Countryfile's Charlotte Smith's rare lung condition and scary misdiagnosis
For years, Countryfile star Charlotte Smith believed her life would be cut short by a rare, devastating lung condition - only to later learn she'd never had it in the first place.
Back in 2010, Charlotte, now 60, was told she had Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a cystic lung disease that causes cysts and other growths to form in a person's lungs, kidneys and lymph nodes, resulting in impaired function and organ tissue damage.
This serious condition, which mostly affects women of childbearing age, comes with a devastating prognosis. Sufferers can live for up to 30 years after diagnosis if their disease is properly managed, however, many patients will need a lung transplant after just 10 years.
The Countryfile star was overjoyed to learned she'd been misdiagnosed (BBC Studios/Ellie Arkle)Speaking with the Mirror in 2016, Charlotte shared that she knew something was up the day after her brother's wedding in August 2010. She felt exhausted, and despite not having drunk too much at the reception, she was experiencing symptoms similar to those of a bad hangover.
Shortly afterwards, Leicester-born Charlotte found herself getting out of breath while walking down to the beach during a family holiday to Devon. Assuming she'd simply picked up a chest infection, Charlotte was shocked when her GP informed her he believed her lung had collapsed, with a subsequent hospital X-ray confirming this.
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After being urgently referred to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital, Charlotte's lung was reinflated, a process she describes as so painful, she 'screamed the place down'. After returning to her London home, Charlotte continued to experience breathlessness, and so went to see a specialist at London's University College Hospital.
It was at this point Charlotte was told she had LAM, with an MRI scan identifying multiple cystic air spaces in both of her lungs. Recalling her terror at the time, Charlotte shared: "When I heard I probably had this very rare, potentially serious disease with an unpronounceable name I went into shock. The doctor was honest and told me all the stats, including it being 10 years, on average, between diagnosis and needing a lung transplant – or even death.
"He went on to say that this was the worst-case scenario and probably wouldn't be me. But all I could focus on was the thought that I could die in 10 years."
She continued: "I left the consultation feeling like my world was collapsing. My kids were just five and three then and I was worried that I wouldn’t be around to see them grow up. When I told [my husband] Mike about LAM, he was so calm and reassuring."
Charlotte was in for another shock in 2018 however, after learning she didn't have the disease after all, with medics detecting the misdiagnosis during an op for a collapsed lung. Speaking with The Sun about this 'joyous' revelation in 2022, Charlotte revealed: "They had to do an operation this time and they discovered that I am very lucky. I do not have that disease. I was misdiagnosed. Which actually I'm very relaxed about because to be told you don't have something is much better than being told you do.
"They don't really know what's wrong with my lungs, they have holes in them and they don't really know why. So I have about 80 per cent lung capacity a fit person would."
Praising the supportive network which had been her 'lifeline' after the diagnosis, Charlotte continued: "There are only about one hundred and something people with it, mainly women, here in the UK, so they have a fantastic network and self-help group, which I found an absolute lifeline when I did think I had it, so I am very aware of how lucky I am. I count my blessings for that."
You can catch Countryfile this evening (Sunday, February 11) at 6pm on BBC One.Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , and .
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