Rehab For Pulmonary Disease

For those with chronic lung disease, breathing is something that doesn't come easy. A program through Seton Hospitals is helping improve the lives of those with pulmonary disease. 73-year-old Bob Lindstrom goes to pulmonary rehab three times a week to exercise and improve his breathing.

"I wouldn't miss a day of this because you find out when you miss it, you're hurting, your breathing is not what it should be," says Lindstrom.

Kitty Collins is the Seton Pulmonary Rehab coordinator. She works with the patients on a daily basis.

"We educate them about their lung disease to help them have better control over their own disease," says Collins.

Bob lifts weights, walks on the treadmill and does a few minutes on the stair-stepper.

He says, "It gets you using your upper chest muscles, upper body muscles to help you breath better."

When he was younger, Bob worked in a shipyard and as a result, he has Aspestosis.

"I was exposed to Asbestos from 1952 to 1964. In '95 they diagnosed me with the Asbestosis and told me I only had about a 50% lung capacity," Bob tells us.

Now his lung capacity is down to 40% and he's on oxygen 24/7. Before his started pulmonary rehab, even walking was tough.

"I can shop now, walking in a mall. I'm back to doing repairs around the house. I have a backpack to put a bottle in."

Collins believes the exercises add years to patients' lives.

"We've had the doctor actually come out and tell the patient I don't think you'd be alive if you hadn't stayed in pulminary rehab," she says.

But she believes that many people with lung diseases don't even know this type of rehab exists.

"Most of the people that come into our program say why didn't I know about this sooner? And I think that's the most frustrating thing. If we get people in here, we know we can help them."

Bob is a living and breathing example of what a little exercise can do.

"It's life-saving. You know when you haven't been here," he says.

Seton Pulmonary Rehab center is located at 5555 N. Lamar. You can reach the office at 512-324-3325.

Questions/Comments: lauren.petrowski@foxtv.com