Two journeys to better breathing

Every breath you take brings in life-sustaining oxygen, and each exhale removes carbon dioxide. And when your lungs don’t work right, it affects your entire being.

Learn about two Bloomington Pulmonary Rehabilitation patients who've been supported by this team pre- and post-lung transplants.

Chris Marks

“I began to notice quite a few years ago that I was breathing fine, but I didn’t seem to be getting what I needed out of it,” says the equestrian, published author and retired professor.

She went to her doctor, who didn’t find anything concerning. Answers only came after a bad fall from a horse resulted in a pneumothorax, a broken shoulder blade and six broken ribs.

“In the process of treating that, they said my lungs were awful.”

Pulmonologist Bradley Erickson, MD, found she had pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease that scars lung tissue. Marks then went to Bloomington Pulmonary Rehabilitation for a couple of years before being added to the lung transplant list.

“You do not expect how much this [transplant] takes out of you. If you go into a transplant unfit, you’re going to come out un-fitter. The stronger you are going in, the better you’ll be coming out.”

Post-surgery, Marks notes she’s getting oxygen better than before, but she still has a way to go in terms of healing. And she credits rehab, along with her husband and friends, for supporting her through this process.

“They say it takes two years to really get back to yourself and start living the way you want,” she says. “After a year, they said—they hope—I’ll be able to ride my horses again.”

Steve Morgan

"I made hardwood floors for 29 years, but then COVID-19 hit. Prior to that, I had been noticing shortness of breath. Something wasn’t right.”

That’s when he went to Erickson, and a biopsy revealed he had Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).

“They were treating me with inhalers, but every year kept getting worse,” says Morgan. “In 2024, I got to where my oxygen level was down so low that I really couldn’t function, so they put me on oxygen.”

The previously active motorcycle enthusiast found himself unable to do much at that point and was added to the lung transplant list after being put on oxygen.

“I started rehab about six months before the surgery. It was a struggle, but it put me in the right set of mind and put my body where it needed to be to get through the surgery.”

Post-surgery, Morgan continues to attend Bloomington Pulmonary Rehabilitation twice a week and work towards getting to his new normal. For example, while he feels much younger, he does rely on his loving wife to help with the things he can’t do.

“They limit you on the things you can do [post transplant], like not being in crowds, no yard work, and wearing a mask wherever you go. I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to what I call normal, but I can get close.”