Jeff had a double lung transplant in January 2025, but that’s only part of his story. Rehabilitation would prove essential to his recovery.
Jeff’s surgeon referred him to Lakeland Regional Health’s pulmonary rehab program so that he could stay close to home. When he started the program in March, he weighed just 135 pounds and was short of breath. He could not walk for 2.5 minutes on the treadmill.
But Jeff was motivated, and he pushed himself. “I didn’t want to just be able to breathe. I wanted to be able to function,” he says.
Karla Garcez Cusmanich, a pulmonary rehabilitation coordinator at Lakeland Regional Health, commends Jeff’s commitment to recovery.
“He always showed a great deal of drive and dedication,” she says. “Gradually, we increased his stamina, breathing control, range of motion, aerobic conditioning, and strength.”
He not only followed the program at rehab but also bought weights and resistance bands to increase his home workouts. He gained muscle and confidence. And with each assessment, he saw his results improving.
When he started, he scored very low on the pulmonary function test (PFT), which measures how well lungs take in and release air. By August, when he completed the program, his PFT was where a healthy person’s would be, he notes proudly.
Karla adds, “He showed significant improvement in his quality of life, better physical conditioning for training, and the emotional confidence to move forward. He started going to a gym and sent us a photo of him exercising with his grandchildren.”
Jeff raves about the therapists who encouraged and coached him as he learned to breathe better and build up his stamina. “Any therapy is good, but that’s a great crew,” he says. “It’s like hiring one-on-one trainers.”
A year later, he was back up to his normal weight, 185 pounds, and was feeling better than he had in more than 15 years. “I am so grateful for them and for having my life back,” Jeff says.
