Like a lot of teenagers, Larry J. started smoking when he was in high school to look cool. He also played guitar and sang.
But over the years, Larry, now 69, developed breathing difficulties. Every winter he would contract bronchitis. He proudly quit smoking when he was 45, and even remembers the exact date he quit: May 1, 2000.
COPD diagnosis
But he continued to struggle with his breathing, which eventually led to a diagnosis 12 years ago of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a progressive lung disease characterized by shortness of breath, coughing, excessive sputum production and exacerbations.
Still, Larry remained active and continued to work as a Porsche auto mechanic in Scottsdale, where he has been employed since 1982. But four years ago, he contracted COVID-19, which led to persistent and progressive airflow obstructions, and a diagnosis of emphysema.
“You just cough and cough and cough,” explains Larry. “You can’t catch your breath.” He would feel severely fatigued and sick requiring antibiotics and steroids to clear it up.
“After getting COPD, I was still very active, and I hiked a lot,” shares Larry. “Then, I got COVID-19 in July 2020. From that point on, my COPD got progressively and exponentially worse, year after year until I got into this study.”
Clinical trial procedure makes a difference
Under the care of Richard Sue, MD, a lung specialist in the Multispecialty Research Division of the HonorHealth Research Institute, Larry is now part of a clinical trial, called RejuvenAir. Through this trial, both of his lungs have undergone a procedure, a bronchoscopy, to unblock his airways.
Where he previously had at least four episodes a year in which he could not stop coughing, Larry has not had a single such event since undergoing his clinical trial procedure in early 2024.
“Since the procedure, I have had none, and now, I’m feeling good,” says Larry, who is back to singing, dancing and hiking again.
He recommends the clinical trial to anyone who might need it. “If they get a chance to get involved in the program, they probably should do it,” adds Larry. “I pretty much consider it a miracle.”
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