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.My grandma’s favorite story to tell about me is when I was 5 years old and she was staying with my siblings and me while my parents went on a short trip. A home nurse was summoned one morning to take care of my central line and prepare the…
As I prepare for a small diagnostic procedure this week, I’m noticing that my anxiety has skyrocketed. This is happening for two reasons. The first is that I have a full memory bank of physically uncomfortable and painful procedures that have made me quite sensitive. My years with illness have…
The memory is impeccably clear in my mind, tied up tightly in the damp smell of chlorine. I’m sitting on a bench in a humid concrete room while my peers splash boisterously around in the pool. They in their swimsuits, me in the required gym uniform. They, “normal.” Me, “the…
When we hear the question “Did you pack everything but the kitchen sink?” my family’s answer has always leaned toward “Yes.” Since being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 1999, my family has never been able to travel lightly. But the efforts we’ve put into traveling have always outweighed the…
When I was younger, my life with pulmonary hypertension (PH) was busy. I was active in dance, softball, and the arts. I was an engaged student and had an active social life. We took family trips and made many memories. I lived a full childhood in tandem with my progressing…
“What’s the one thing you wish people knew about your transplant journey?” It’s one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking questions I’ve ever been asked. It was posed to me six months after the momentous discharge that followed my traumatic heart-lung transplant. I remember looking up at my friend…
I didn’t truly realize how messy of a person I was until I went to college and spent more than four years living in small spaces with others. Growing up, my room would always become quickly disorganized, but this was typical teenage behavior no different than my older siblings’. Every…
The need for adaptation in my life began so quietly I often didn’t notice the accommodations I required. I started dancing at a young age, and at the end of each dance season, we had a big recital with different costumes for each performance. This created a problem when considering…
I still remember sitting on the couch with my mom on the eve of my 15th birthday. We were talking about how old I was getting, and after a brief pause, she said softly, “Every year for you is a miracle, you know.” I don’t remember how I responded, but…
On May 21, I celebrated 22 years of survival. On that day many years ago, I underwent a heart catheterization. Halfway through, doctors came out to inform my parents that the only diagnosis option was pulmonary hypertension (PH). My parents had previously been told that this was the worst-case…
Having grown up with a complex diagnosis that includes pulmonary hypertension, I was always interested in the field of healthcare. I still remember being 10 years old and telling people I wanted to be a pediatric anesthesiologist when I grew up. This was because of the anesthesiologists who had been…
When people ask to hear my story, I always offer the same opening line, “When I was 4 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare heart-lung illness,” as if I did not exist prior to that fated day. In some ways, this feels true. If I have learned anything…
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