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.The pain caused my right knee to seize with every step. As I moved through the Indianapolis hotel room that morning, the day’s busy schedule simmering in the back of my mind, I knew I had to listen to…
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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…
“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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
It was like any other morning commute. Stand on the platform with crowds of people, all waiting for the delayed metro train, a more-than-common occurrence in Washington, D.C. When the train arrived around 8, its doors opened…
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