Runny Nose Was First Sign of Deadly Ailment

Oct. 6, 2008— -- David Cosner has changed a lot since the summer of 2006—ever since he first noticed a runny nose while attending a motorcycle race in California.

He suspected a cold and when he and his family returned to Austin, Texas, he had his condition checked out.

A series of cold and sinusitis diagnoses followed. Cosner said he visited more doctors than he can remember--a number he places somewhere between 15 and 50 visits.

But it was clear that what he had was far worse than the common cold.

"I was feeling horrible, I was losing lots of weight," Cosner recalled.

The 6-foot-4, 164 pound lacrosse player dropped to 132 pounds, and suffered numerous nosebleeds. Finally, he visited his father's ear, nose and throat doctor.

After an inspection of his nose, Cosner remembers being given a strong antibiotic and instructions to return in a few days if he didn't feel better.

He didn't get better. On the day he turned 17, Sept. 20, 2006, Cosner underwent a nasal biopsy.

"It wasn't two days after that that the biopsy came back positive for WG," said Cosner, referring to Wegener's granulomatosis. "I really didn't know the severity of it at the time."

Now 19, the Texas State University at San Marcos student has adjusted to life with the disease, and is making efforts to publicize it to others in the hopes that the rare condition can be diagnosed more quickly.

Wegener's granulomatosis is an inflammation of the blood vessels that can ultimately lead to problems with the kidneys, lungs, joints and other areas of the body.

"We don't know exactly what causes it. It's thought to be an autoimmune disease," said Dr. David Hellmann, chairman of the department of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Hellmann characterizes autoimmune diseases as being like police brutality, where immune cells that are supposed to be protecting the body begin to attack it instead.

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For Cosner, his own diagnosis was intimidating, but he has resolved to live his life in spite of it.