Like a lot of teenagers, Larry Jensen started smoking when he was in high school to look cool. He also played guitar and sang.
But over the years, Larry, now 69, developed breathing difficulties. Every winter he would contract bronchitis. He proudly quit smoking when he was 45, and even remembers the exact date he quit: May 1, 2000.
But he continued to struggle with his breathing, which eventually led to a diagnosis 12 years ago of COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a progressive lung disease characterized by shortness of breath, coughing, excessive sputum production and exacerbations.
Still, Larry remained active and continued to work as a Porsche auto mechanic in Scottsdale, where he has been employed since 1982. But four years ago, he contracted COVID 19, which led to persistent and progressive airflow obstructions, and a diagnosis of emphysema.
“You just cough and cough and cough. You can’t catch your breath,” said Larry, who would feel severely fatigued and sick and would require antibiotics and steroids to clear it up.
“After getting COPD, I was still very active. I hiked a lot. Then I got COVID in July 2020. From that point on, my COPD got progressively and exponentially worse, year after year,” he explained, “until I got into this study.”
Under the care of Richard Sue, M.D., a lung specialist in the Multispecialty Research Division of HonorHealth Research Institute, Larry is now part of a clinical trial, called Rejuvenair, in which both of his lungs have undergone a procedure, a bronchoscopy, to unblock his airways.
Where he previously has at least four episodes of year in which he could not stop coughing, Larry has not had a single such event since undergoing his clinical trial procedure in early 2024.
“Since the procedure, I have had none. Now, I’m feeling good,” said Larry, who is back to singing, dancing and hiking again. He recommends the clinical trial to anyone who might need it: “If they get a chance to get involved in the program, they probably should do it. I pretty much consider it a miracle.”
