I was diagnosed with Valley Fever in 2014 and battled it for many years. On October 15, 2021 I entered the hospital with an almost completely collapsed lung. Over the course of an 89 day hospital stay I had a total of 10 operations, five thoracotomies and 13 chest tubes along with the loss of my right latissimus muscle. I ultimately lost my entire right lung on January 25, 2022 due to the many complications of the Valley Fever destroying my lung tissue. My hopes in telling my story is to promote more awareness for Valley Fever within the American Lung Association.
