From Patient, to Patience, to Practice: A Story of Inspiration, Determination and Faith

Jeff Shumaker knows what it’s like to not be able to breathe.

Two separate times—once in 1995 and five years later in 2000—Shumaker, 40, suffered from what is called a “spontaneous pneumothorax.” This is when Shumaker’s lung developed a blister and popped, causing his lung to collapse.

“The first time [it happened], I had some friends over for dinner and we were eating Mexican food,” Shumaker recalls. “I sat on the couch and felt like I was having really bad heartburn, but when I went to stand up, it dropped me to my knees. I knew then it was more than just heartburn. I was in excruciating pain.”

Shumaker, who was 25 at the time, says he was scared when the doctor told him his lung had collapsed.

“I knew it was pretty severe,” Shumaker says. “That was the beginning of the end.” He says he didn’t stop smoking until 10 years after his lung first collapsed, when he was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema. By then he had been a two-pack-a-day smoker for 20 years.

“I was young and dumb, and I thought, ‘Well, I can keep smoking and be alright,’” Shumaker says.

Five years later, his lung collapsed again. A blister developed on his lung. The blister filled with air and later popped, creating a hole in the lung causing air to escape. This air is trapped between the lung and skin, pressuring on the lung and eventually causing the lung to collapse.

“Once it happens, there’s a 30 percent chance of it happening again, and when it happens a second time, there’s a 50 percent chance it can happen again,” says Shumaker. “The chance of having another one continues to rise.”

Shumaker who lives outside Columbia City, Indiana, is now enrolled at Ivy Tech in Fort Wayne. He is studying to become a respiratory therapist, with his graduation set for May. “I worked in retail the majority of my life, in one specialty store to another,” Shumaker says. “I had a friend who was a respiratory therapist, and I was interested in helping other people.” Now, Shumaker works with patients who face the same challenges he did.

“Once they hear that [I’ve been through it] too, my care isn’t just about the dollar, it’s about taking care of them,” Shumaker says. “Once I told them I’ve been in that bed and I know what it’s like, it takes on a different perspective.”

Shumaker says he tries not to preach, but tells his patients why they need to quit and how he has the scars to prove it. “Maybe I was blessed by having my lungs collapse on me,” he says. “[Because] I never would have been tested for it and I never would have gone through function tests to see if I was actually having a problem. I think a smoker should go through a pulmonary function test every year to see if there’s something going on.”

Shumaker says there were no signs or symptoms for his illness. However, routine checkups with a pulmonologist could ensure that nothing is growing on a patient’s lungs. Although Shumaker has had part of his lung removed, he does not use oxygen, and says he is on the borderline of mild to moderate COPD.

“In due time, I’m sure it’s going to come, but they caught mine early enough, and we started doing prevention,” he says. Every little bit helps, Shumaker says. In an effort to stay active, he’ll do things like parking far away from the entrance of a store, to force himself to walk the extra bit.

“I have two nephews and I go outside and play with them as much as possible, so I’m not just sitting around, moping, thinking ‘The end is coming, why bother?’” he says. “I stay active and try to do as much as I can. I don’t have an exercise program, so I just go for my two-mile walks each day. I’m not preparing for a marathon, but I am keeping my lungs and heart healthy.”

He says that there are some things he can’t do as much anymore. When camping with bonfires, for example, he will wear a mask to avoid smoke inhalation. “People may look at me funny, but I don’t care,” he says. “I’m enjoying myself. I’m just trying to prevent further deterioration . . . I’m in prevention mode right now. I know it’s progressing, but if I can slow it down or hinder it a little bit I’ll do that.”

Since his diagnosis, Shumaker says he doesn’t take life for granted anymore. “Before, it was ‘today is today, tomorrow’s another day’ and I’d just do whatever I wanted,” Shumaker says. “Now that I’ve been told [I have COPD], I know how long I probably have to live. So it’s time to actually live my life. It made me grow up. At the age of 35 I finally decided to grow up. That’s what it took.”

Shumaker says now he lives a life he’s always wanted to, and at the same time, live his life for other people.

“I’ve had a pretty rough life, and emotionally I’m pretty drained,” he says. “So I don’t try to let things get to me as much. I don’t try to show my feelings as much. I’m just not that type of person. I care more about other people . . . I’m more aware of what other people say. Don’t take [your life] for granted. Sure, I took mine for granted for much too long. But I’m working to alleviate some of that now.”