Michael is a pulmonary hypertension caregiver from Humble in Texas, USA. He is a caregiver for his wife, who is 42, and was diagnosed in December 2017 with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Along with her pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis, she was also diagnosed with Lupus. She is on intravenous therapy with Veletri (epoprostenol). Michael started his Instagram page PhCaregivers earlier this year. He says he wanted to share his experience as a caregiver, and encourage other caregivers to share their stories. He is also involved in many awareness raising activities for pulmonary hypertension.
Mixing Veletri can be a tedious and time-consuming process. It takes about an hour and a half for one person to prepare seven cassettes of the medication, which constitutes his wife’s weekly dose. However, this husband has found a creative and enjoyable solution to make the task more engaging – he organizes what he affectionately calls “mixing parties” with his wife. Gathering once a week on Sundays, with the company of each other, and the energizing beat of their favorite tunes, the mixing time is significantly reduced to about 45 minutes.
This wonderful story exemplifies the power of creativity in turning something ordinary and challenging into an occasion of joy and togetherness.
See his “mixing party” video at this link on the PhCaregivers Instagram page
Check out Michael’s PhCaregivers Instagram page for more tips on how to manage daily life with pulmonary hypertension and to read about his incredible “speed skating” awareness videos at this link
