I love talking on the phone, but too many calls can zap my energy
With PH, I must conserve my energy for the phone calls that matter
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When did you last speak to somebody on the phone? I don’t mean communication via email, text messages, Slack, Signal, Instagram, or other digital platforms. People today tend to opt for the more casual text- or chat-based connections. I imagine, though, that if you have pulmonary hypertension (PH) or another chronic illness, you might spend a little more time than others talking on the phone.
When I was a teenager in the mid-to-late 1990s, I spent hours talking on the phone with friends. I loved it. I refused to stay in one place, dragging the receiver cord from the kitchen to the living room and back again. My family hated getting caught up in the web I unintentionally weaved. I remember that thrilling feeling the day my parents invested in a cordless phone.
Similar to driver’s licenses, phones were a rite of passage. Some teens had their own phone lines and could get call waiting service. Back then, you couldn’t turn on the television without seeing one of those commercials where Murphy Brown promotes affordable long-distance calling — even to Canada! All this teenage phone frenzy led to my first cellphone, and technology would take phone conversations to new heights.
A quarter of a century later, dialing up a friend or relative at the touch of a button is easier, but not as common. A 2024 YouGov survey of U.S. adults found that 52% of respondents “spend less than 15 minutes talking to friends and family in a day.” The survey also found that more younger adults (ages 18-24) than older adults (ages 55 and up) spend at least 31 minutes talking on the phone with family and friends each day.
Admittedly, while I have texted today, I have not spoken on the phone (or FaceTimed) with a loved one.
Phone use and energy levels
Life with PH can be exhausting. Shortness of breath, fluctuating oxygen levels, and fatigue really deplete my energy. I hope readers won’t be surprised when I say that talking on the phone often requires a level of energy that I can’t always muster.
Like many other PH patients, I often find myself on the phone scheduling appointments with specialists, inquiring with pharmacy customer service staff about prescription refills, and contacting multiple medical supply companies to order oxygen, sleep machine supplies, and other devices that help keep me healthy. Because I stutter and am constantly at war with all automated phone systems, I try to use online ordering and scheduling as much as possible.
Sometimes, though, I can’t escape the phone call, and it’s a roll of the dice. Will it be a quick five to 10 minutes, or will I find myself on a never-ending call, being transferred between different departments in a land where time seems to have stopped? The most frustrating part is that I’ve used so much energy on the admin work my illness requires that I don’t have enough for phone calls with family and friends.
Calling back builds persistence
One glass-half-full observation is that I have become more persistent thanks to the “call back.” I’d wager that two-thirds of my medical-related phone calls require a callback. In my experience, it’s usually the patient or consumer who has to do so, rather than the pharmacy, doctor’s office, or travel assistance company.
For example, I was recently on the phone with a scooter company looking to get accommodations for a festival I was attending at a convention center in Washington, D.C. The service representative was nice and easy to talk to, but he couldn’t guarantee he could get the accommodations before his shift was over, and said he’d have to end the call. He told me to call back. The next day, I did, and with a little phone persistence, I arranged my accommodations. The amount of energy I spent on those phone calls reflects how much I wanted to attend the festival.
I do my best to conserve energy for the phone calls that matter. When I’m on a long email thread that isn’t landing, I pick up the phone to cut through the noise and get on the same page. I call lawmakers to advocate for policies that will improve the quality of life for PH patients. I call family and friends who live on the opposite coast so I can relish in hearing their voices and laughter.
Where do you land when it comes to talking on the phone? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Follow Mike Naple on X @mnaple or Bluesky at @mnaple.bksy.social.
Note: Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Hypertension News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary hypertension.
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