COPD had John at the end of his rope, both physically and mentally. In addition to severely limiting his daily activities, the disease was consuming him with fear.
“Will I be able to breathe? Is my oxygen tank full? Can I make it up the stairs? COPD monopolized my mind. It’s all I could think about,” he says.
John’s health got so bad that one doctor advised him to get his affairs in order. Fortunately, he saw another doctor who knew about the innovative work being done at the Temple Lung Center. It was knowledge that would transform John’s life.
A Life-Changing Treatment Option
At Temple, John found something he previously had not been offered — options. One of those options was a new procedure developed by Temple Lung Center doctors, called bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, or BLVR for short. And the best news yet was that John was a candidate.
During this nonsurgical procedure, tiny valves are implanted into a patient’s airways to block off diseased parts of the lung. The valves are not a cure for COPD. Instead, they allow healthier regions of the lungs to expand and function more efficiently. The result can be easier breathing, improved exercise tolerance and a better quality of life.
John had 5 valves implanted, and he immediately noticed the difference. His breathing was easier, and he did not need oxygen or his inhaler. Later, tests confirmed what John already felt — his lung capacity had doubled thanks to the valves. These results exceeded the expectations that John and his family had.
The results were the most wonderful surprise I ever got! — John
A Life Restored
Once unable to walk 10 feet without oxygen, today, John is enjoying a quality of life he never thought he would have again. He describes himself as “happy as can be.”
“Before the BLVR procedure, I could hardly do anything,” John says. “I worried from one minute to the next about being able to breathe.”
“Now, I have my life back and it’s like a whole new beginning,” he continues. “I shop with my wife, I go for walks, I bowl, I swim in the pool, I play with my granddaughters. I was in the medical field for 45 years, and I never saw anybody come back from this. But guess what? I did!”