Hello! My name is Greg Jenkins, and I would like to introduce myself as your AlphaNet Coordinator.
I am originally from the Chicago area and currently live in Palmetto, Florida (south of Tampa) with my wonderful wife, who I married in 1983. Together, we have two grown children and enjoy spending time with them. I spent many years vacationing in Southwest Florida and decided to relocate to Florida in 2019 just before the pandemic and couldn’t be happier with that decision. My family and I enjoy the mild climate along with being near other family members in our area.
Although I was not aware of it at the time, my history with Alpha-1 started when I was diagnosed with asthma and allergies as a child. I started using an inhaler and getting allergy shots and eventually the symptoms lessened as I grew up. I was very active and was able to play the trombone in middle school and high school, which looking back may have been a benefit for my lung function.
I have always been into health and fitness and felt fine as I spent most of my adult years lifting weights and enjoying mild to moderate cardiovascular exercises. In my early fifties, I started to get short of breath more easily and couldn’t maintain the level of fitness I previously enjoyed. My first thought was it could be my heart, but after testing it was determined that my heart was not the problem.
It was in 2013 that I noticed my usual asthma medications didn’t seem to be as effective and I was experiencing increased shortness of breath. I tried different inhalers and steroid treatments and was then tested for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency in 2015. When the test came back positive for phenotype ZZ, I was immediately referred to a pulmonologist. My first pulmonary function tests indicated I only had about 50% of the lung function that would be normal for my age. I was devastated by this diagnosis, stopped exercising, didn’t feel well, and thought life as I knew it was pretty much over. I was very lucky that the pulmonologist I was referred to specialized in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and immediately started me on augmentation therapy and pulmonary rehab therapy. I was quickly connected to an AlphaNet Coordinator, and it was through their outreach and participation in the local Alpha-1 support group that I was able to move forward.
I am now retired from my 40-year career selling industrial printing equipment and very happy to be of service to others in their Alpha-1 journey.