Helping Cynthia Huggens Heal!
Hello friends, family, and those who have wandered here. My name is Derek Huggens and I am on here to tell my mother's story and to finally seek help for our family.
My mom Cindy has battled against lung disease for a very long time. Since 2002 she has now had more than 30 bronchoscopies/laryngoscopies. These viewing procedures were to assess her health after acquiring Tuberculosis in 2002. The disease (cured after 6 months of antibiotics) ran its course which then led to a left bronchial stent, a lobectomy in 2004 in Cleveland, Ohio, a second left bronchial stent, and years of antibiotics and checkup procedures. The stents are a part of her now and have recently led, in 2014, to the news of severe tracheal stenosis/malacia.
UF Health Shands Hopsital referred us to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and after her first assessment visit, she went back for full tracheal reconstruction/resection surgery. After 21 days my mom returned to recover but the battle still continues. An infection took over right under two months of surgery recovery and led to respiratory failure, pneumonia, and sepsis. She pulled through.
This year, she has been hospitalized three times and was without her voice for 3 months. Countless procedures are done to keep her tracheal tissue from closing her airways. From stents to balloon dilations, lasers and hopefully soon, cryogenics, we are hopeful that my mom's quality of life will improve so that she can do what most of us take for granted. Currently, my mom is on medical disability and is seeking help for the little things. Right now we're working on getting her a disabled parking permit.
She is the strongest woman I know and for anyone that knows me she means the world to me. She has taken care of her two sons to the best of her ability and now I'm doing whatever I can to help her. Thank you for taking the time to read about my mom, Cindy.
"Here's to a long life, and a merry one."
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