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I’m no stranger to the “high-risk” label. While living with congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, I hear these words often. In the past few years, the members of my medical team have mentioned my risk while deciding on the best surgical or treatment plan, weighing the pros and…

Life with pulmonary hypertension was far from picture perfect, but I always took snapshots anyway. No filters, just life the way my own eyes had seen it. I captured reality from all angles: the pleasant and the painful, the boring and the extraordinary, the successful and the disappointing, the predictable…

Since being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2017, I have had a complicated relationship with exercise. I have been quite erratic in my approach to staying active. At times, I’ve followed a strict routine of working out every…

Are you a pulmonary hypertension (PH) caregiver? If so, then November has been your special month. Thanksgiving is celebrated this week in the U.S., and all month there has been a focus on PH awareness and on many of you. That’s right — on many of you — because…

Sometimes life refuses to go according to plan. Having pulmonary hypertension (PH) and coexisting illnesses only adds to this. Not that we needed to throw our lives off-balance any more, but it happened. I now have COVID-19. I’ve had symptoms for over a week. The challenge for me, and likely…

Adulting is hard. As children, we look forward to the freedom to make our own decisions, but being responsible for ourselves isn’t always as satisfying as we thought it would be. Even those blessed with a supportive family and friends are still affected by the choices they make. There are…

“When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.” – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer My life has been very uncertain lately. There are days when things seem to fall apart, then get put back together, and then fall apart all over again. I am dizzy from the…

“Without you, there would be no me. I am everything reflected in your eyes. I am everything approved by your smile. I am everything born of your guidance. I am me only because of you.” – Richelle E. Goodrich, “Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a…

There are times in life when I believe it is necessary to sit on the fence between optimism and pessimism. A pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis and the battle that follows is one of those situations. My husband, Brian, recently put a creative spin on this perspective when he participated…

“So far, you’ve survived 100% of your worst days.” I have questioned my strength during so many moments in my life — moments that left me feeling tired, defeated, and hopeless. I questioned how much physical and emotional pain I could handle. During these times, my mind and body tested…

One difficult aspect of the pandemic and all of the necessary restrictions that have been put in place is the feeling that our time is being wasted. Young people, and likely the elderly, too, especially worry about this. Some might say, “I don’t want to waste my 20s…

November is a special month for many. It is a time to gather with friends and family, and share a meal, memories, current events, and hope for the future. Now is the season for reflecting on our lives and being mindful of what we have to be thankful for. Feeling…