Anna is an artist and writer based in Minnesota. Diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension at the age of 4, she fought for 19 years before receiving a lifesaving heart-lung transplant in 2018. Despite complications following transplant, she was discharged back home eight months later. Anna now manages life with a tracheostomy and relies on supplemental oxygen, but her life remains full of hope and wonder, which she strives to share through her writing. In addition to her role as a columnist for Pulmonary Hypertension News, Anna works as a photo editor, a photographer, and also runs her own art business.A week or two before I had a heart and lung transplant seven years ago, my mom and I had lunch with a friend who was a pulmonary hypertension survivor and had received a transplant two years earlier. She shared with us what there was to look forward to…
When you live with a chronic and complex illness, complications and side effects from the medications to treat it are always lurking around the corner — even in the most stable of times. The more dramatic setbacks of living with pulmonary hypertension (PH) have included things like getting sick…
My mom was quick to share her dream with me from the night before when I came downstairs for breakfast on a recent morning. In the dream, I was still living with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and we were sitting with a group of our close PH friends. Everyone seemed…
Pulmonary Hypertension News recently shared a graphic on Instagram illustrating the various symptoms of the disease. Next to the outline of a body are the words “Cough and hoarseness,” with a line pointing to the throat area. This depiction pleased me, because hoarseness was my first indicator of disease…
In my 19 years of living with pulmonary hypertension (PH), winters were always the hardest season. Because of the increased spread of communicable diseases and the harsh weather here in Minnesota, it was rare for me to make it through the season without some decline in health. Since my…
Like many parents in the 1990s, my mom and dad opted to have my siblings and me regularly vaccinated according to the recommended schedule. I’m not sure they thought twice about it. This was common practice among most families we knew in the Midwest and was eventually required at the…
Whether you’re 5 or 15, back-to-school season can involve all sorts of overwhelming factors when living with pulmonary hypertension (PH) or another complex illness. Along with shopping for school supplies and planning an outfit for school pictures, PH warriors also have to worry about medication management, energy allowance, and…
My first doctor for pulmonary hypertension (PH) introduced the general concept of organ transplant to my parents and me at the same time as my diagnosis. As we learned about a life with PH, she also explained that transplant was the single lifesaving option I’d likely need once I…
While talking with some friends recently, we ended up discussing our college majors. My mom had encouraged me to study literature, writing, or something similar, but after a lifetime of being closely tied to the healthcare system with my pulmonary hypertension, I was determined to pursue a career in…
When I got my driver’s license at 16, my parents mentioned that I might benefit from handicapped parking, given my pulmonary hypertension (PH). But despite my poor tolerance for walking distances at the time, I didn’t even entertain the subject. A parking permit — a blue tag that…
As an avid reader who lives with a chronic illness, I’ve always looked for stories to which I could relate. When I was a teenager, I read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, which followed the life of a 16-year-old girl with terminal cancer. It was…
In my early 20s, I had the opportunity to participate in an interactive photo shoot. The photographer asked her subjects questions about our lives and then captured our emotional responses. There was much laughter and thoughtfulness among our group. During my portion of the session, the photographer asked, “Where do…
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