Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Celebrates 5-Year ECMO Anniversary

William “Billy” Gerace, a retired man in Mableton, found himself progressively restricted by severe emphysema. Dependent on oxygen, it was tough to find the breath and the energy to work in his garage. Then he found out about BLVR, a procedure that would change his lungs—and his life—for the better. Now he spends his days breathing new life into classic cars. Billy’s story highlights the power of expert care and leading-edge treatments at Wellstar, and our commitment to help people get back to doing what they love.

Slowed down by an oxygen tank

For Billy, the simplest of movements became Herculean tasks. The man who loved tinkering in his garage found himself slowed down by an oxygen tank and dependent on his wife, Patty, to help him move it from room to room. 

“I couldn’t walk 20 feet without the hose on my nose,” Billy said. “I couldn’t go from the living room to the kitchen without oxygen. That’s how bad it was.” 

Billy suffered from emphysema, a severe type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The inability to work in his garage on his collection of vehicles—including a '69 Corvette convertible—was heartbreaking. 

“I’d have to do five minutes’ worth of work—then catch my breath,” he remembered. “It took me a very long time to do anything. A project that would normally take an hour took two days. I had to sit dormant most of the time.”

Billy had managed this condition for years with prescription medication and pulmonary rehabilitation, but in the final months leading to his procedure, he had the impression that his life was fading with every gasp of air.

Whether you’re running a marathon or simply running errands, having healthy lungs helps you to live comfortably and do the activities you enjoy.

Lung health is an important part of overall wellness. It’s best to prevent health issues before they start, and Wellstar experts will partner with you to personalize a plan to keep your lungs healthy. 

Book an appointment online to check in with a clinician about your lung health and follow these tips to breathe a little easier.

Don’t smoke or vape

If you are a smoker, keep in mind that there are both short-term and long-term benefits to quitting. One to nine months after the last cigarette, your shortness of breath should decrease. Within 10 years of quitting, a former smoker's risk of developing lung cancer is 30% to 50% below that of a person who continues to smoke.

Also, if you don’t smoke, do not pick up the habit. Nicotine is highly addictive, even more so than many other drugs including narcotic opiates, according to Wellstar Pulmonologist Dr. Hitendra Patel.

Dr. Patel said that vaping is gaining popularity, especially among younger people. However, vaping irritates a person’s airways and increases their risk of asthma.

“Nothing but air should go in and out of the lungs,” Dr. Patel said. “Any other chemical or substance, or inhalation of smoke of any kind, is going to be detrimental and harmful.”

Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Jignesh Dholaria said misinformation about vaping is common.

“People have the notion that vaping is somehow safer and that it doesn’t have the same chemicals that cigarettes do,” Dr. Dholaria said. “We’re seeing a lot more harmful effects from vaping just because we don’t always know all the chemicals that are in these vapes. That has caused a lot more lung-related injuries.”

Get your exercise and sleep

While staying active is a critical component of overall wellness, it’s especially important to keep your lungs in top shape.

“As you’re breathing in and out, getting rid of carbon dioxide and inhaling more oxygen, that helps your tissues, which helps you feel better overall,” Dr. Dholaria said.

Even if it is raining—or if pollutants are especially high that day and you’re worried about lung irritation—there are ways to get your steps in. Dr. Patel recommends going to an air-conditioned shopping mall or store to get some exercise if being outside is not an option.

“Continuing to exercise to the fullest of your body’s ability is an important step of maintaining whatever lung health you have,” Dr. Patel said. “If you start with healthy lungs, staying on an exercise program and regimen is vital.”

Balance that exercise with some rest, too. Dr. Patel, who is also the medical director of the Wellstar sleep program, said being well-rested can ward off sickness, including some respiratory illnesses.

“If you don’t sleep well, that means your immune system is not going to function as well as it should,” he said.

Try breathing exercises

In addition to getting your sleep, some relaxation and breathing techniques can have benefits for both mental wellness and lung health. 

Dr. Patel recommends “4-7-8 breathing,” which involves inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds and then exhaling for eight seconds.

Benefits of breathing exercises may include lower stress and anxiety levels, lower blood pressure and better sleep.

Manage your asthma

If you have asthma, know your lungs and avoid the environmental triggers that cause the condition to flare up, Dr. Patel said. Common triggers include pet dander, seasonal changes, allergens like perfume and smoke inhalation. 

Asthma can also run in families, although there is often no specific reason why a person develops asthma, Dr. Patel said.

“Sometimes people underestimate how bad asthma can be,” Dr. Patel said.

If you have asthma, see your primary care physician to monitor your lung health. Pulmonologists specialize in caring for people’s lungs, and they often collaborate with primary care clinicians to create personalized plans to manage their patients’ asthma.

Ask your care team about screenings

Early detection is key in cancer treatment, but many lung cancers present in later stages, Dr. Patel said.

“In that area in the middle of the lungs and the middle of the chest, there are no pain fibers or pain sensors in there,” Dr. Patel said. “If a tumor occurs there, patients don’t know it. They don’t feel it, and it doesn’t hurt them.”

Lung cancer is sometimes found when it spreads and causes complications, Dr. Patel said.

If you are at increased risk for developing lung cancer, ask your care team about screenings. You should consider screenings if you are a current or past smoker. Visit our lung cancer screening page to learn more about if screening, which involves low-dose CT scans, could benefit you. To keep up with your lung health, find a Wellstar physician near you.

John Elliott was a builder who enjoyed meeting with clients and planning their future homes. But the effects of Parkinson’s disease made it hard for him to meet with clients and live his life. Then he found a new sense of hope thanks to the Wellstar Parkinson’s and Tremors Program and a procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS). His experience is a powerful testament to the value of comprehensive care and how his neurologists, functional neurosurgeon and nurse navigator helped him rebuild his life. 

Symptoms that were hard to shake

John has been building custom homes in Marietta for 45 years—a career defined by personal relationships with his clients. He loves spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and bushhogging the multi-generational family farm.

But in 2015, John’s hands began to shake. A former client and friend who was a retired neurologist recommended he see Dr. Thomas Holmes, a Wellstar neurologist. 

A DaTscan, a type of nuclear imaging test that takes images of the brain, helped Dr. Holmes see a loss in John’s dopamine-producing neurons, which indicates Parkinson’s disease. The progressive neurological disorder affects a person’s motor functions and movements. 

At first, medication helped. But years after his diagnosis, John’s medications were barely effective.

“A big part of custom home building is your interaction with your client,” John said. “Meeting with the customer became somewhat of a problem.”

His tremors and involuntary mouth movements left him feeling embarrassed.

“I kind of went into a shell and didn't want to see people because they would make comments, particularly about the mouth movement,” he said. “You want to hide.”