Columns

Like many people, I have always treasured the holidays. The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s feel like a time for joy, community, and celebration. The holidays can also be stressful, but they can be especially devastating for those of us managing a chronic illness. I can remember the years…

“Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” ― Chris Van Allsburg, “The Polar Express” When I was young, my parents worked diligently to create a sense of wonder during the holidays. My sisters and I participated in church,…

It turns out that National Cat Herders Day is an occasion people celebrate. Observed on Dec. 15, it’s a day to recognize people who achieve the impossible as part of their jobs or positions, and do work that requires incredible feats of willpower and organization, and a…

For the first few years after I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 2017, I always felt an ongoing battle between the desire to go out and have fun and the need to look after myself. I was constantly walking the line between pushing myself just enough and…

Parents of children with pulmonary hypertension (PH) commonly express concern about the emotional and developmental effects on their healthy offspring. They worry about how their healthy children deal with feelings of sadness and fear. They stress over sibling rivalry triggered by feelings of unequal parental attention. And they’re…

My son had just been diagnosed with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH), and he had a wish — and it involved flying. “I would like to meet George W. Bush, the president of the United States,” said then 8-year-old Cullen, to the surprise of the Make-A-Wish…

The tightness creeps up in my lungs just as I’m about to make up the bed with a second clean sheet. I pause to catch my breath and wonder how unfolding a piece of fabric can make me feel like I just sprinted up a flight of stairs.

To quote the famous holiday song, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go” — including at the hospital.  Over the years, there were many times I feared my son Cullen would spend his holidays in the hospital because of a…

Last week, one of my morning devotionals left me in deep thought for most of the day. It was about apologizing for everything that makes you the one-of-a-kind person you are. With both hands held high, I admit I’m guilty. Are you guilty of this, too? I’m sorry I missed…

Being a caregiver for a child with pulmonary hypertension (PH) can wreak havoc on one’s emotions on any given day. But during the holiday season, the heartache and stress can make even the strongest person teeter on the edge of an emotional collapse. It…

It was 2 a.m., and I was waiting to have my nose packed for a bleed that had been going on for hours, a result of blood thinners and oxygen that I used to experience from time to time. I remember hoping to get back to my college…

Something unexpected happened while scheduling my next quarterly checkup: I was told my lung specialist is leaving and will no longer be part of my care team for pulmonary hypertension (PH). This caught me a bit off guard. I had gotten to know this particular doctor over the last 20…