The Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s (PHA’s) The Right Heart blog brings you a story about a patient that was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in October 2015 after realizing she had a family history of this disease. CraShundra Richardson started experiencing fatigue early on and went to her doctor. Her doctor recommended that she get routine blood work done. Surprisingly, she had just lost a family member to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
The doctor reviewed test results that showed high thyroid levels and red blood cell (RBC) counts that had worsened over several years. As she was placed on medication for her thyroid and referred to a cancer clinic for her RBC count, she thought to mention the doctor that she had a family history of PH, and she asked if she could be referred to a cardiologist.
CraShundra’s story takes us through the tests that were performed; like with so many other PH patients, her medical providers sent her to different specialists, only to find out her initial suspicions were right from the beginning. CraShundra’s story is one of perseverance and will – she pushes through for her family and vows not only to survive with PH, but to LIVE with PH. Read more about CraShundra’s journey and how she plans to live her best life with PH in The Right Heart blog.
