Double-lung transplant needed
By Jaclyn Schrock
Kim McMahon’s major lung concerns come from COPD and respiratory-bronchiolitis ILD, the worst kind. The air does not easily transfer through her lung cells as they become coated and are no longer flexible as normal when breathing. Her lungs ache from becoming hard, preventing oxygen from getting picked up by her red-blood cells. Her red blood cells are enlarged, a common response to actually attack her damaged lungs. Even with additional oxygen to increase the level of oxygen in her lungs, it is not received well by her body. Another complication for breathing with her ridged lungs is the greater difficulty to push out the air that needs to be exhaled. This complicates making room for the good fresh air that needs to come in. Her respiratory specialists say she could have 2-24 months of life without a lung transplant.
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