Online Resources for Pulmonary Hypertension Patients
When you are first diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, it can be difficult to find resources for online support. It can be hard to know where to look for support, or where to even…
In Life With PH – Serena Lawrence
Serena Lawrence graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2012, earning an honors degree in fine arts. After she was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2013 she started the blog called The PHight or Flight Project where she began freelance writing and curating guest writer content. Serena enjoyed a good cup of tea, little adventures, and her Boston terrier named Sammy.
In her “In Life With PH” column, Serena explored the challenges she faced in living with the disease, and sought to connect with other PH patients to gain insights into how to support the ongoing effort to better treat and eventually cure pulmonary hypertension. She also served as the head of columns for Bionews, the publisher of this website.
Serena passed away in September 2018. Click here to read more about her legacy.
Featured Post
My Experience with a Post-PH Depression Diagnosis
I’ve been living with depression nearly my entire life. I remember starting to struggle with overwhelming feelings of sadness and fear around the age of 5. My symptoms started to escalate…
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So, What Might Make Having PH Worth It?
I have really struggled coming to terms with my diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. The first year was especially difficult. I felt frustrated that I had a lung disease when I had never…
Life With PH: The Tragically Hip and The Chronically Ill
Staring Down the Barrel On March 24, 2016 the Canadian band called The Tragically Hip announced that their lead singer, Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Shortly…
PH Chronicles: My Bloody Right-Heart Catheter on Christmas Eve
A right-heart catheter is considered the gold standard when it comes to properly diagnosing pulmonary hypertension. I was diagnosed on Dec. 21, 2013, and was told that I would need a RHC…
Saying No, for Now, to Being a Parent with PH
I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension on the cusp of my adult life gaining its sea legs. After working a lot of crummy jobs while a university student, I had landed my first adult job…
4 Things I’d Tell Someone Recently Diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension
1. It is OK to get a second opinion… … or a third or fourth. I am currently in the process of finding my third pulmonary hypertension specialist. It took me over a year after…
4 Things Not to Say to Someone with Pulmonary Hypertension
I found that after I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, I received a bunch of off-brand advice. I realize the majority of what I heard from others was an attempt to make the situation…
Tips for Keeping a Pulmonary Hypertension-Friendly, Low-Sodium Diet
Many people living with Pulmonary Hypertension are on a no- to low-sodium diet. But trying to keep to such a diet can be very challenging, and create obstacles for dining with friends, even for preparing…
The Worst Advice You Can Give to a Pulmonary Hypertension Patient
I’ve spoken previously about the day that I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. There are a few moments that stick out from that day that will probably stay engraved in my mind for…
Pulmonary Hypertension and ‘The Spoon Theory’
Do you know what the Spoon Theory is? Have any of your friends called themselves a Spoonie? I didn’t know what the Spoon Theory was until a few months after I was diagnosed with…
Who Should Raise Awareness for Pulmonary Hypertension?
In pulmonary hypertension expert and blogger Serena Lawrence’s first post for Pulmonary Hypertension News, she introduces herself and begins to explore the themes of her new blog column, “Life With PH.” Every pulmonary hypertension patient’s…
