Asthma, GERD, Pneumonia, and the Gift That Keeps on Giving

I was diagnosed with asthma in infancy. My mom brought a blue, 5-month-old baby to the ER, but since then, I have not experienced any terrible exacerbations until my 20s. I was getting pneumonia several times a year, with my asthma bad enough to be intubated 6 times. My doctors scratched their heads and finally found that I had GERD and the reflux was putting food into my lungs causing pneumonia.

So I had a nissen fundoplication, a hernia repair, and tonsillectomy all at once. Due to my asthma, I had severe complications that resulted in extended intubation for 2 weeks, and not being able to swallow or move my limbs. My breathing got better, but I continued to have neuropathy in my left side. I had aggressive physical, occupational, and speech therapy to get me back to normalcy.

I am happy to report that the surgery helped and I have not had pneumonia since. However, the gift that keeps on giving, has resulted in a slew of other issues such as dumping syndrome and gastroparesis, which resulted in yet another surgery. I'd say my pulmonologist, has a handle over my asthma. I am happy to report that I am back to being active, running, cycling, and playing tennis.