Columns

After being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension I began to look high and low for things to incorporate into my lifestyle that potentially could help with my overall wellness. I began to look at myself as a holistic being, instead of someone with an illness. How was I overall,…

Earlier last week I was struck by crippling sinus pain (an unfortunate side effect of one of the treatments I take for pulmonary hypertension.) The weather changed drastically from perfect sweater weather to much cooler weather, both dry and rainy. The change in air pressure sent my sinuses…

Yesterday I went all the way to Toronto. It was my second time going there for something non-medical-related since being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. I remember wondering if I would ever be able to go back to do something ‘normal,’ or to do something…

My column last week, Meditation to Manage Stress, discussed why I started to practice meditation and mindfulness after being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. A naturopath recommended it after my diagnosis and, although hesitant at first, I researched the benefits and decided to try it out. Practicing meditation was very…

After being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, I turned to alternative health practices to complement my pulmonary hypertension treatments, (affectionately known by friends and family as boner pills). Sorry if that offends anyone, but I had a good laugh after my heart cath, when a doctor came over with the…

I live in Canada, where autumn has officially approached and is quickly passing. The weather can be a bit of a rollercoaster, fluctuating between jean-jacket weather and parka weather as it tries to decide what season this is. Suddenly it seems like everyone has a cold, making my desire…

October 2013 is when I first started to notice unusual symptoms that would soon lead a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. I can’t recall having any symptoms prior to that month, which is rather unusual. Most PH patients show symptoms for two years before receiving a proper diagnosis,…

When I was first diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, I was surprised to learn that supplementary oxygen, along with other medical equipment, is sometimes used for costumes. I soon learned that people were “dressing up” as characters with a disability for cosplay and Halloween. “The Fault in Our Stars” came…

My Gratitude Journal. With Thanksgiving creeping up, I’ve been thinking about what my boyfriend and I should make for dinner. It can be hard to think of a meal that we will both like because our diets are so different. He eats the standard Ninja…

On Monday of last week I received a phone call from my family doctor to let me know that I had to come in to talk about the results of my pelvic ultra sound, which I wrote about for an earlier column found here. I feared it might…

For my last column, Is There a Hidden Drug Abuse Problem Among Pulmonary Hypertension Patients?, I spoke to several pulmonary hypertension patients who use prescribed pain killers to help manage pain. Sarah and Lindsay shared that they began to abuse their prescribed painkillers within the last year. Both admitted…

Last week I had to have an ultrasound done on my pelvic region. I have always had very difficult periods, so my family doctor finally sent me to have some tests done to rule anything out (such as an ovarian cyst). The tests sucked for a multitude of…