WEST BEND, Wis. — A West Bend woman who once struggled to walk her dog due to a severe lung condition is now enjoying outdoor activities thanks to a medical procedure that she said needs more publicity.
Nancy Storrs, who lives with emphysema, underwent a procedure called Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction (BLVR) that has dramatically improved her quality of life—despite recent air quality conditions.
"This has just made a huge difference for me!" Storrs said. "This garden wouldn't exist if it weren't for the fact that I had this treatment."
One year ago, Storrs was dependent on oxygen and couldn't even walk her dog "Doogie" around her neighborhood.
"All of that required me to go bend down and get up!" she said. "When you do that, you are pushing air out of your lungs and you can't recover when you have Emphysema."
Watch: West Bend woman finds new lease on life through lung procedure despite air quality challenges
The lung condition used to keep her confined indoors, preventing her from pursuing her passion for gardening. However, after undergoing BLVR, a non-incision procedure, Storrs said she has experienced a remarkable transformation.
Dr. Jonathan Kurmin, a pulmonologist at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, performed the procedure for Storrs.
"I am so happy that she has been able to get her life back," he said. "She can breathe so much more easily, she can walk her dog now and she has a whole new lease on life!"
While poor air quality occasionally forces Storrs to remain indoors, these instances are now far less frequent than before her treatment.
"I'm doing all of the work myself," she said. "Spending six to eight hours outdoors and I'm enjoying every minute of it!"
Storrs hopes her story will inspire others with similar conditions to explore BLVR as a potential treatment option.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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