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How often should I be tested for MAC
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: 6 hours ago | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
I was diagnosed with BE around 6yrs ago at National Jewish , and my local pulmonologist never did sputum testing . This past December I went to UT Tyler for a consult , and regular sputum testing was initiated . I’ve cultured twice now for MAC, low ( 1+) count. Waiting on my recent culture results . No clue how long I’ve had it , other than I know it wasn’t seen at NJH.
As for NTM symptoms , I have none .
It’s a little crazy knowing I’m growing something very serious in my lungs , yet I don’t feel any different .
Replies to "I was diagnosed with BE around 6yrs ago at National Jewish , and my local pulmonologist..."
@cholash
I was diagnosed last January and while the flutter valve has made me cough some I also have no symptoms. I have abssesus which is very hard to treat. So far it’s watch and wait and trying to gain weight which is so hard for me. I exercise in gym and alternate with pickleball so I am burning excess calories. I feel same way like a monster is growing inside me.
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@cholash Are you saying NJH did not find you to have a MAC infection? Maybe you did not have one at the time, that is possible. You did have Bronchiectasis, am I interpreting it correctly form your post, when you went to NJH but maybe you didn't have the infection then with the Bronchiectasis??? Or, I wonder, if it could have been so very low it wasn't detected???
I take it NJH did not suggest you send in sputum every so often after your initial visit???
What sent me to NJH was my BE and it was there that I found out I had a MAC infection, MAI.
I felt well then and I feel well now, yet I had and have an infection. It is at a low load, as yours, so far and I am not, have not taken the antibiotics.
Yes, hard to understand that we could have the infection and feel O.K. However, it could be that it is at low loads and we still feel O.K.?? It probably also depends on how strong our immune system is as to why we feel O.K.???
Barbara