My Health Journey - Intro
My Health Journey - Pt. 1
Several of you have asked me what I have been doing to lose weight. Before I share my weight loss journey, I think it’s important that I rewind and share a different story with you.
The 10-Year Journey
In 2009 I began to notice that I was always short of breath, coughing, and my voice just sounded terrible. If I had to speak in public, it would cause me so much anxiety. I made an appointment with my regular doctor, who prescribed antibiotics and steroids to treat what she believed to be severe allergies. When these medications didn’t work, I went to my Internal Medicine doctor, who prescribed a different type of antibiotics and another round of steroids.
I began to feel better, however, my breathing continued to worsen and I started getting persistent headaches and sweating almost constantly. So, I requested an appointment with a pulmonologist, who ordered a CT scan and ran a series of breathing tests. The pulmonologist concluded that everything looked normal, and that I likely just had severe allergies. After a series of routine allergy shots proved unsuccessful, he prescribed acid reflux medication - even though I had no symptoms whatsoever to indicate acid reflux.
Finally - A Diagnosis
In 2011, I made an appointment with Dr. Balzli. He scoped me and said, “well, Mrs. Cleveland, no wonder you sound like Darth Vader,” and I did, indeed, sound like Darth Vader, “you have a tracheal web and stenosis close to your vocal cords.”
Dr. Balzli recommended I seek treatment in Jackson or Birmingham, as he was not equipped to perform the treatment I would need. So, I scheduled an appointment with specialist Dr. Anand in Jackson. After both an MRI and a scope, Dr. Anand said that I would immediately need surgery to laser off the tissue, have the tissue biopsied, and dilate my trachea. Dr. Anand had to order the instrument to do the procedure, but he was someone I trusted and respected because he had performed a surgery on Colt when he practiced at the University.
When I asked what could have caused this, Dr. Anand said that tracheal web and stenosis is typically caused by trauma from being intubated or related to an autoimmune disorder. All of my blood tests ruled out any autoimmune disorder, so my condition was labeled Idiopathic Tracheal Stenosis - a very rare condition, representing only 3-5% of cases.
For background, the trachea extends from the lower body of the cricoid cartilage to the carina and is normally 110-130mm in length. The tracheal diameter is typically 22mm in males, and 18mm in females.
My tracheal diameter was only 5mm - smaller than the size of an average straw.
No wonder I couldn’t breathe.
Initial Results
When I woke up from surgery, I immediately felt so much better. I could finally breathe! And I was so happy that I didn’t sound as hoarse anymore. Dr. Anand said this could be a one time procedure, or that my stenosis could come back.
Well, my first procedure lasted 3 years. The next lasted for 2 years. The third, less than 1 year.
Specialist Treatment
In 2018, Dr. Anand asked if I would be interested in seeking treatment to doctors who specialize in treating patients like me. Dr. Anand said that he could treat me, but that there were other specialists trying newer treatments and technologies that he didn’t have yet. I literally cried in his office that he cared enough to suggest this for me. He recommended two doctors: Dr. Gelbard in Nashville and Dr. Zeitels in Boston. After visiting with both doctors, I chose to go with Dr. Gelbard.
So, I scheduled my appointment with Dr. Gelbard at Vanderbilt in Nashville and he performed another dilation, and shared a treatment option with me that included taking multiple injections into my throat every 6 weeks for a series of 4 total appointments. These injections are given in his office… while fully awake.
What’s Next?
He assured me that there would still a chance that the stenosis might return, but for now, the treatments have worked and I am breathing and feeling great! My tracheal diameter is ~10mm now, so not perfect, but twice the size it was when I was first diagnosed. I also used a peak flow meter to measure how much air was flowing in my lungs and before this treatment, I could only blow about 125. Now, I blow about 350!
If my tracheal stenosis returns, I’ll be faced with decisions on what treatment options to seek next: either continue dilations or do a tracheal resection - a major surgery with major risks. So, if I ever seem a little germophobic, it’s because any extra mucus around or in my throat can be very dangerous. (I also try to avoid dairy products as much as I can because they also cause the body to produce excess mucus.)
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Why am I sharing this story now? Because if my experience can help even one person, it is worth it to me to share. With every change of doctors, I was given a different set of medications that never helped. I knew something was wrong, but no one could seem to find out what it was. So, if you are struggling with something, and you haven’t found answers or treatments that work yet, don’t give up! Keep searching. Trust yourself, listen to your body, and keep your head up.
I’d like to thank my family and closest friends for being so supportive of me during this time!
Finally, don’t assume that everyone who breathes “funny” or more heavily than you is just out of shape. You might not always know the whole story, so be kind!
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Since this journey is a long one, and consists of so much more than just diet and exercise, I’ve decided to break it into a few parts. Be sure to subscribe below if you would like to learn more about my health journey!
Up next: weight loss.
