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 with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Maybe it is because life is fragile…
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.
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There’s a sentiment that a book finds you at the right time in your life. Sometimes, when you have a chronic illness like pulmonary hypertension (PH), that book finds you when you’re sitting on a bench outside of a hospital. Recently, that book for me was “Famesick,”…
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. In my experience, resolutions are cobbled together the first week of…
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 persistent, and fought and worked hard for the things I wanted…
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 should know that I have seen the series through and through…
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 felt like a month and left me in search of some…
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 the onions. It was after I started peeling an onion 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 down on the opposite curb just as a car flew by.
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 a man who does his best to convince the police, himself,…
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 and I stepped aboard. Not more than 15 seconds later, a…
One holiday season a few years ago, I was sprinting through the Atlanta airport desperately trying to make a flight home to San Diego. I ran right up to the gate and was one of the last passengers to board the plane. Winded, yes, but I didn’t feel…
At the start of pulmonary rehabilitation, I was asked to write out a goal to work toward throughout the three months of sessions. Without realizing how unrealistic it sounded, I jotted down that I would like to run a 5K race. At this point, I was newly diagnosed…
“If you’re paying out-of-pocket, Mr. Naple, that will be $1,600 for the one month of sildenafil. Is that something you will want to pay today?” the pharmacist inquired over the phone. You probably know my answer. Sildenafil is one of three medications I take to keep my pulmonary hypertension…
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