In the Beginning

The journey begins in August of 2003 when a neighbor and I made a commitment to walk 5 miles three mornings a week. We gradually increased our pace to a 13-minute mile; I lost about 30 pounds, developed amazing thighs and was feeling great. I began to notice that I was out of breath at the beginning and end of our walks and sometimes I would cough. Odd. We loved our walks. We would watch the beginnings of dawn, which silhouetted the Coastal mountains against the slightly lighter sky. We saw dolphins swimming in the moonlight. It was magical. We walked in the rain, in the winds and in the cold.

While in Florida in January 2004, I noticed I was out of breath walking up a ramp. Odd. By May, I lost a lot of stamina, was out of breath a lot and coughed like I was losing a lung whenever I exerted myself. My walking partner said that she would no longer walk with me unless I saw a doctor.

But, I was a teacher and May was a very busy month. I was a classical bassist and head of a highly respected classical music program in a school for gifted children whose population included movie stars and captains of industry in the Silicon Valley. Internationally recognized names were in the school roster. I loved my job, the children, and the school.

I limped to the end of the year and made an appointment with my local doctor in early July. I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma; he gave me an inhaler and sent me on my way. I followed his instructions yet continued to grow worse as I saw him every two weeks for the entire summer. I asked to see a lung doctor yet he kept saying there was no need though he continued to increase the medications to no avail.

One of the parents at the school was my endocrinologist for a thyroid problem. I called him and explained my worsening symptoms. He wrote a letter to gain entrance into the university clinic system and I got my first appointment in October 2004 in the Chest Faculty Clinic.

Next: The correct diagnosis