When you’ve lived with someone for decades, you feel there’s little about the person that can surprise you. There’s comfort in knowing what to expect. Similarly, it seems that little should surprise me after 20 years of caring for my husband, Tim, who has pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However,…
My Respiration Situation - a Column by Karen Schultz
With age and time, some life events have become diminished, while others I can recall with perfect clarity. Many of my memories from the days after my husband, Tim, was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) will always remain vivid in my mind and serve as defining moments for…
Loving someone with a poor prognosis is something I found myself unprepared for. With years of marriage comes history to draw upon, an established love and hard times under your belt. Time spent together through different seasons of life gives you a level of comfort and attachment. When newly married,…
Years ago, when my husband, Tim, transitioned from intravenous Flolan (epoprostenol GM) to the oral medicine Uptravi (selexipag), it was a major milestone. The weeks-long process came about through careful planning between Tim and the physician who manages his pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The daily lowering of…
My husband, Tim, and I have always practiced the art of giving help. We both feel loved when others allow us to assist. Whether we’re washing dishes after a meal, caring for children, or painting, we like to feel needed. When Tim was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension…
My mother, Ann, became a nana when she was 40 years old. In some situations, becoming a grandparent so early involves a crisis, so it may not be regarded as good news. In our case, I got pregnant when I was 18 and a freshman in college. The nine months…
Most people will admit to having at least one vice. My worst one is eating sweets — I’d rather have cake for dinner than the actual dinner itself. My husband Tim’s worst vice is nicotine. On our first date, Tim and I walked through the streets of my hometown chatting,…
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) isn’t a one-size-fits-all disease. Each patient’s diagnostic journey and treatment protocol look different, and the condition’s complexity and severity will vary for everyone. For my husband, Tim, the PAH journey has been long, resulting in an array of medical issues, including…
It’s not often that pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients enter a visit with their physician and hear what they want to hear. Many times for my husband, Tim, visits have been a gross reminder of his condition and how limiting it can be. A typical, predictable rundown: check-in, vital…
It isn’t often that my husband, Tim, and I attend an appointment with his pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) physician and hear what we’d like. Many times the news is a gross reminder of the condition and how limiting it can be. A typical visit goes as follows: Check in,…
“Every one of us gets through the tough times because somebody is there, standing in the gap to close it for us.” — Oprah Winfrey It has often struck me how fortunate my husband, Tim, and I have been that the same physician has cared for him for over 20 years.
Tim, my husband with pulmonary hypertension (PH), says on occasion, “It’d be nice to be normal sometimes.” He said that earlier this month, when we took a boat out for the July Fourth weekend. In North Carolina, where we live, July means one temperature: scorching. Relief comes in a…
