Author Archives: Serena Lawrence

I’ve been living with depression nearly my entire life. I remember starting to struggle with overwhelming feelings of sadness and fear around the age of 5. My symptoms started to escalate as I became a teenager, but by this time, I had learned how to hide my…

I recently had a checkup with my PH specialist. At my previous appointment, he had told me that he would soon be recruiting PH patients to take part in a study involving the use of stem cells. He expressed excitement over what a good candidate I…

I still vividly remember the day I was hospitalized and kept overnight to be picked and probed like a lab rat. A medical team ran dozens of tests to figure out why, at the age of 25, I was in heart failure, and had a low…

The older I get, the more I relate on a spiritual level to Mike the Situation from “Jersey Shore” trying to force his head through a concrete wall in Italy. A few weeks before my 30th birthday, my PH specialist gave me the green light.

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching on May 13, I’m trying to figure out this wound I left open over the years. Like many other young adult women with PH, I found out at the age of 25 that pregnancy would more than likely kill me.

My beginner’s driving permit expired this summer. Even though it is no longer valid, I still carry it around with me in my wallet. It serves as a sort of memento, a sacred artifact to remind me that I am 29 and still can’t drive. I…

I found myself on Tinder a few weeks ago, after swearing to my friends and family that I would never date again. Truthfully, I felt like I made an account as anthropological research. As a recovering hopeless romantic, the idea of swiping through a bunch of…

Unfortunately, it often takes a tragedy to find out who your real friends are. And, although living with PH sucks, it is a really good obstacle for weeding out people who don’t belong in your life. From friends and family to partners, PH helps separate the…

This week marks four years since my life changed forever. On Dec. 21, 2013, I was officially diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. My doctor told me I had a few years to live. Since then, I have been holding my breath, waiting for the other…

November was Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Awareness Month. In honor of PH Awareness Month, I shared several patient profiles about special members of the PH community. Although it is December, I have one more profile I wanted to share. You can find the other PH…

November is Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Awareness Month. In honor of PH Awareness Month, I will be sharing patient profiles about special members of the PH community. Please be sure to visit throughout the month of November to read more PH profiles. Tegan…

November is Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Awareness Month. In honor of PH Awareness Month, I will be sharing patient profiles about special members from the PH community. Please be sure to visit throughout the month of November to read more PH profiles.  Nicole McClelland,…