Chronically Uncool – Ellie Bird

Sometimes I feel like having a health condition is a full-time job. I also have a “real” full-time job. Before I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH), I never considered how much admin would be involved in having a serious health…

Since I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 2017, I have struggled with people in my life who don’t understand what my illness is or how it affects me. PH is a rare disease that…

I’ve written in previous columns about the difficulties I’ve experienced while navigating romantic relationships with a chronic illness. This week, I wanted to write positively about finding love with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and some of the little things…

One thing we hear a lot about while living with a serious chronic illness is the importance of staying positive. But what does that mean? The “importance of positivity” is a common trope both inside and outside the chronic illness community. While a lot can be…

One of the hardest things about the diagnosis of a progressive illness is grappling with how your disease will affect your future independence. It can be scary and painful to think about how, as your disease progresses, you will become more and more reliant on other…

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stressful time for everyone, but it can be particularly stressful for those trying to manage long-term medical conditions. Many people with serious health problems are seeing their doctors’ appointments canceled, postponed, or changed to telephone or teleconferencing appointments. Since my…

When living with significant health problems, one must balance not only personal worries, but also those of family members and friends. This can be a lot to handle. One of the things that upset me most after my pulmonary hypertension diagnosis…

The most commonly asked questions I get about my pulmonary hypertension (PH) are: what were your symptoms prior to diagnosis, and how did you get diagnosed? People in the PH community are always keen to know the answers as the disease…

I’ve written before about how I have adjusted my diet since my pulmonary hypertension diagnosis, but this isn’t something I’ve always found easy. When struggling with mental health or the usual pressures of daily life, it can be…

Physical and mental health are closely linked. Many people who struggle with long-term conditions like pulmonary hypertension (PH) also struggle with things like anxiety. Both PH and anxiety can affect heart rate,…

I received a call a couple of days ago from my pulmonary hypertension (PH) specialist center telling me that I am a high-risk patient and need to self-isolate. I’d already been social distancing for a while, but hearing…

I have been living with pulmonary hypertension for more than two years. When I was first diagnosed, doctors thought I was a nitric oxide responder. They told me that was good because it meant there were more medications that could potentially help me. I was put on…