Theresa Lickman - phaware® interview 288

Caregiver, Theresa Lickman discusses her husband Bill's diagnosis and the importance of living life within the limits of PH.

Hi, I'm Theresa Henderson Lickman and I'm a pulmonary hypertension caregiver.

My husband Bill and I have only been married for two and a half years. He was diagnosed probably 10 years before that. We did start dating nine years ago. The very first thing I did, one of the very first things, was going to University of Michigan Hospital for his appointment. I always talked to people in the waiting room and there was a lady there and she said, "Have you heard about the pulmonary hypertension support group?" I said, "No." We started going to the pulmonary hypertension support group and I think that has helped my husband a lot. Now, we've found a support group that's a little bit closer to us, too.

Being a caregiver, I try and not say things a lot because he knows his limitations and he's a big boy. I don't want to be telling him things that he can't do when he really can. That's the hardest part is watching him cut wood for our wood stove and really worrying about him, especially when he was on Coumadin, because if he cut himself and I didn't know it, that could be big trouble.

He's not on Coumadin anymore, which is a good thing. He is so good at taking his medication, it's amazing. The wonderful thing is he never complains about it, because taking all that medication three times a day could be a real drag and he really does very well taking it.  He remembers, except yesterday when we were on the plane, he forgot. But other than that, he does really well doing that.

You try not to worry and you just have to believe that his doctors know best. He has one of the best doctors for PH. I guess you just have to live your life, and we do. This is our second vacation of three this year. He knows his limits and if he gets tired, we just stop for that day.

He was not a smoker. He was not anything. We think his father died from it, so there could be a genetic component. He actually had a nephew that was in his teens die and one of his brothers died of it. So there's a genetic component. We hope his sons don't have it.

There needs to be more money for research. There really does. Although there have been wonderful things that have happened. For him to just take three oral medications is just a blessing, that he doesn't have to be on IV and sub-Q and all the other things that other patients have to be on.

Our vision is that, actually, that he gets better. The newest drug [he was prescribed], was Uptravi. His doctor said that his heart is actually better than it was. I hoped that I would hear that, but I never thought I would. So that was cool.

My name is Theresa Henderson Lickman and I'm aware that my husband is rare.

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