A conductor gained 40 pounds in a matter of weeks. It took open-heart surgery to learn why

Conductor John Mauceri is no stranger to health struggles. He was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2017, then chronic lymphocytic leukemia and interstitial lung disease in 2019. Medication treated the conditions and sent the cancer into remission, but he has remained on the lookout for recurrence. 

In December 2023, Mauceri, then 78, contracted COVID-19. He struggled to climb the stairs and developed a "troublesome" cough. He went to the emergency room at NYU Langone, where he has previously received medical care. An X-ray found viral pneumonia and severe lung disease. Doctors removed three liters of liquid from his right lung. The only relief, he said, was that there was no trace of cancer. He left the hospital about a week later. 

Within weeks, new symptoms quickly emerged. First, his left ankle swelled. Then the swelling continued up his leg. As the weeks passed, the swelling entered his abdomen and inched down his right leg. At one point, Mauceri was gaining a pound every day. He was also dealing with fatigue and shortness of breath. He couldn't conduct.