PHancy Free - a Column by Rebecca Lidenberg

phancy free

Rebecca is married, and the mother to one furbaby. She’s a warrior in spirit and a professional overthinker who has PH.

Happiness is an Inside Job

I got a tattoo today. It’s actually my sixth tattoo, but this one is definitely a good one. I decided to get a tattoo of the serotonin molecule. Serotonin, the chemical that helps your brain feels happy. I got it because I haven’t been happy lately. I’ve felt…

Finding Joy When Life is Hard

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…

An Ode to a Cherished Friend

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…

When Others Don’t Understand How PH Impacts Our Lives

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…


A Conversation With Rare Disease Advocates