Understanding and Treating the Cause of the Symptoms
published August 2014
Everyone has a story to tell and each
month we'd like to share how we have
made our patients happy and healthy.
This month we'd like to tell you about
Steven's experience.
Steven was an avid hunter; he enjoyed
gardening with his wife, Becky, and
liked to travel. As a Paramedic Instructor
at South Texas College, his health was
always a concern of his and when his sinus
congestion began disrupting his lifestyle,
he knew something was wrong.
He spent less and less time in the garden,
Becky noticed. He stopped hunting
because he would get fatigued easier as
he walked. Additionally, Steven hadn't
realized how his joint pain had crept
up on him. The body needs oxygen and
troubled breathing affects your health in
many ways including: sleep disorders,
aches and pains and fatigue that prevent
an active lifestyle.
His CPAP machine was used every
night. The sleep he had at night wasn't
restful and often his labored breathing
would wake him up. The good ole'
breathing machine that he relied on
wasn't any help anymore, and every
night was a struggle for him.
Insistent on making a change, Steven
phoned The Mackie Clinic at the recommendation
of Becky, who had worked
with Dr. Mackie at Rio Grande Regional
Hospital. Steven trusts Becky's judgment
on local physicians and specialists
in the area and what happened next reassured
him he had made the right decision.
At his appointment with Dr. Mackie, it
was recommended to Steven that he undergo
Balloon Sinuplasty. Balloon Sinuplasty
is a fairly new procedure that has
gained attention over the past few years
because it is done without a hospital visit,
usually completed within 30 minutes
and immediately delivers relief by opening
up nasal passages that previously
were blocked. Steven decided that Balloon
Sinuplasty was right for him and
got the procedure done at The Mackie
Clinic in April of 2014.
After less than an hour of work at The
Mackie Clinic and a day's rest on the
couch, Steven was back the following
day. He couldn't believe the relief he
felt when the packing was removed. Immediately
he thought, "This is what it is
like to breathe again". After the packing
came out, Steven realized that he hadn't
been effectively breathing out of his nose
for years and the Balloon Sinuplasty was
a return to free, unobstructed breathing,
sleeping and living in general.
Activities that were pushed aside or forgotten
were back for Steven and Becky.
Within a few weeks, Becky noticed that Steven was spending more
time in his garden and was getting more
done in less time than when he wasn't
breathing well. Steven went on an Alaskan cruise over
the summer and spent the afternoons in
the forests and on his feet, something he
would not do a year ago.
If this story sounds familiar or
you've been experiencing breathing
trouble and you're not living as actively
as you like:
Give us a call at The Mackie Clinic.
Dr. Mackie has over 30 years experience
assisting the Valley with breathing,
allergy and hearing problems. We helped
Steven breathe better with Balloon Sinuplasty
but we also offer hearing aids to
restore your hearing, and allergy desensitization
which can free you from your
chronic allergies.
Our courteous and professional staff
would be happy to help you through
your worse allergy, sinus and hearing
symptoms so give us a call today.