Sam's Story

A Trip of a Lifetime, Made Possible by Minimally Invasive Treatment for COPD

For Sam Davidson, family, travel and enjoying life with his wife are what matter most. A former flooring installer who worked for more than 40 years, the 82-year-old Gladwin, Michigan, resident is grateful for the life he has built.

“Louise and I have been married 54 great years and have eight children who we are very proud of,” Sam says.

But decades of smoking affected Sam’s lungs and eventually made even everyday activities increasingly difficult.

Years of smoking take a toll on his breathing

Sam began smoking when he was a teenager. He continued for about 60 years before quitting approximately a decade ago.

“I started smoking cigarettes when I was 15 mostly because all my friends were doing it. I smoked about 60 years and quit about 10 years ago,” he recalls. “When I quit, I would sneak smokes whenever I could and lie about it. When I really did quit, I had no problem with it.”

Sam, who has a pacemaker to help regulate atrial fibrillation, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and in 1990, while living in Texas, he began seeing a pulmonary specialist who prescribed inhalers to help manage his breathing problems.

Over the years, however, his breathing difficulties and chronic cough continued to worsen.

“The breathing and coughing progressed to the point that I retired and moved to Michigan,” Sam says.

Looking for a new option for COPD

After moving to Michigan, Sam remained determined to find a treatment that could improve his breathing and help him regain some of the activities he had once enjoyed.

A local physician referred him to Avi Cohen, M.D., pulmonologist at Henry Ford Health, a national leader for the treatment of complex lung conditions.

Dr. Cohen determined that Sam was a candidate for BLVR (bronchoscopic lung volume reduction), a minimally invasive procedure used to treat certain patients with advanced emphysema, a form of COPD.

A setback during recovery, followed by a new beginning

Sam did experience a complication following the procedure—a collapsed lung, also known as a pneumothorax. His Henry Ford medical team treated the complication, and after several months of recovery, Sam made a full recovery.

Dr. Cohen, expresses for patients with advanced emphysema, bronchoscopic lung volume reduction offers more than a procedure; it offers the possibility of renewed freedom. “Sam's remarkable improvement has released him from the constant confinement of breathlessness, enabling him to live with greater confidence, mobility, and enjoyment."

Breathing better—and living more

The road to recovery took about three months and over that time he noticed an important difference.

“I started to feel better and could breathe deeper than before the procedure,” he says.

That improvement gave Sam the confidence and ability to return to activities he had missed, including fishing and traveling with his wife.

And their travels have taken them far beyond Michigan.

“Last year, my wife and I took a seven-day cruise followed by a trip to Europe for three weeks,” he says. “We had a great time and would not have been able to enjoy those trips without the procedure and great care from Dr. Cohen and the Henry Ford team. I am doing better today because of it.”

For Sam, the benefits of treatment go beyond breathing better. They have meant being able to experience life more fully—with his wife, his family and the people and places he loves.