Airway clearance not working?

You are doing a wonderful job. Congratulations for staying free of infections for 19 months.
I always believe in the power of garlic, I hope it does make a difference in preventing infections.
We all know airway clearance is the cornerstone for us. But to do it right is the key. Your way has proven to work for you. Thank you so much for sharing your successful practice.
Take care!
Ling

Hi friends -
I just got back from National Jewish Health, and they did three respiratory sessions with me. They are recommending the Aerobika with the Aeroeclipse attachment, and doing it for 10-15 minutes. I do that for one of my sessions each day. For the other session, I do the nebulizer alone for 10 minutes, and then the Aerobika 10 breaths lying on my left side, followed by huff cough and clearing; 10 on my right followed by huff cough and clearing, 10 upright followed by huff cough and clearing, and then repeat that cycle the whole cycle one more time. They did say that doing the saline for more than 10 minutes straight can be irritating to the body.
Jill

Hi friends -
I just got back from National Jewish Health, and they did three respiratory sessions with me. They are recommending the Aerobika with the Aeroeclipse attachment, and doing it for 10-15 minutes. I do that for one of my sessions each day. For the other session, I do the nebulizer alone for 10 minutes, and then the Aerobika 10 breaths lying on my left side, followed by huff cough and clearing; 10 on my right followed by huff cough and clearing, 10 upright followed by huff cough and clearing, and then repeat that cycle the whole cycle one more time. They did say that doing the saline for more than 10 minutes straight can be irritating to the body.
Jill

@Ling, we all just do the best that we can to manage this diagnosis, don’t we? Personal experiences are very helpful to hear when we feel a little lost or discouraged or when we feel that we need some guidance. What is helpful for one person may or may not be for another, but we all recognize the need to share our experiences.

It is also very normal to feel ups and downs, to have some difficult days, and to feel overwhelmed. Often, those times are balanced by better days and good news. It is a unique illness in that it affects so many aspects of one’s life, and we must make adjustments to best cope with it. I am always amazed at the resiliency and helpfulness of all who visit this site. It is truly a group of support.

Hi, @ling. I have never been to NJH, as I live in central Texas, and the logistics are difficult. However, I have been fortunate to be treated at UTHSC in Tyler, TX. I was given hands on airway clearance during my first visit there, and Dr. McShane also posted U Tube videos about airway clearance. I had read about clearing the smaller airways, then the medium, and then the larger.

I was using garlic even before I was diagnosed. I have allergies and found myself having more drainage, and the garlic helped to clear me. Grating the garlic and letting it sit for a bit before eating helps to retain and increase benefits. I also find that when I make stir fry with lots of fresh ginger, I also clear more sputum.

I have been culture negative for 19 months and was due to stop meds in April, but since I had the lung surgery to remove the upper and lower lingula, I was told to continue the meds for three more months. The pathology cultures were also negative, but they showed a stubborn lateral left lung area with thick, white mucus that I was never able to clear. This was due to the varicoid bronchiectasis in that area. Other areas of bronchiectasis are mild. My right lung is barely affected, although it does have some bronchiectasis.

I should add that I always mask at the grocery store and in public places to protect myself. I believe that this helps to keep me free from infections. I also boil my drinking water and use Lifestraw pitcher water for tooth brushing and for cleaning vegetables and fruits. I no longer garden because I believe that this was the source of my Mycobacterium intracellulare infection.

I think that meds alone cannot control MAC, since it is everywhere. I avoid showers and instead take shallow baths and wash my hair under running water while masking. Sometimes I use a nose clip and remove it periodically to refresh my breath while hair washing.

This is time consuming and inconvenient, I must admit, but if it can help to keep me off of meds and to prevent more lung damage, I will do it. I am so grateful to have been able to have surgery four weeks ago that will lower my future risks, as long as I maintain airway clearance and precautions. I recognize that I must take these precautions for the rest of my life.