Where were you Saturday night?
So anyone wantb to takeva guess as to where I was? Y'all the last couple of days have been a bit of a roller-coaster for sure. If I wasn't living it, I'd swear the person telling me about their entire month of February was a complete hypochondriac! But, alas, it's me, I'm living it & it's definitely real! Here's the link to my latest vlog with a new story of this crazy health ride I've been on the last few months. Hopefully, this is the last post for the flu saga! It's way p
Admitted Again. . . 3rd Times a Charm, Right?
Here I am, back in the lovely facilities at St. Francis Medical Center. I had been feeling incrimintally better bit by bit and thought maybe I'd turned the corner on Sunday and was on the upswing; and then came Monday. I swear I took 1,000 steps backwards and felt nearly as bad as I did on the 14th when I was admitted for my second visit. Holy moly! I had a post hospitalization follow up with my GP, Dr. Laura Glueck, already scheduled for Monday afternoon, so that was a goo
What's in a Cough?
February 12, 2025 Sometimes way more than you could ever imagine inn your wildest dreams. TBM comes with a very distinct, deep, seal-like barky cough. It has such a gentle, melodic sound floating on the breeze. One may want to record it & play it back on a loop in order to bring about relaxation and calmness. . . . 🤣🤣🤣 I totally crack myself up sometimes! This cough is anything but gentle & soothing. It's more like the bull in a China shop that's taken over, shattering e
Nebulizing: The "Solution" for Shortness of Breath
February 8, 2026 Today I'm diving into nebulizing, which is something I do everyday & sometimes multiple times a day. I'm currently having to do 3-6 treatments in a day due to the acute flair I'm in. Protocol for when you're in a flair is to nebulizer every 4 hours needed, often with multiple solutions. I have 3 in the mix now, but praying to step back on 1 in the next few of days. What is a nebulizer and went do we use it? Good questions; thanks for asking! 😄 A nebulizer i
16 Days til Trea, #3 . . . Fingers Crossed
Wanting to be fully open with all of you I created a second post today to discuss the bbd I was having & the possible implications this acute flair I'm currently in may have on my surgery date. I didn't intend to create multiple posts a day, but when something like this comes up, I think it's better to show you in the moment than try to explain it later. Love and blessing to you all, my friends.
Vlog Premiere! Ready for Take Off
Over the last several months several people have encouraged me to do a video diary of my experiences & preparations for Trea, #3. I've never had any inclination to be in front of the camera, the subject. Like ever! My passion has slways been behind the camera, revealing the story shot by shot, frame by frame. I never wanted to be in front of that lense, the one that opens doors to infinite new stories, new possibilities, new worlds. But then again, I never wanted to be a pat
19-23 Days 'til Trea, #3: A Day in the Life
Feb. 1, 2026 When I began writing this blog post it was not a great breathing day. That morning I got up, did my normal routine of coffee, play with the dogs, breathing treatment, & breakfast. During that entire time I actually felt pretty good and even better, I was breathing very well. . . And then I wasn’t. After breakfast I plopped down on the sofa to watch the morning news and the sensation of my airways clamping down tight, allowing the very least amount of air as possi
25 Days to Go: Up Your Level
25 Days: Up Your Level Living with chronic illness and a rare degenerative respiratory disease offers pretty special and specific challenges. They test your strength in ways you never imagined possible. They make you question everything you ever thought you knew about life, love, friendships, health, success and even failures. They make you aware of time in a way that others simply can not grasp, unless of course they are dealing with their own long-term illness or something
26 Days to Go: Wrapped Up
Hello everyone. As I told you all a few weeks ago I've managed to hop back on the crazy train of TBM, not that I ever get off of it, but there are moments where it isn't a bullet train traveling at the speed of life, taking away my breath & making it impossible to take in life's beautiful scenery. As of today, it's 26 days until I go back in for my 3rd tracheobronchoplasty (TBP) , which I'm naming Trea; the first was named The Big Remodel, the second, The Big Redo. I've named
Back on the TBM Crazy Train
I’ve managed to hop back on the crazy train of TBM. In September 2025, I had my routine yearly bronchoscopy. I was prepared for him to tell me there was some collapse, thinking it would be in my cervical trachea, which is the only area of my respiratory system that’s not collapsing. I wasn’t prepared for what he actually told me. Good news – my cervical trachea is fully in tact! However, my trachea and right bronchus were moderately collapsing and my left bronchus is pretty m