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Still living life to the fullest, an Alpha and her husband are biking through New Zealand
When Anne Poe was just 13, she explored the world through her geography book. She enjoyed making papier-mâché maps. She made up her mind back then that she was going to travel the world. But she had no idea that a strange-sounding genetic condition called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency would make that dream a lot more challenging.
Poe often played sports when she was young. She recalls in high school running from one side of the soccer field to the other, wanting to be the best on the field, but running out of breath faster than her schoolmates. She always stayed active, however.
Ann Poe arriving at the canyon rim, 4,000 feet above Batopilas, Mexico
“I devoted my youthful energy to the simple goal of constantly wearing myself out, and pinned my self-esteem at being good at it. This has been the foundation for all my choices ever since,” she says.
She met her husband, Mike, in 1970. Together they began a life of hiking, bicycling, kayaking, canoeing and skiing in different places all over the world.
Among their travel adventures:
They rode their bikes from Costa Rica to Peru; cycled through Jamaica; rode from Alaska to Idaho; biked through Australia for six months; and from Bali, Indonesia, to China.
Poe enjoyed the rides so much, she published magazine articles and wrote a book about these adventures, filling it with her own photos.
Poe was living out her dream.
She was traveling.
A lot.
Scarp Ridge, Crested Butte, Colorado
But her health problems caught up with her in 2002, while she was visiting Mexico. A coal-fired laundry was dropping coal dust on the balcony of the apartment where she and her husband were living. She started coughing and couldn’t stop. She got an appointment with her doctor when she returned home. The doctor gave her pulmonary function test, then sent her to a lung specialist.
“When I told the specialist that my brother had recently died of cystic fibrosis, also a genetic lung disorder, he immediately did the blood test for Alpha-1,” she says.
She was devastated by the diagnosis. She couldn’t even pronounce her condition; much less explain it to Mike. She decided that since there was a shortage of the only available augmentation therapy drug at the time, she would put the whole issue on the back burner and go on with her life.
Her health condition was constantly in the back of her head though. She decided to research Alpha-1 and her options. She spoke to her brother-in-law, a medical professional, and was directed to three Alpha-1 specialists.
This time, she began home infusions of augmentation therapy, with the help of a local nurse. “I felt I had gained back some control of my life,” she said.
Mike Poe cycling through Southeast Asia
Six years later, Poe calls herself “an RV Full Timer.” She and her husband continue to travel. They’ve hiked in Utah, Arizona and Colorado – where Poe climbed a 13,000 foot peak. Inspired by its beauty, they wrote a hiking guide called, “Crested Butte Colorado: 60 Scenic Day Hikes.” The guide is available on their website.
The two have now launched another six-month cycling adventure in New Zealand — it’s the beginning of summer in New Zealand right now — this time as members of Team Alpha-1. This is their first international adventure since Poe’s infusions began.
“I expect I will go slower than before, but at least I’m going,” Poe said just before the trip.
You can follow their experiences in stories and photos on their website.
Traveling light in New Zealand: The Poes blog their current trip
