Save Tiffany's Lungs :)
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ME: I'm a 31 year old single Mother of 2 lovely boys. I work full time and try my best to keep up with my boys. My oldest son is 9 years old and plays sports all year round, very good at what he does! He is going to be a big 5th grader next year, Im so very proud of him. My youngest son is 15 months old and was born with an overgrowth syndrome called Simpson Golabi Behmel Syndrome, since he was born in Feb of 2012 he has had multiple surgeries and obstacles to over come. He is actually having to have another surgery coming up May 2013. So very stressed with having to juggle different things I have actually let my health take a backseat. Before I lost my health insurance back in 2010 I was seeing doctors for my lung condition on a regular basis. The last note my lung doctor has the last time I went to see him was early in 2010 stating for me to come back in a month to schedule surgery. I just went back to him on 5-15-2013(paying cash), he tells me that my lung condition is worse and that if I don't get the surgery to remove part of my right lung my lungs will pretty much rot.
MY LUNGS: When I was 17 in Nov. of 1999 I had my 1st pneumothorax (collapsed lung) it was my right lung. When I was 17 in Dec. of 1999 I had my 2nd pneumothorax, it was my right lung again, this time they did a surgery called pleurodesis which is where they basically adhere the lung to the chest wall so that it would not collapse again. When I was 18 in Feb. of 2000 I had my 3rd pneumothorax this time it was my left lung now knowing the history of my right lung they went ahead and did the pleurodesis surgery on my left lung.
All this is happening because I have polyps on my lungs that pop and leave holes.
Even though my lungs are stuck and cant collapse ,which is a good thing, I still get holes in them. Most of the holes heal up but in my right lung I have had a hole in it for almost 5 years now that will not heal up. It seems that each time the seasons change or I get sick the hole sets up with infection that is hard to get rid of. For the past 5 years I have been beating the infection and relying on having the surgery 3 years ago. Now that I have put it off so long because of not having health insurance, or money, and having to be there for my youngest son through all his surgeries, its become life threatening. When I saw my lung doctor a week ago he informed me that my right lung, the one that has had the hole, has gotten worse. The hole is now bigger with 2 other little holes beside it filling with infection. My left lung has abscesses on it but luckily none have popped and made holes. Doctor told me that I will not get better without the surgery and if I didn't have the surgery my lungs will basically rot away.
SURGERY: The surgery I need to have will be on my right lung to remove part of the lung that has the holes and infections in it. It will be a more complicated surgery than most lung surgeries because of the pleurodesis. Most of the time doctors have to deflate lungs when doing surgery on them and on my lungs they will actually have to cut away from my chest cavity before they deflate it.
WHAT IM GOING THROUGH DAY TO DAY: Some days I am better than others but most all days it is a hard to get most tasks done because I get really tired, its pretty painful, and I get out of breath really easy. I cough A LOT the mornings and evenings are the worst of my "cough attacks". I do take Ibuprophen to help with the pain and I have inhalers I take 4 times a day.
I use to be so outgoing and energetic that being like this everyday puts a toll on me emotionally, I get more anxious than I use to and starting to feel panic and nervous than ever before.
I try to stay positive and happy for the kiddos and for my faith because that is what helps me fight through this every day.
MY LUNGS: When I was 17 in Nov. of 1999 I had my 1st pneumothorax (collapsed lung) it was my right lung. When I was 17 in Dec. of 1999 I had my 2nd pneumothorax, it was my right lung again, this time they did a surgery called pleurodesis which is where they basically adhere the lung to the chest wall so that it would not collapse again. When I was 18 in Feb. of 2000 I had my 3rd pneumothorax this time it was my left lung now knowing the history of my right lung they went ahead and did the pleurodesis surgery on my left lung.
All this is happening because I have polyps on my lungs that pop and leave holes.
Even though my lungs are stuck and cant collapse ,which is a good thing, I still get holes in them. Most of the holes heal up but in my right lung I have had a hole in it for almost 5 years now that will not heal up. It seems that each time the seasons change or I get sick the hole sets up with infection that is hard to get rid of. For the past 5 years I have been beating the infection and relying on having the surgery 3 years ago. Now that I have put it off so long because of not having health insurance, or money, and having to be there for my youngest son through all his surgeries, its become life threatening. When I saw my lung doctor a week ago he informed me that my right lung, the one that has had the hole, has gotten worse. The hole is now bigger with 2 other little holes beside it filling with infection. My left lung has abscesses on it but luckily none have popped and made holes. Doctor told me that I will not get better without the surgery and if I didn't have the surgery my lungs will basically rot away.
SURGERY: The surgery I need to have will be on my right lung to remove part of the lung that has the holes and infections in it. It will be a more complicated surgery than most lung surgeries because of the pleurodesis. Most of the time doctors have to deflate lungs when doing surgery on them and on my lungs they will actually have to cut away from my chest cavity before they deflate it.
WHAT IM GOING THROUGH DAY TO DAY: Some days I am better than others but most all days it is a hard to get most tasks done because I get really tired, its pretty painful, and I get out of breath really easy. I cough A LOT the mornings and evenings are the worst of my "cough attacks". I do take Ibuprophen to help with the pain and I have inhalers I take 4 times a day.
I use to be so outgoing and energetic that being like this everyday puts a toll on me emotionally, I get more anxious than I use to and starting to feel panic and nervous than ever before.
I try to stay positive and happy for the kiddos and for my faith because that is what helps me fight through this every day.
Organizer
Tiffany Harris
Organizer
Ringgold, GA
