Hi Barbara . I can’t do a sputum. Just not a spitting kind of gal:)! Much to my detriment really because I had to always have a bronchoscopy . I hate saying this , but the reason I had no choice was because I would have died without treatment. I was losing weight like it was my job, could not eat, etc etc. . I was told I was dying by my infectious disease doctor. Not all MAC cases are as serious as mine was so I don’t want to scare anyone. I did several years of pills and then Arikayce and now the MAC is gone. Mine is definitely a MAC success story. Irene5