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Hi Barbara -
Thank you so much for this info about NJH and the process at Denver. It a sounds very promising. I have my intake interview on Monday so should know more.
As for my airway clearance, I pretty much follow the protocol McShane outlines in her video. The one thing I added as a result of her presentation was starting with the deep breath hold in the beginning. I take 600 mg of NAC two times per day and I find that makes a huge difference in my sputum production. (I couldn’t get any sputum up before.) after nebulizing, I do 10 slow breaths with the Aerobica on my left side, followed by huff coughs and spitting (gross 🤮) and then 10 breaths on my right side followed by coughs and 🤮 and then 10 breaths sitting straight up followed by coughs and 🤮. Then I start the rotation again - left side, right side, sitting straight up. If I feel there is more mucous, I’ll continue a bit, but I find those 60 breaths with coughing pretty much does the trick!
Sorry for the gross details, but we all know this comes with the territory. 🤣
Peace,
Jill
Replies to "Hi Barbara - Thank you so much for this info about NJH and the process at..."
Don't worry about grossing anyone out on this forum! We are all used to mucus. When I first saw my pulmonologist he really put me at ease by saying "I love mucus". We were talking about sputum samples etc. That gave me a good laugh. My routine is similar to yours but I do 15 breaths each round and I have to do more rounds. First 4 rounds sitting up followed by 4 rounds laying on my back inverted and then 1 round on each side and last 2 rounds sitting up again. For the last two I set the Aerobika to max. I probably should be doing slower breaths.
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Glad to hear about all the above...and that you have found your way to getting it done. It appears you will know quite a bit more than most patients who go to NJH Denver on their first go round in your understanding of it all.
One of the things I also do, that Dr. McShane's nurse suggested, is laying on your front and finding a way to lower your head and upper torso so that you have your lungs reversed to help move out the mucus. As an example, her suggestion, leaning off the edge of the bed end, if one can do that safely...I couldn't so I found another way.
If you do yoga the bridge position/pose is another suggestion.... if you don't have to worry about acid reflux.
I wish they, NJH, had had a lesson on all different postural drainage positions etc., during the time one is going through the tests and departments with ones visit to NJH. I wonder if you inquired, while there, if they had a department to demonstrate and teach the many/various different positions to help with clearing out the mucus along with their teaching of nebulizing, the Aerobika and the vest that they suggest... they do have a department to demonstrate those three things during the visit. I do not use the vest, I had problems.
Details are important, not gross at all and I am glad we all have one another to be able to use those terms with and not feel grossed out. Yes it goes with the territory. We are all in this journey together in so many ways and sharing helps us all.
Looking forward to hearing about your experience at Denver, NJH.
Barbara