Against All Odds: Eric's 120-Mile Journey to Defy Pulmonary Hypertension

Photo By Sgt. Patrick King | Eric “EB” Borstein, a pulmonary arterial hypertension outpatient, overlooks his trekking segment through Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on Sept. 25, 2024. Living with PAH can significantly impact mobility and daily activities. PAH patients often experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and decreased exercise tolerance, making physical activities challenging. As the disease progresses, these symptoms can worsen, leading to increased difficulty performing routine tasks and reduced quality of life. "I learned that walking helped mitigate the side effects of the medication,” Borstein said. “So, the blocks turned into miles, and as time went, the walking helped both with side effects, but it also just helped me mentally psychologically living with a terminal disease." (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Patrick King)  

CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

10.09.2024

Story by Sgt. Patrick King 

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

On September 21, 2020, Eric "EB" Borstein collapsed from massive right heart failure and was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare and incurable disease that is a type of high blood pressure affecting the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart. In PAH, the small arteries in the lungs become narrowed, blocked, or damaged, causing increased resistance to blood flow through the lungs, granting a grim five-year survival rate of only 50%. Despite the debilitating symptoms and the severe toll that the disease takes on a patient’s mobility, Eric refused to let it define him. After spending 16 days in the intensive care unit, he began walking as a way to manage the side effects of his treatments.
What started as short walks in his neighborhood turned into daily treks, and by the end of 2023, he had walked over 10,700 miles. On September 22, 2024, almost four years to the day after his diagnosis, Eric completed a 120-mile walk from Los Angeles to San Diego to raise awareness and funds for other PAH patients. In defiance of the odds, he used his walks to improve his physical health, reclaim his life, and inspire others facing similar battles.

Project Sources:
Rosenzweig, E. B., & Gomberg-Maitland, M. (2019). Pulmonary arterial hypertension: Updates in epidemiology and evaluation of patients. The American Journal of Managed Care. Retrieved from https://www.ajmc.com/view/pulmonary-arterial-hypertension-updates-in-epidemiology-and-evaluation-of-patients
American Lung Association. (n.d.). Learn about pulmonary arterial hypertension. Retrieved from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pulmonary-arterial-hypertension/learn-about-pulmonary-arterial-hypertension
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Pulmonary arterial hypertension. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23913-pulmonary-arterial-hypertension

• Date Taken: 10.09.2024
• Date Posted: 10.10.2024 02:59
• Story ID: 482848
• Location: CALIFORNIA, US