INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Marie Weiss is the first patient at IU Health to undergo an endobronchial valve procedure.
Only recently approved by the FDA, she says it's been life-changing.
Weiss was diagnosed with emphysema fifteen years ago.
“If you took a straw to your mouth and closed off your nose, you’d get a good idea of what it’s like to breathe after taking a shower,” she said.
Emphysema is a lung disease usually caused by smoking. It destroys the air sacs and tissue in the lungs. Its damage is irreversible.
“My mother died of emphysema, and it kinda hit home, so then I quit (smoking),” said Weiss.
Just a few years before her mother’s passing, Marie received her own emphysema diagnosis. She says her life has been "on hold" for the last decade
“My husband had to get used to doing stuff on his own because we never knew if I’d feel good enough to go or if I had enough breath,” she said.
Married for 22 years, her husband Dan Weiss said the last half of it has been “trying”
“I can’t really lie about it because it was stressful for both of us," he said. "We had to change our whole way of life. We couldn’t’ set a date to do anything because we never knew if we were going to make it,” he said.
Marie said she visited Northwestern Hospital in Illinois and was interested in lung reduction surgery. She and her husband were heartbroken when they learned later her insurance didn’t cover out-of-state procedures
“i spent three days crying, thinking this was a death sentence because that's what it was,” said the grandmother.
Then she leaned about a new procedure at IU Health.
“Bronchoscopic volume reduction is a non-invasive procedure where an endobronchial valve is put in the lung and allows for part of the lung to deflate to allow for healthy part of the lung to inflate,” said IU Health Pulmonlogist Dr. Robert Weller.
“You get Weller with Weller," Weiss said. She credits her doctor with changing her life.
“You have given me my life back and I just love you for it," Weiss told Weller, beaming with glee with her arm wrapped around him.
“You’re welcome,” he responded with pride and emotion.
Dr. Weller says he’s so happy to see that Weiss’ quality of life has improved.
Weiss says it's the first time in a decade they are able to plan for the future.