You don’t have to give up your life because of PH Pamela Bayley has dedicated her life to dogs, and pulmonary hypertension hasn’t stopped her from enjoying them. She wrote this article to share her story of adjustment, prioritising, and how her furry friends have helped her through the bad times.
D
ogs have always been a part of my life. I was born in Derby and when I was a baby my mum would take me for a walk in my very large pram with our Yorkshire Terrier, Vicky. Stopping at the local shop she would park me outside (you could do that in those days!) and put Vicky in the end of the pram knowing I would be protected while she shopped. I have loved that breed ever since. I cannot remember a time when our family did not have a dog. They were usually ‘cast-offs’ from other people, and I have carried on the tradition.
My four-legged family
My husband and I moved 30 years ago to live somewhere with a field, taking five dogs with us, and we have never had less than that number. The most we have had was ten, and over these decades we have fostered or adopted from local rescue centres. For the last 14 years it’s been from our local RSPCA. I seem to end up with the old ones no one wants, or ones that have ‘issues’! Sometimes if they are old, they are only with us a couple of years. Others are with us longer, but if I started on their stories, I'd never finish this article! I have also helped to run a local dog club for the past 25 years, instructing the puppy class. We run eight classes over
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two nights and are very busy. For the last 15 years I have also been teaching fun agility for our club members in our small paddock at home. It’s lovely in summer but not so much in winter. Recently I have cut my classes from four or five per week down to two because my PH prevents me from standing out in the cold too much.
Getting my diagnosis
So, now we come to the PH bit! Around 12 years ago when I retired, I noticed my breathing was not quite right. I have always loved walking, especially with my dogs, and realised I was getting breathless going up hills. As Wales - where I live - is not known for being flat, this became a bit of a problem! I had to plan my routes, so they were not all up or down. As it got worse, I stopped walking with friends as I felt embarrassed because I was slowing them down. Shopping became a problem; I learnt to park near the trolley park so I could take one in with me and not have far to walk to the car after. I decided it was time to go to my local doctor. After two years of telling him it was not COPD or Emphysema, and that the inhaler he gave me was not working for the asthma I hadn't got, he eventually referred me to the chest clinic at my local hospital. By then I was walking with a stick, managing about one mile very slowly.
