Columns

First in a series.  Many pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients and caregivers experience survivor’s guilt. During my son’s battle with PH and the five years since his heart and double-lung transplant, a staggering number of patients have died because of PH and post-transplant complications. Each time I learn of another…

Since my pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis, others have told me repeatedly how strong I am. But on some days, I don’t feel as strong as they think I am. Even the strong grow weak and weary. But that doesn’t mean I’m not strong as I battle my PH. I have…

“I’m doing fine. Thanks for asking.” This is the response I usually give to people when they ask, “How are you?” Most people I say this to don’t want to hear the truth and probably wouldn’t understand it anyway. I have learned over…

It is said that good things come to those who wait. But when you are waiting for a loved one to get out of surgery, patience has nothing to do with the outcome. Neither does worrying. Fear is difficult to subdue under these circumstances. The longer the wait, the more…

Life is tough. Living with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and other illnesses impacts not only my life but my family’s lives, too. I have touched on this topic briefly in previous columns, but I don’t think I have shared just how much PH impacts us as a family. No matter…

Gaining and losing weight is a part of life. In my 28 years, my weight has fluctuated for several reasons, including puberty, hormones, dietary changes, and acute illness. During these weight shifts, I accepted that it was just how my body was at…

Over the past decade, my son and our family have been through an intense journey from pulmonary hypertension (PH) to transplant. Most of the big, scary, sad, joyful, and incredible moments were squeezed into the past 10 years. Cullen was two years into his diagnosis when the world ushered in…

“I don’t have a choice, but he does. He doesn’t have to choose this type of life.” I said this to my mom with tears in my eyes just before my bypass surgery four years ago. At the time, I had been in a…

If you are like me, trying to balance life with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and coexisting illnesses is a full-time job. Add in the busy holiday season, and despite careful planning, I am left with a general feeling of malaise and lethargy. Though I don’t host any holiday celebrations at…

I recently read that the World Health Organization has declared 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. In honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, I hope you feel inspired to unite with people around the globe by celebrating, thanking, and supporting nurses.

Happy New Year, y’all. Do you remember the old saying, “As we get older, the years fly by”? For some reason, 2019 did exactly that. A new year creates the opportunity to reflect on the past and prepare for the future. As I ponder, I think about the positives and…

I have spent the majority of my 28 years suppressing my emotions. I had this idea that strength meant not letting my true feelings show. I fooled a lot of people with my smile and the way I seemed to handle life’s stressors with ease.