Columns

Living with pulmonary hypertension, sometimes life is hard. You may not feel well. You may have lost someone close to you. You may be in a funk. Maybe there’s no reason at all — life is just weighing heavily on you. For times like that, here’s a list of…

This podcast series, created and produced by phaware, is being offered as a regular guest feature on Pulmonary Hypertension News to bring the voices and life experiences of PH patients, family members, caregivers, healthcare specialists, and others to our readers. You can listen to the podcast directly,…

Pulmonary Hypertension News is pleased to announce to offer the “Aware That I’m Rare” podcast series produced by phaware. The podcasts will be a featured column three times a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays — starting April 3. Older episodes will be offered on those three days for the…

It’s not always easy, or delicious, to cook with a low-sodium flair as part of a safer pulmonary hypertension diet. Too much sodium can cause fluid retention because our bodies simply can’t process these things as well anymore. It also makes going out to eat…

Any time I’m feeling down about my health, I run to the scientific literature. For me, science has a way of re-instilling a sense of optimism that gets lost in the day-to-day regimens that leave my day feeling down. Since starting my PhD, I’ve learned how to…

I’ve always been a big traveler. I’ve zip-lined in an eucalyptus jungle in Hawaii. I’ve stood with my feet in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve been at the top of the Eiffel Tower at midnight, and watched Paris glitter before me. I’ve seen the most gorgeous sunsets…

I met my friend Drea years ago. We quickly bonded over both of us being childhood cancer survivors. We were able to speak freely with each other about what that meant. How we were so grateful for this life, but how it’s still difficult sometimes. We talked…

Some may find it odd that, as an engineer, I research pulmonary hypertension. Even before delving into the definition of what it meant to be an engineer, I envisioned gears turning, buildings being built, and constructing airplanes and rockets to be launched into space. But after entering the…

I’ve been married almost four years now. It’s not a long time in the grand aspect of marriage. When I met my husband, Matt, it was a connection I knew would last. When we started dating, I KNEW. I had always heard people say that “when you know, you know,”…

Let’s face it: It’s HARD to eat right. Add pulmonary hypertension on top of that? (Eye roll.) When I was first diagnosed with PH my doctor recommended I remove certain things from my diet. Alcohol. Salt. Sugars. All I kept thinking about was how wine and bacon were my favorite…

Sometimes (okay, probably more often than not) you meet people who don’t understand your illness. They take breathing for granted. They don’t even notice their lungs most of the time. They don’t understand how you struggle some days, gasping, dealing with chest pain, unable to do much. And they certainly…

When people hear engineering, many immediately jump to visions of grandiose buildings, beautiful bridges, or complicated machines. The stereotypical vision of engineers has since changed, as many of us have ventured into the field of science and medical research. Why is this important? As a biomedical engineer, my classes and…