A month from today, something magical is going to happen–I will be able to breathe freely again!
I wrote a few weeks back about the providentially improbable way I found out why I’d been wheezing and breathless for several years.
Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is a narrowing of the trachea just below the vocal cords. So far, we don’t know why I developed it, though I certainly fit the demographic: it almost exclusively strikes white females between the ages of 30 and 50. That leads to an assumption of genetic and hormonal triggers. It is also known to be associated with some autoimmune disorders.
Today, I saw a specialist at Emory, and am happy to announce that I’m scheduled for laser dilation surgery next month!
The doctor did a great job of explaining everything to me. A normal tracheal opening is about the size of a nickel. Mine is the size of a drinking straw.
So if you’d like to find out how ISS feels, plug up your nose, close your mouth tightly around a straw, then go for a walk or clean your house while breathing only through the straw.
If you try it, please let me know how you felt. 🙂
I’m just so excited because autumn is my favorite time of year, and oh my gosh–I’m going to be able to breathe! And walk in the leaves! And do all the things!
Imma be even more indomitable than this guy…
