SEARCH About Us | DONATE THE LATEST NEWLY DIAGNOSED LAM PATIENTS, FAMILY & FRIENDS HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS INVESTIGATORS TAKE ACTION HOME > THE LATEST > Return to all articles Life with LAM | Beverly Holtzman Posted on June 18, 2021 | Author: Beverly Holtzman Lung Transplant Recipient | Canada “Living with LAM has been eye-opening. One day you think you’re fine, and the next day you have a rare disease with no cure, and you will need a double lung transplant at some point. Before undergoing that double lung transplant in 2017, I had LAM for 15 years. While coping with the disease, I used to work full time, went to the gym, traveled, and went out with friends. I always tried to live the best life I could be I never knew when it would get worse. Looking so healthy but still having LAM was always a challenge because people didn’t realize I was really ill. It made me aware of how many other people around me have invisible illnesses, so I took stock and learned to be conscientious. I also learned to enjoy every day, one day at a time. And I found my new normal – even though there were many things I could not do, there were still many things I could do. I focused on that and was happy with it. There are so many worse things that can happen: I could be blind, in a wheelchair, I could have cancer... All I had to do was drag an oxygen tank around. When I got my double lung transplant, I thought great, I’m going to be back to normal! But I wasn’t. I needed to take my anti-rejection drugs and deal with all the side effects that went along with them. The LAM is gone for now (though it could come back in the new lungs), but I am still sick and need to adjust to a new lifestyle again. No matter what happens now, I just keep on loving the things I can do without worrying about the things I can’t – I am finding that new normal. After all, the only thing in life that stays the same is change, so we must continue to adjust and move forward.” - Beverly Holtzman, Canada This excerpt is from Breathe, Just Breathe by Jennifer Fujikawa. Share your own story during Worldwide LAM Awareness Month, tag @thelamfoundation on social media, and use the hashtag #WWLAM to raise awareness for LAM with your friends and family. Additional Images Related Articles Posted on October 14, 2021 A Gift More Than 40 Years in the Making Wendy Sellers, a 30-year-old wife and mother, had been struggling for...READ MORE Posted on October 07, 2021 Legacy for a Sisterhood Shellie Owens, a longstanding supporter and volunteer for The LAM...READ MORE Posted on September 02, 2021 Sirolimus Gave Stephanie a Second Chance Two years ago, Stephanie Weber’s life was turned upside...READ MORE Posted on August 16, 2021 Active Mother of Three Advances LAM Research Carol is always on the move as a mom of three. She was diagnosed with...READ MORE ‹ › The LAM Foundation 4520 Cooper Road Suite 300 Cincinnati, OH 45242 Contact Phone: (513) 777-6889 Toll-Free: (877) CURE-LAM (877) 287-3526 Email: info@thelamfoundation.org Quick Links LAMposium Donate Now News Events Calendar Publications © 2021 LAM Foundation | Disclaimer| Privacy| The LAM Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.