Petrea always had people in her life who smoked and vaped, so it seemed natural for her to turn to tobacco when she was going through a difficult time. “I started vaping as a way to deal with anxiety and depression. I could easily pick them up at the gas station, and it just didn’t seem like a big deal,” she said. “But vaping is a big deal; it’s so dangerous, I don’t think I understood until I almost died.”
Petrea started vaping disposable devices she could get over the counter. She was particularly drawn to the flavors, with banana being her favorite. “When you are vaping, you don’t think about nicotine because the flavoring masks it; that’s what got me,” Petrea explained. Her mother smoked in the past and were very vocal about the dangers of both, so when Petrea began vaping, she kept it from her.
But that became harder because she panicked when she found herself feeling anxious if she didn’t have a vape nearby. She purchased a more expensive reusable vape because she was going through a disposable one almost every day. “I was doing anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 puffs a day, according to the device,” she said. She had become dependent. Just one year after she picked up vaping, the damage e-cigarettes were doing to her lungs would land her in the hospital at just 24 years old.
An Unexpected Lung Emergency
Petrea’s day had started like any other, but at about 9 p.m., she began to feel very dizzy and sick to her stomach. She felt short of breath and started wheezing, but she attributed this to possibly developing asthma since that chronic lung disease ran in her family. But two hours later, things hadn’t improved; they had gotten worse. The room spun around her, her face felt numb and turned blue, and she realized she couldn’t breathe. “My lungs had collapsed,” Petrea explained. “It felt like someone was squeezing me so tightly I couldn’t take a breath. It was scary.”
Her mother immediately called an ambulance, and she was rushed to the emergency room. In the ambulance, she began to hallucinate, and from there on, she was in and out of consciousness. “I remember having all these tubes in me and having some woman tell my parents I needed to be life-flighted to a bigger hospital because the one I was at did not have the equipment they needed,” she said. The second hospital, which was about an hour away by helicopter, is where Petrea completely lost consciousness. She would remain intubated and in a coma for the next 10 days. “While I was out, I remember vivid, painful nightmares that to this day don’t feel like dreams but excruciating memories that will haunt me forever,” Petrea said.
"I was in denial at first, then I went into complete shock,” Petrea’s mom explained. “It didn't fully hit me what was happening, even after we put her on ECMO, until the next morning when I woke up at 5am having a panic attack. I thought to myself, ‘she HAS to be ok; she's my best friend.’ It was the most devastating time our family has ever suffered. We are thankful every day that Petrea is with us, and since then has given me the gift of the most beautiful Grandson.”
Ten days later, Petrea woke up in a haze. She would spend almost an entire month in the hospital, being closely monitored and learning from her doctors that her life would never be the same. The permanent damage done to her lungs causes wheezing and flare-ups in her everyday life. The scarring, also called EVALI, means she can’t be in any poor air quality situation. Where she had previously enjoyed bonfires, she can no longer be anywhere near the smoke. Bad air quality days have her locked inside because her lungs burn. Any seemingly minor sickness is a big deal for Petrea, who has to consult a doctor and take medication immediately to prevent further respiratory damage. And being around anyone who is smoking or vaping is out of the question.
“I can’t be around perfume, I can’t use certain household cleaners because the pollutants get into the air and burn my lungs, I can’t go to the farm because animal dander causes a reaction. I feel like my lung problems have taken over my life,” Petrea said.
Moving Forward with Lung Disease
Though her life has become more challenging, Petrea has been blessed with a son who is the light of her life. Her parents have been around to lend a hand and help Petrea adjust to her new circumstances.
Additionally, as painful as reliving the experience is, Petrea has made it her mission to share her story with others to warn against vaping. She has even helped friends and family quit smoking and vaping for good. “Your life changes the moment you hit that vape, even if you don’t end up having a problem like me,” she said. “You become addicted and scar your lungs; you just never know the damage you’re doing. It’s definitely not worth it.”
Blog last updated: February 5, 2025
