Breathing Through the Journey: My Experience with IPAH
Hi, I’m Megan—the voice behind Breathing Through the Journey.
This space was born from my experience living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH) and everything that comes with it– the appointments, medications, lifestyle changes, emotional highs and lows, and learning to take life one breath at a time. Living with PAH looks different for everyone, so this blog is mainly for myself—to have a real, honest outlet where I can share how I’m truly feeling throughout this journey.
What is IPAH?
It’s a rare condition where the blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs becomes dangerously high for no clearly identifiable reason (“idiopathic” means the cause is unknown). This makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the lungs and can lead to symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, chest discomfort, and dizziness.
Medication
As part of managing IPAH, I’m on a combination of medications that help lower pressure in my lung arteries and support my heart. Opsumit helps relax and protect the blood vessels in my lungs, Sildenafil helps them stay open so blood flows more easily, and Remodulin (which I receive continuously through a Remunity Pump) works to widen those vessels and improve circulation. These treatments don’t cure the condition, but they help manage symptoms, slow progression, and improve quality of life.
I am a wife, dog mom, and PAH warrior learning to take life one breath at a time.
Breathing Through the Journey 