Over the past few months, I’ve asked myself several times if I’ve become a better or worse friend, but I didn’t know the answer. When pulmonary hypertension (PH) makes me feel my worst, I worry I’m a bad friend. I can’t spend as much time with people as I’d…
I can see the marks on my face most mornings when I look in the mirror. In my mind, the reddish lines and indentations look like well-worn train tracks. Lately, two small circular markings have made themselves known on each side of my nostrils. Those marks are from the straps…
When I was in the fourth grade, our entire town lost power for two or three days. This event coincided with both the last day of school and my birthday. It was so much fun, I thought at the time. The ultimate adventure. My best friend slept over two nights…
Picture yourself sitting in a waiting room at the doctor’s office, playing the waiting game. You’ve all been there, of course. How do you determine how long is too long to wait? Your answers, unsurprisingly, may vary. In an informal survey, I asked 15 people with pulmonary hypertension (PH)…
Last month, Father Time strapped me to a rocket ship and shot me clear into the wild blue yonder of my fifth decade. That’s right: This geriatric millennial recently turned 40. I’m launching into a new decade and taking my pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis with me. If we’re…
Having or caring for someone with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can feel like the childhood game Mother, May I? The game starts with each participant standing shoulder to shoulder. A designated “mother” arbitrarily calls on a child with orders for movement or action. Before moving, the child must…
My sister and I have been listening to Taylor Swift together for years. On the whole, we’re two very different people who used to struggle to find common ground, so it’s pretty special that Swift’s music is one of the few things we’ve been able to agree on, time and…
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) manifests and affects us each differently, adding to the complexity and mystery of the disease. Let’s continue to support each other, even as we acknowledge that our journeys are unique. In doing so, we can bring awareness and relief to others with PH. No matter where…
Do you find yourself constantly apologizing for being sick? Do you also neglect to share on social media your feel-good days or your progress to avoid upsetting others in the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community? Take a moment to track how often you hold back this way over a week.
I thought I knew how I grieve. I’ve lost many loved ones over the years, including those in the pulmonary hypertension (PH) and transplant communities. Each death hit my heart with varying degrees of force, but the grieving process was always familiar. I found comfort in being…
What a privilege it is to share with you the thoughts, experiences, and feelings from my journey of being a caregiver, wife, and friend to someone living with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). I’m Karen Schultz, and I’ve been a registered nurse since I was 20 years old. I met…
“Mom? My heart rate is really slow.” I remember this moment clearly. In a time of poor health due to my pulmonary hypertension, there was a day when my heart, which was typically pounding, slowed to a quiet crawl. We were scheduled for a routine checkup the…
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