Larry's story: Getting back to the music I love
From a very young age, Larry Busch has had music in his soul. From being born into a musical family, to mastering several instruments, to being part of a 13–piece orchestra band – Larry says music puts the “wind in his sail.” With music being such a big part of his life, he says he didn’t realize how much it would help him get through the most difficult time in his life. In addition to music, Larry attributes his recovery from a recent health scare, to the expert care of Grant Regional’s Pulmonary Rehab program.
In August last year, Larry was visiting his son in Galena, IL, when he suddenly started experiencing severe shortness of breath, coughing and weakness. “It came on so fast. I drove to Galena but definitely couldn’t drive home. I got back to Lancaster and went directly to Grant Regional’s ER. They called med-flight and were going to intubate but they took one look at my x-rays and quickly changed their minds. They told me they turned the oxygen up to 15 and flew to Mayo without delay,” Larry explained.
Larry was later diagnosed with triple pneumonia (Pneumonia, Covid, and Blood Sepsis). This condition was intensified by Larry’s underlying rare lung condition, Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis, that began in early 2020. Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease where proteins build up in the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs, making it very difficult to breathe. For Larry, this initial condition came on gradually but over the following year, put him in a fight for his life. Larry was affected by a decline in his ability to breathe, he felt his health fading and after several clinic and ER visits, he was eventually med flighted to Mayo. He endured a very long road to recovery that included 3 separate whole-lung lavages (WILL) to help manage the disease and treat symptoms. Lung lavage is a procedure that involves washing protein from the lungs with a sterile salt solution. PAP and is a rare condition that only affects approximately 3 out of a million people worldwide. Larry smiles and says, “So now I remind my wife Cindy that I’m rare and one in a million.”
“I truly believe that Larry is one of those people who has the determination and positivity to overcome just about anything,” shared Jamie Smith, Respiratory Therapist at Grant Regional. Larry explains that music not only got him through the most difficult times including the recent health scare this past fall including being intubated for 9 days, but music also gave him the motivation to get stronger so that he could go back to enjoying music through song and his instruments.
Larry said, “You wouldn’t believe it…but when I was intubated at Mayo, people think you just black out, but I could hear the music playing in my mind and that kept me going. It was like my mind was ‘playing musical beats” in order to keep me focused on getting better and getting back to good health. My doctor told me I’d be as strong as a kitten following intubation. I just kept hearing the music and kept going forward each day, doing what I could to stay positive.”
Larry experienced that same positivity when he started his Pulmonary Rehab journey at Grant Regional Health Center. “It’s kind of funny…my physician at Mayo thought my small-town hospital in Lancaster wouldn’t have a pulmonary rehab program, but when I found out we definitely do in Lancaster, I was so relieved that I didn’t have to drive far for this important care.”
Following Larry’s hospitalization, Larry began 30 sessions of exercise and education - one hour, twice a week - through Grant Regional’s Pulmonary Rehab. “It’s been an ongoing process to get stronger and breathe better,” explains Larry. “It is a pleasure to experience this kind of care where the atmosphere is friendly, light-hearted and extremely professional. Breathing is something I think we all take for granted, that is, until you can’t,” Larry said.
“I’m so grateful to Jamie and Destani and other healthcare professionals at Grant Regional. I went from too weak to roll over in bed, to where I can now walk at a steady pace for 20-30 minutes. Also, it has strengthened my breathing so that I can play my trumpet again!”
“I’m thankful for our local hospital and the advanced care they provide,” says Larry. “We really are lucky to have it right here in our own community!”
If you are interested in learning more about our Pulmonary Rehab program, or improving your health with a lung condition, check out the upcoming Let's Talk About Lung Disease (with Coffee & Donuts) on March 13, 2025.