Raising Awareness: What Does a PHighter Look Like?
“Do you wear glasses?” The question took me completely off guard. I was standing in line at my local breakfast spot and staring the cashier in the face, wondering if I did, in fact, have glasses on.
PHighting Words — Mike Naple
Mike Naple (he/him) lives in Washington, D.C., but calls San Diego, California, home. Mike was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2016. He also manages living with interstitial lung disease, sleep apnea, scoliosis, and a stutter. These chronic conditions are mostly invisible except for when Mike uses oxygen therapy while engaged in rigor exercise or activity. Mike is a public affairs and communications professional who still works full time. He is excited for readers to join him as he navigates the intersections of disability, chronic illness, rare disease, public policy advocacy, and living with PH.
Featured Post
3 ways to relax to counter stress and better navigate life with PH
Do you have trouble relaxing? That might seem like a silly question given that summer vacations are in full swing. But I’m asking because of my own ongoing quest to better relax as part of my treatment plan…
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Spending a Holiday in a Hospital Bed and other Spring Reflections
I’ve been quiet in this space for longer than I intended to be. Call it writer’s block or an exceedingly busy work schedule or no particular reason, really. I just didn’t put fingers to the keyboard in…
PHighting for Rare Disease Awareness on Feb. 28
“It’s about the journey, not the destination,” is an oft-quoted phrase that is meant to remind us to be in the present and savor the special moments along the way, instead of being preoccupied with that next…
Bouncing Back from a Checkup’s Mixed Results
The paper crinkled beneath me as I sat on the edge of the exam room table while waiting for my pulmonary doctor. I was at the hospital for my quarterly appointment to…
PHighting Beyond Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is on my mind. Maybe it is because we are in the new year. Maybe it is my impending doctor’s appointments and tests that will update me on the progress I’ve made in my PHight…
Why Setting Goals Is Part of My New Normal
I cannot believe 2018 is already upon us. I don’t know about you, but 2017 has felt like one ongoing, never-ceasing stress test. For many reasons. I have never been a big believer in New Year’s resolutions.
The PHun Side of Anger
I’m going to get this out of the way. There is no fun side of anger, regardless of how you spell it. I never considered myself an angry person. I saw myself as someone who overcame obstacles, was…
Aware, Rare, and Advocating for PH Year-Round
The other night I sat in my small living room as an episode of “The West Wing” played in the background. I probably was writing something or other, not giving the show my full attention. You…
Showing Gratitude and Perseverance While Living with PH
I’m going to be honest with you, readers. I didn’t want to write this column. I was sure I lacked the bandwidth to do it, to write it in a manner that was value-added. The previous week…
Peeling Back the Layers of Chronic Illness
On a recent rainy fall day in Washington, D.C., you could find me in my small kitchen apartment cooking up a hearty beef stew. I prepped all the vegetables — the carrots, the celery, the potatoes, and…
Why I PHight: Raising Awareness This November
Did you know that I have a new appreciation for street corners? I remember when I would attempt to cross the street as a red No. 2 flashed into a blinking hand, and my foot would touch…
Unreliable Narrators and My ‘Tell-Tale’ PH Heart
As the seasons change and we inch closer to Halloween, I have found myself reading the works of the great gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe, and am captivated by “The Tell-Tale Heart.” His story is about…
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