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Guy Johnson first learned he was a ZZ Alpha just 5 years ago at the age of forty. Since then, he’s made some major life changes including moving his family from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, breaking a 20-year smoking habit, and becoming the lead singer of the rock band Stones Throw.
Hello! My name is Heather Kunz and I’d like to introduce myself as your AlphaNet Coordinator. I was born and raised in Utah and currently reside in Salt Lake City, but I have lived in many places over my lifetime including Wyoming and California. I’m married to my best friend and better half and am…
Hi, my name is Sara Parker, and I’m happy to introduce myself as your AlphaNet Coordinator. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Art and Humanities, I have lived in several states across the U.S., including Illinois, New Mexico, and California.
Support For Alphas Not on Augmentation Therapy We know that living with Alpha-1 can present risks to your health even though you may currently feel good and not require augmentation therapy. That’s why AlphaNet has a free, voluntary enrollment program specifically focused on maintaining the health of Alphas whose current status does not require advanced…
Each year on the last day of February, the National Organization for Rare Disorders invites us to observe Rare Disease Day. But what is Rare Disease Day and what classifies a condition as a rare disease? Read on to find answers and learn how you can participate in Rare Disease Day as an Alpha. What…
The number of people infected with nontuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease each year is on the rise and becoming a public health concern worldwide. Cases of NTM in the United States and Canada have doubled over the last 10 years, and the Alpha-1 community is no stranger to this condition as it affects many Alphas.
An important aspect of self-care for all Alphas is to reduce the risk of acquiring an infection, especially a lung infection. Almost all devices used to deliver oxygen and inhaled medications become moist from contact with the secretions of breathing and coughing. This moistness creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. It is…
Written by Dr. Robert. A. Sandhaus, MD, Ph.D., FCCP, Medical Director of AlphaNet Oxygen is a wonderful gas. It’s all around us. It’s in every breath we take. Not only that, we’re all addicted to oxygen. If oxygen were to be reduced or removed from the air, we would all experience extreme, even fatal, withdrawal…
Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body – it removes waste, aids in digestion, and synthesizes proteins your body needs to function. One of those proteins is Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT). Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) is manufactured in the liver and released into the bloodstream where its job is to protect your…
By Robert A. Sandhaus, MD, Ph.D., FCCP – Medical Director, AlphaNet Note: This is not an exhaustive discussion of pulmonary hypertension in general but limited to the major issues related to this condition faced by the Alpha-1 community. Nearly everyone has heard the fancy medical word for high blood pressure: hypertension. This very common condition…
Since the last vaccine update, NEW vaccines and updated recommendations for previous vaccines are available. Therefore, the medical team has decided to keep recommendations in one place with an updated global document. Vaccinations for children and for transplant recipients are not included in this update. Further information on specific recommendations is found on the Center…
