending time in the kitchen, using all my favorite devices to bake cookies and other treats that remind me of past Christmas celebrations. With a stand mixer, food processor, cookie press, and immersion blender, I feel like I’m starring in my own Food Network cooking…
If you’re reading this, it means I’ve started to find my “PHighting” words again. A lot has happened since I last wrote a column for Pulmonary Hypertension News, and I’m readjusting after a hospitalization that shook my world like an earthquake. A little over a year ago, my recovery…
The pain caused my right knee to seize with every step. As I moved through the Indianapolis hotel room that morning, the day’s busy schedule simmering in the back of my mind, I knew I had to listen to my body and change my plans, so I ordered a car…
When I make plans to go to a concert, amusement park, or sporting event, my first thought turns to accessibility issues. It’s unfortunate, but with today’s heightened security and limits on what you can bring into a venue, getting in with a medical device sometimes feels like a small miracle.
Summer, to quote Paulette from “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde,” “makes me want a hot dog real bad!” When I picture scenes of summers past, I think of family and friends enjoying backyard barbecues, beach bonfires, camping trips, and outings to the ballpark. I can also…
The springtime is when I miss running the most — when the weather starts to warm a little and folks lace up their shoes, go outside, and get a boost of endorphins. Save for one scary moment in 2021, I don’t run anymore. Not since I left the hospital…
Eight years ago, I meant to bid winter adieu from an all-inclusive beach resort. Instead, I welcomed spring from a hospital bed. I went on a trip — that’s for sure — just not the relaxing and restorative one I had imagined. There were no drinks with little umbrellas for…
In her classic 1990s song “Ironic,” Alanis Morissette sings about spoons. Describing life’s little ironies, the Canadian singer proclaims, “It’s like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife.” Hey, if Morissette doesn’t need any of those spoons, I’d be more than happy to take a few…
Do you know about pulmonary rehabilitation? Maybe you’ve participated in a few sessions or you have a loved one who did. I didn’t know about these programs until after I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH). I also didn’t fully appreciate the hurdles that prevent some people…
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