I was a healthy and fit 59-year-old woman living in Winnipeg, MB, at the start of 2020. Then I started feeling like something was wrong. I had trouble breathing, and by the time I was allowed to see my doctor and get it looked at, I couldn't catch my breath no matter what I did. On top of the difficulty breathing, I was exhausted all of the time. Covid hit the world hard, and a doctor's appointment wasn't an option.
The wheels were set in motion when I finally saw my MD. I had so many procedures in such a short time. For me, in this instance, COVID-19 was a blessing because there were no waiting lists for all the diagnostics and scopes, etc, that I had to have for my diagnosis. In less than two months, I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. It was a shock, but I was happy to find out what was wrong and treat it finally.
Dr David Christianson was amazing. He prescribed the appropriate medications, and I feel like a million dollars. That is not to say there hasn't been an impact on my life. I plan my days around my medications, but I have it better than some. The side effects of my medications have had a significant impact on my life. I plan my days around my medications, for example, but they have also given me my life back. I'm now 62 years old and go to the gym 4-5 days a week; I help with grandchildren, run my household and travel with my husband. I don't know where I would be without my doctors. My one piece of advice for anyone with PH is always to take your medications; don't skip them. The side effects are better than the alternative.
Contributed by Mary Senkiw, living with PAH since September of 2020. Winnipeg MB