Anna Bruno pushes through
Bethel University freshman uses rare diagnosis as motivation to become a nurse.
By Kate Holstein | Clarion Correspondent
Anna Bruno managed to pushed off going to the doctor for one more day. She was busy. Tennis, soccer, track, violin and schoolwork all snuck up to the top of her priority list. What was one more day?
A day off of school finally presented Bruno the opportunity to see a doctor. Her mom called to see if her daughter could get in for an appointment they thought would be routine. Sure she was thin, but nothing out of the ordinary. They knew her lack of appetite was concerning, but she had practice; she had school.
“All of a sudden I was in the hospital and my life completely changed.” — Anna Bruno
That appointment would throw Bruno and her family into a frenzy of searching for answers. “After [the appointment] it was a night and day difference,” Bruno said. “All of a sudden I was in the hospital and my life completely changed.”
Soon after her appointment, Bruno was admitted to Children’s Minneapolis Hospital. Initially, the diagnosis was an eating disorder due to the pattern she experienced of throwing up after she ate or drank anything. So doctors required her to eat, only to watch it all come back up within the hour. After a few weeks of observations, doctors pronounced the eating disorder as a misdiagnosis because she clearly was not “faking it.” Still no answers.
“When Anna first got sick, I told her we would never give up looking for answers.” –Katie Bruno, Anna’s mom
“When Anna first got sick, I told her we would never give up looking for answers,” Anna’s mom Katie Bruno said of her daughter. “It was frustrating seeing nearly every specialist, and none of them were able to provide an effective treatment.”
From there Bruno underwent months of tests in the attempt to solve the mystery of her health. “During that time I kept thinking ‘Oh I’ll go back to being my normal self,’” Bruno said. “In a couple months we’ll figure it all out and I’ll be back to sports.”
More diagnoses and a trip to Nationwide Hospital in Columbus, Ohio gave the Bruno family an answer they had been waiting almost a year for. Rumination Syndrome — a common symptom being the inability to keep any type of food or drink down. Along with that, she was diagnosed with Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy (AAG), which causes low blood pressure, low blood sugar, fatigue and nausea. “Just because you have a name for it, doesn’t really change anything,” Bruno said of her two main diagnoses. Answers, but no cure.
Now, three years after her life changing doctor’s appointment, many diagnoses, three different feeding tubes and port insertion, Bruno is enrolled in her first semester of classes at Bethel University. Unlike many other Bethel students, the idea of college wasn’t a given.
“It was more because Bethel was close to my house and my brother went here and liked it, but it’s not my dream school,” Bruno said. If it were up to her, she would be out of state and likely majoring in engineering. However, given her circumstances, her choice to pursue nursing came with a deep rooted desire to pass on what was given to her.
Bruno met a nurse named Laura when she transferred to The University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital in Nov. 2015. Balloons and cards filled her room. So did feeding tubes, ports, beeping machines and medications with unpronounceable names. And so did Laura’s presence. One day with Laura sticks in Bruno’s memory like glue.
“I had already been there a few weeks and they wanted me to be there for at least a month longer,” Bruno said. “So I was like ‘No, I’ve had enough of this.” She wanted to decide for herself. She wanted to get rid of all that had become a part of her new normal. “Take the tubes out,” Bruno said of her feeding tubes. “This is not how it’s meant to be.”
The threat of being moved to a psych ward lingered in the air as Laura came in. She opened up to Bruno and mentioned that she had depression and had gone in and out of psych wards often as a teen.
Some months later, Bruno reentered the hospital. “Where’s Laura?” and “Does she still work here?” were some of the first questions Bruno asked. Their response did not bring the usual feeling of comfort that had come with Laura’s name.
“I feel like I need to be a nurse.” — Anna Bruno
She had taken her life since Bruno’s last stay. “I feel like I need to be a nurse,” Bruno said of the nurse whose encouragement has stayed with her. “She really helped me that day, and I hear that she did that..” Bruno was at a loss for words, but her inspiration remained. “Yeah I’ve been sick, but if I hadn’t have been sick then I wouldn’t have thought of nursing,” Bruno said. “Maybe I’ll help inspire someone years down the road.”
She now attends classes that are preparing her to do what Laura did for her. Her college experience looks much different, though. Bruno recently got her driver’s license and now commutes to school herself from Roseville. She does not have a meal plan and often has to dive into her treasure trove of responses when someone asks if she wants to join them in the dining center. “I have allergies,” or simply “No thanks,” are among the top. She now accepts that school will be harder, but she sees a bigger picture. One more than school and fleeting friendships.
Monica Bruno described her younger sister as realistic, and as “blunt but very kind.” Others who have walked along Bruno describe her as resilient. Her mom notes she showed resilience specifically when she chose to finish high school at the Moundsview Area Learning Center.
Through her diagnosis, Bruno recognizes she may not ever be cured or be able to eat a slice of pizza without having it come back up again. Nevertheless, she recognizes her circumstances could be worse, and continues to push through her tests, infusions, schoolwork and setbacks with hope for her future.
Bio Box: Anna Bruno
- Originally from New Brighton, MN
- Lives in Roseville, MN
- First year student at Bethel University
- Nursing major
- Has four older siblings
- Attended Irondale High School and Moundsview Area Learning Center
- Played tennis, soccer, violin and ran track
List: Symptoms Anna Experiences
- Effortless regurgitation, usually within 10 minutes
- Feeling of fullness
- Nausea
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar
- Chronic fatigue
- Unintentional weight loss
Timeline: Anna Bruno’s life since initial doctor’s appointment
Jan. 2015: First visit to the doctor for unusual symptoms. Checks into Children’s Minneapolis where she remains until April. No longer attends Irondale High School in New Brighton, MN.
April 2015: Is sent to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Receives diagnosis of Rumination Syndrome. Begins outpatient care. Has a tutor come to the hospital which count as high school credits
Sept. 2015: Begins attending Moundsview Area Learning Center where she later receives her high school diploma.
Nov. 2015: 3 week stay at Nationwide Hospital in Columbus, Ohio where diagnosis is confirmed. Transitions to University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital where she met Laura. She continues to go for treatment through the present day.
2016: Finds out that her nurse Laura has taken her life and feels inspired to pursue nursing.
2018: Graduates from MoundsView Area Learning Center and begins attending Bethel University.
