I'm an asthmatic diagnosed at 6. The son of two loving parents that smoked together 5 pk/day. I was raised on a farm with my triggers being alfalfa and wheat dust. I threw hay all the time and harvested every year. As a child I had multiple episodes of acute bronchitis as well as pneumonia. Therefore, my environment was not good for an asthmatic.
My father started smoking in the Air Force during the Korean War. He struggled quitting. Once diagnosed with COPD he tried to enroll in Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR), but the Pulmonologist refused to let him in the program because he was still an active smoker. I pushed back because tobacco treatment should be an important part of PR. Once he was placed on oxygen he essentially set on the couch until he died in 2002. The DME company felt they provided appropriate for "home oxygen." Again, I pushed back stating the need to provide oxygen to keep him mobile and enjoying life as much as possible.
I'm also a respiratory therapist since 1981. I spent a large portion of my career as the Director of Respiratory Therapy, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Pulmonary Diagnostics at the University of Colorado Hospital, which is why I pushed back on my father's care so much. I've also served on the Local Leadership Board for the American Lung Association for 14 yrs., most recently serving the past 4 years as the Vice-Chair and Chair.
As an adult asthmatic in Colorado relying on daily inhaled steroids every morning and night. Over the past years, I've struggled because of the poor air quality in Colorado due to fires and high levels of ozone. Unfortunately, I'm now looking to relocate to cleaner air.
My passions are supporting patients suffering with lung disease and their families. I've been a key contributor to patient focused conference for the past 23 yrs educating to improve those patients' quality of life. I'm also a strong advocate for tobacco control and clean air for obvious reasons.
I'd love to become a resource for you to help understand the challenges that patients must navigate to deal with their lung disease.
