Carl’s Story
DuBois, Pennsylvania
Retiree, former fire chief, father of five, and proud grandpa!
Procedure Details:
Age at Treatment: 71
Hospital: Lung Center and Intensive Care Services, Penn Highlands Dubois
Date of Procedure: February 2019
Life Before Zephyr® Valves:
Before my COPD diagnosis, I lived a very full life. We raised five kids. I was a mechanic for a glass company, a community fire chief, and I coached my daughter’s softball teams for many years. We were avid campers, too, and I was camping when I first noticed the symptoms of COPD. I started to get short of breath while setting up the camper. About five years ago, I landed in urgent care with breathing difficulties, and they suggested I should consult with Dr. Bansal at The Lung Center of Penn Highlands Healthcare.
I had quit smoking about seven years earlier, so the diagnosis was a surprise. We tried every medication you could think of to manage it, but my symptoms just kept getting worse. Just trying to sweep the floors would knock me out for the rest of the day. It got to the point where I had to do albuterol nebulizers three to four times a day and I was using the oxygen just to get from the house to the car.
My whole life changed. It became so limited by this disease. I couldn’t go camping anymore because of the campfires. I couldn’t go to a ballgame because of the humidity. That was hard because I loved watching our Penn State team and my grandson play ball. It broke my heart to miss his games.
Two years ago, I was hospitalized with double pneumonia and went septic. I was in the ICU for five days. A month later, I was back in again with pneumonia. It was a very scary time.
My daughter and my son-in-law have been together for 10 years and last September they decided to get married in March 2019. At my next appointment with Dr. Bansal, I told him that my daughter is getting married, and I have to be able to walk her down the aisle and dance with her without oxygen. He knew I was determined, and he suggested that we try the Zephyr Valves.
Life After Zephyr Valves:
I was the first patient treated at Penn Highlands Healthcare with the valves. It’s only been a few months, but I can say for sure that getting the Zephyr® Valves was a very good decision for me. The procedure went as planned and within hours I felt fantastic. I stayed for a few days for observation. I felt good.
Just four weeks after getting the Zephyr Valves, I walked my daughter down the aisle oxygen free! It was one of the best moments of my life. I was even able to have a dance with her without the oxygen. I felt like my prayers had been answered.
The week before the wedding, I caught a pretty bad cold. I took one simple medication and that cold cleared right up. Before the valves, I would have been down for week with a cold. I also no longer have panic breathing, where you can’t catch your breath and end up panting.
I feel like I have a new lease on life. We babysit our four-year-old granddaughter a couple of times a week and I can keep up with her now! My wife pushes me too. She gets me up and moving. I do all the dishes and run the mop through the house. I’m supposed to dust too.
I feel like I’ve been set free. I feel like I can keep up with the grandkids again!
