Columns

I don’t know how to begin to explain the experience of being at the Donate Life Transplant Games of America. It’s been all I’d dreamed of, and so, so much more. To say that my emotions have overwhelmed me would not do justice…

Just the thought of surgery sends my anxiety into overdrive. After having over a dozen surgeries in my 27 years of life, some would assume I am a pro at it. Most people don’t realize the kind of anxiety that goes along with the word…

One thing that I have looked forward to throughout my transplant journey is the Transplant Games. I was fortunate to learn about the Donate Life Transplant Games of America just days after my surgery. The Games were in Cleveland,…

Mayo Clinic defines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as “a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.” Living with pulmonary hypertension and other cardiac and neurological conditions has caused my body to endure…

In June, I attended my first Pulmonary Hypertension Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. Sitting in a packed ballroom full of strangers, I had never felt more seen. Many of the faces around me were fellow PHighters, and we were all there for the same reason. I left…

Last week, I reflected on attending the Pulmonary Hypertension Association 2018 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions for the first time since my heart-lung transplant. Click here to read that post. Attending PHA’s Conference was an intensely emotional experience for me. I think it’s…

There are days when having a chronic illness feels like too much to handle. Days when the physical symptoms and discomfort make it seem as though my own body isn’t connected to me, and the emotional toll is too much to bear. On these…

At the end of June, I was honored to photograph the Pulmonary Hypertension Association 2018 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida. This was the ninth PH Conference I’ve attended, but the first without my idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. On…

My social life, based solely on my pictures online, may seem somewhat average for a 20-something-year-old. On my social accounts, you can find pictures of my friends and me; photos from the beach or of fancy drinks, and selfies from long car rides. What people don’t…

Chronic low oxygen levels, sleep-related breathing disorders, lack of proper circulation, and gas exchange impairment are all factors that have contributed to the neurological consequences that have been more prominent in my life recently. Pulmonary hypertension affects more than…

A heart-lung transplant cured my pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and changed the way I interact with my environment. It affected the activities I perform in every room in my house. Knowing I can get caught up in my own routine, I often…

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…