Darryl’s Story
“I’ve added a trip to New Orleans to my bucket list — I’ve never been and I think I would really enjoy it now.”
Procedure Details:
Age at Treatment: 67
Hospital: Kettering Medical Center
Date of Procedure: April 2021
Hometown: Dayton, OH
Life Before Zephyr® Valves:
I had a lot of hobbies in my younger years. I loved to go to outdoor concerts and listen to the music with my friends and family. I also loved to take road trips and explore the world around me. Living in southern Ohio, you are very close to places like Nashville, St. Louis, and beautiful scenery with mountains and rivers. But as my breathing got worse because of the COPD, I started doing less and less. My friends and family would comment on my lack of energy.
As time went on I started feeling trapped in my own apartment. I was too scared to leave in case something went wrong, and I couldn’t catch my breath. My quality of life was so poor, it felt like I was already dead.
Before I got my valves, I was hospitalized six times. I remember the worst one very clearly. I woke up at 3 a.m. and I could not breathe. I tried everything I could but it did not improve and I started to panic which only made it worse. I waited two hours until I decided to drive to the emergency room. Thankfully I live only a few minutes away, but looking back, I should have called an ambulance. That episode was a wakeup call for both me and my primary care provider.
I was referred to pulmonologist Dr. James Gleason with Kettering Health and he was the first person to mention Zephyr Valves to me. Because I had never heard of this treatment, I didn’t know how to feel — so I did my own research. I went online and read stories of others — just like me — who had great success with them. It made me feel comforted to know that I wasn’t alone. It also helped to know that if I did qualify, and they ended up not working for me, they could be removed. After a little research, I was ready to get the workup to see if I was a candidate.
Now that I can breathe easier, I really have a new lease on life. I am no longer a prisoner in my own home. I get outside, go to the grocery store, I even go to the gym about three times a week.”
– Darryl
Life After Zephyr® Valves:
I will never forget April 19, 2021, because that is the day I got my Zephyr Valves. After I woke up from anesthesia and found out the procedure went well, I was so excited. That first day I did feel a sharp pain in my chest. Within seconds doctors and nurses rushed in to help me — I was having a pneumothorax. It’s a known complication and Dr. Gleason was very upfront about it. He told me about the risk before my procedure and that it could be serious. He also let me know that if it happened, I would be taken care of — and he was right. They were ready to manage it right away. The staff at Kettering put a chest tube in and monitored me closely. I stayed four extra days in the hospital because of it, but I will tell you even with that complication I’d do it again because this treatment has been a life changer for me.
After I got out of the hospital, it took about two weeks for me to feel the benefit of the valves. Now that I can breathe easier, I really have a new lease on life. I am no longer a prisoner in my own home. I get outside, go to the grocery store, I even go to the gym about three times a week.
I have lowered the amount of oxygen I need, and I am still on some inhalers and medicine, but overall, I feel like a new person. I’ve added a trip to New Orleans to my bucket list — I’ve never been, and I think I would really enjoy it now.
My two sons, my girlfriend, and my other family and friends say they cannot only hear a difference when I talk, but they can see a difference in my body. They have all been so supportive through this journey, and I am so grateful for them and the Zephyr Valves!
Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
GLO-EN-1162-v1
What is the Zephyr Valve procedure?
The Zephyr Valve has been shown to help patients breathe easier, do more, and enjoy life.1
Despite taking the best available medications, many patients with severe COPD/emphysema suffer from hyperinflation of their lungs where air becomes trapped in the lungs, preventing fresh air from entering and thereby causing severe shortness of breath.
The Zephyr Valves reduce lung hyperinflation by allowing trapped air to escape and preventing new air from entering that diseased lobe. This allows the healthier parts of the lung to function better and results in patients being able to breathe more easily and experience less shortness of breath.
The valves are placed via bronchoscopy, with no incision or cutting, so these benefits are achieved without the risks of traditional surgical options. The procedure is usually complete in under an hour.
Complications of the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve treatment can include but are not limited to pneumothorax, worsening of COPD symptoms, hemoptysis, pneumonia, dyspnea and, in rare cases, death.
Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
GLO-EN-1162-v1
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