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DiscussionWhat is ground glass on a lung CT scan?
Lung Health | Last Active: Feb 12 12:37pm | Replies (106)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "Hi Sue, Yes I did. Just to give you a recap on my situation in Sept..."
I had a long adventure with lung issues 7-8 years ago - I had asthma (which I tried to ignore for 20 years because I didn't like the drugs), and progressed to repeated bronchitis, a whole winter of coughing, fever, shortness of breath, uncontrolled asthma - was repeatedly treated with antibiotics and nebulizer...finally in the spring a chest x-ray revealed ground glass, many nodules and a condition called Bronchiectasis. Sputum samples revealed two infections - pseudomonas and mycobacteria - that both had to be treated with multiple antibiotics for nearly 2 years. By the end, I guess from all the damage, there was fungus too but I was in no shape for more drugs, so we went with nebs and airway clearance, and if eventually went away.
For 5 years now, I have been infection-free and my CT's are stable, but there is scarring from all that went before. I still do airway clearance to keep my damaged lungs free of infection, and have to be careful not to get respiratory infections, nor to inhale dust, etc.
When my infections were diagnosed, the doc thought they had simmered for many years before they finally got bad enough to have symptoms.
I had many anxious hours during and after the infections, and I understand your PTSD regarding your Dad, but you have already did the best possible thing by quitting smoking. Unless you develop problems, you probably are best served by getting a little exercise when you feel anxious and monitoring according to the recommended schedule.
Let me tell you a little secret - the older you grow, the more of these kinds of possible health issues will crop up - if you get anxious and dive into Dr Google, or the new AI bots every time, you're going to miss out on some of the best years of your life!
Occasionally I have to see a new doc or PT and they always want me to list all of my health issues, surgeries, medications, etc - it's very long and depressing list, and I just don't dwell on it.
Most of our friends, also in the 70's and 80's are in the same situation, but we still manage to enjoy life, travel, try new things, meet new people and try to pretend we're still 30, 40, 50 or 60. My aunt is still kickin' it at 97 - we need an appointment to take her to lunch! 😉