Livin' With PH!!
Lovin’ My Life with PH By: Jessie Follett When you are a little eight year old girl you have big dreams. Dreams of being a ballerina, a princess or a teacher. You don’t think about going to bed and never waking up again. You don’t think about leaving your family, friends and your favorite Cabbage Patch Kid doll. I did. I was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in 1988 as a scared little girl that instantly had to grow up. I cried for my mom to sleep with me in case I didn’t wake up. I took all the attention from my little sister who didn’t know what was wrong with her big sister and best friend. My parents divorced and everyone looked at me with those pity eyes. “That poor girl, she’s so young.” I began calcium channel blockers to control my PH throughout my teenage years. I felt like an outcast all throughout school. I couldn’t participate in gym classes, sports or sometimes even slumber parties. I gained weight and used oxygen when I slept. I only had a couple...