Life Events & Making a Book

April 10, 2007


From Audrey Buckland, Class of 2006

. . . On a more personal note, this has been a difficult year as I was diagnosed with a terrible, rare lung disease called lymphangioleiomyomatosis or LAM. What was originally thought to be ‘adult onset asthma’ turned out to be a zebra. It is a disease that only affects women – only about 1 in 1 million! It is a progressively destructive lung disease without treatment or cure and the prognosis can be pretty grim. Because the disease is so rare, I have visited doctors in Cincinnati and the NIH. The docs at NIH put me in the severe category and told me to be evaluated for a lung transplant.

We will eventually make our way to Duke to meet the transplant docs there; but for the time being, I use oxygen nearly 24/7 and I started a drug ‘off label’ that seems to have made me a little more stable (yes, I am still working -4 days a week and I have an oxygen concentrator next to my desk. I can see patients w/o wearing it; but I do all of my notes using a nasal canula). The hope of using Rapamycin is that it will buy us some more years before thinking about a transplant. Both Tad and I hope that every year, new advances are made regarding a transplant (currently 5 year survival rate is not the best) as well as for LAM in general. The hardest part about the diagnosis is not being told that you might not live a long life - -but rather, I cannot have a child. LAM is thought to be estrogen linked and it is believed that pregnancy only accelerates the rate of progression. In fact, that is how I was diagnosed. I went to see my pulmonologist regarding asthma meds and pregnancy as we were ready to ‘try’ – he sent me off to do a CT b/c my PFTs showed a really low diffusion and everything snowballed from there.

This happened within my first week of work and all of our vacation time was spent seeing the various specialists around the country. Tad has remained my rock. I also try to remain positive and hopeful and keep my faith in medicine. Here a few links regarding LAM that explain things in a bit more detail. Please feel free to share the info with the other staff members – I do want to ‘raise awareness’ b/c more people need to know about LAM (of course it is believed to be underdiagnosed); it is just taking me time to even talk about it.

Rare Lung Diseases Consortium

LAM Foundation - Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
(go to ABOUT LAM and then, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS)

To end on a more positive note, Tad and I are planning on moving to the pacific northwest in about 2.5 months. It is not final yet (he is in the middle of negotiating the contract), but we need to be some place that makes both us happy. I will be in touch with the school and the alumni association, as becoming a PA is now very much part of who I am.



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From Tom Lahut, Class of 1984

He rejected DNR 10 days ago. When he collapsed in a witnessed VF arrest, he was defibrillated 28 times before family gathered to stop the electricity. Still had a pulse, but anoxic encephalopathy is irreversible. ICU staff on Easter withdrew ventilatory support. It still took another 24 hours for my father to let go.
Obituary - Adam Lahut

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PA Alumni Association Announcements:

1] Creation of a Board Review Book ( – by the Albany Alumni !)

2] Panel Discussion (Tuesday) April 17th at 6pm
Please Come!
ANNOUNCEMENT

-Tom


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