Columns

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…

In continuation of my previous column leading to my diagnosis, I had just been told by my physician’s nurse to research pulmonary hypertension. To this day, I still claim that looking up pulmonary hypertension online was one of the worst mistakes I’ve ever made. There was article after article saying how the…

Whether you’re studying pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or another disease, there’s always a sense of joy that comes from seeing potential new therapies finding success in the lab. As someone with a rare disease myself, I comb the literature to see what the next life-changing medication may be. While the…

In late March 2015, I caught a nasty case of bronchitis. It was a doozy, and just seemed to linger. In fact, I seemed to be getting only worse even after three rounds of antibiotics, days spent drinking hot water and honey, and sleeping constantly. My lungs felt as if they…

Let’s talk about fear and feeling scared. That deep fear. The fear that’s in your marrow, bubbling under the surface. It’s always there. It’s been there ever since (insert the worst thing that’s ever happened to you). A death. Losing your job. A chronic illness diagnosis. The moment that happens…