Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

September 20, 2017September 20, 2017

Redefining Self-Image with Pulmonary Hypertension

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

The best product of my teenage angst was a series of abstract paintings titled “Attached to a Machine I through IV.” During my junior year of high school, I was ... Read more

September 13, 2017September 13, 2017

Life with More Spoons

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

My sweet friend Teresa has stopped asking me if I have enough spoons to hang out with her. With my health stabilizing, appointments fewer and farther between, and my oxygen ... Read more

September 6, 2017September 6, 2017

The Call that Changed My Life

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

As soon as the first words were out of his mouth, I knew the man on the phone was calling to offer me organs. I had imagined this phone ... Read more

August 30, 2017August 31, 2017

5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before My Transplant

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

Knowing that transplant was my plan when all else failed, I lacked the curiosity to gather information before making a decision. I focused on survival: More information only increased ... Read more

August 23, 2017August 23, 2017

Healing While Waiting for Transplant

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

The hard part I’ve heard that waiting for the transplant is the hardest part. Every day after my transplant, I heard, “This is the hardest part,” leaving me a ... Read more

August 16, 2017August 16, 2017

Finding PH Community in Waiting Rooms

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

When my alarm goes off at 9 a.m. in the clinic and I pull out my bright green pill organizer, others around me start to do the same. “I’m ... Read more

August 9, 2017August 8, 2017

How My Cosmetic Products Changed with My Chronic Illness

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

“What’s with the nail file?” my sister asked, her eyes failing to conceal her amusement. Still grinding my nails down, and with two backup emery boards in my purse, ... Read more

August 2, 2017August 8, 2017

Recognizing My Window of Opportunity for Transplantation

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

The changes were gradual enough not to alarm me. I went from a steady 110 to 118 pounds in less than a year, but always celebrated weight gain. The ... Read more

July 26, 2017July 26, 2017

Why I Avoid Congratulating Transplant Recipients

Columns, Life After PH – A Column By Kathleen Sheffer

When I tell someone I had a heart-lung transplant, I’m usually greeted with “congratulations,” unless they are particularly clueless and say, “Get well soon.” When I was dealing with ... Read more