Jen Cueva lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and mini schnauzer, Zoé. Jen worked in nursing before the script changed upon her diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH), group 1, in 2005. Advocacy has been essential to her life. Her passion is to instill hope and remind others in the PH community that they are not alone. To do this, she serves as a forum moderator for Pulmonary Hypertension News and in her weekly column she delves into the roller coaster of emotions that accompany PH. It is powerful and meaningful to her to have this opportunity to play a role in helping others become more informed and educated so they are more empowered in their journey. Together, we PHight stronger!
People often ask me, “How can you be so grateful while living with pulmonary hypertension (PH)?” Little do they know that gratitude is a go-to practice for me. If you’ve read my past columns, you’ll know…
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Managing pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be exhausting. Adding coexisting conditions makes it even more challenging. Like me, many people struggle to manage multiple illnesses. In addition to PH, I deal with chronic kidney disease (CKD), iron deficiency…
The number of devastating natural disasters has increased significantly in the past several years. These billion-dollar disasters strike some states repeatedly. Therefore, residents in those areas realize the importance of preparedness. I stay on alert because I live…
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complicated disease. I am the first to admit that. I live in the mountains and the valleys of PH life daily, and often I am thrown curveballs. While it is understandable that others around…
Surviving day in and day out with a life-threatening illness like pulmonary hypertension (PH), well, simply sucks. My struggles with numerous symptoms and medication side effects weigh me down and rapidly deplete me. Uptravi (selexipag) and Revatio (sildenafil)…
“Advocacy August” is here. Because pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare disease and has no cure, it is necessary that we promote awareness among those who can make a difference in our lives. When it comes to government…
My schedule was hectic this week. I had several days of bloodwork and doctors’ appointments scheduled. The heat here in Texas with its suffocating humidity is not ideal weather for someone with pulmonary hypertension (PH). My energy levels…
“Good morning, Mrs. Cueva,” said the young lady on the phone. During our call, she informed me of a change in my medication coverage that would take effect in the following weeks. “Your copay will now be $830 per…
Since my previous column was heart-wrenching and vulnerable, I decided to make this one fun. At the end of April, my husband smashed his first MS 150 ride. He started in Houston, Texas, and crossed the finish…
Survivor’s guilt is something that I’ve struggled with over the past 14 years. Living with the rare and life-threatening disease that is PH, I continuously lose people I care for. Lately, it seems that every time I look at…
Summer is here, and perhaps a road trip is in your plans for the season. I’ve always looked forward to this time of year. However, living with pulmonary hypertension (PH), summer can take a toll on my body.
Living with pulmonary hypertension (PH) for the past 14 years has been a challenge, to say the least. Along this journey, an important relationship for me has been with my PH specialist. I started out with a few…
Welcome to Jen Cueva’s “Worth the PHight,” a new Pulmonary Hypertension News Today column. Hey, y’all! I am happy to be here writing this column, and I hope it will help others out there who are PHighting this same…
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