What safe hobbies can I do while having NTM/MAC?

I do agree that my gardening days are over and yours should be as well. Even repotting house plants is not a good idea since you may be throwing spores into the air in your home.

I can’t imagine cooking should be off the table. You’re not standing over a pot constantly. You must have some joys in your life and these things feed your soul and are so important.

Talk to your nephrologist about needing a mask while cooking. My bet is he or she will give you the okay to skip the mask.

When I go through the list of things we should avoid with this disease, (I have the same) we shouldn’t shower, bathe only, never use the spray on your kitchen faucet or any faucet, forget dusting, never vacation in Hawaii, etc., etc., you can become afraid to live.

Common sense has to come into play. Clean shower heads regularly as well as faucet sprayers, if you’re cleaning a closet or anything beyond light dusting, wear a mask, skip Hawaii since the soil there breeds MAC due to the lava crevices that form in the soil.

I personally do mosaics but not with grout. Instead I use Apoxy Sculpt with gloves, have 3 Hepas in my room and ventilation even though the product has no fumes. I avoid most glues. Most are considered dangerous for inhalation.

I hope others will contribute crafting ideas for you as well.

@roebeau1 I never heard about the Hawaii caution. Makes sense, though. I have been doing hand-molded clay pottery while wearing an N95. Some say I shouldn't be, but my doctor said if I was going to do it, I was to wear a mask. I only do it once a week. I have some rooms that will need painted after insulation is installed. Will I be okay to do painting, if I wear a mask?

@cheb & @roebeau1 I have lived with Bronchiectasis for over 8 years, Asthma for over 40 years, and allergies my entire life. A long time ago, I decided not to let these conditions (and several others not related to my lungs) dictate my life.

Common sense is very important, as is separating the true risks into categories of high, medium and low, then deciding how we want to live.

Remember, all of life is a matter of balancing what we want and need to do, and what we enjoy doing, against the risks of each activity. Even walking or driving to work, the grocery store, church and the library carry risks!

Dr Jennifer Honda, at the University of Texas at Tyler, who specializes in "Living with NTM" has some excellent videos on exactly this topic. Here is her most recent presentation, delivered at the National Jewish Health Patient Conference in September:

,It never occurred to me to worry about paining a room in my home. What specific risk do you think might be caused by painting a room?

@cheb & @roebeau1 I have lived with Bronchiectasis for over 8 years, Asthma for over 40 years, and allergies my entire life. A long time ago, I decided not to let these conditions (and several others not related to my lungs) dictate my life.

Common sense is very important, as is separating the true risks into categories of high, medium and low, then deciding how we want to live.

Remember, all of life is a matter of balancing what we want and need to do, and what we enjoy doing, against the risks of each activity. Even walking or driving to work, the grocery store, church and the library carry risks!

Dr Jennifer Honda, at the University of Texas at Tyler, who specializes in "Living with NTM" has some excellent videos on exactly this topic. Here is her most recent presentation, delivered at the National Jewish Health Patient Conference in September:

,It never occurred to me to worry about paining a room in my home. What specific risk do you think might be caused by painting a room?

@roebeau1 I never heard about the Hawaii caution. Makes sense, though. I have been doing hand-molded clay pottery while wearing an N95. Some say I shouldn't be, but my doctor said if I was going to do it, I was to wear a mask. I only do it once a week. I have some rooms that will need painted after insulation is installed. Will I be okay to do painting, if I wear a mask?

My ultimate favorite hobby is traveling. That's when I come alive. I'm grieving having to give it up. But what I realized was that since I'm not planning a trip or actually on a trip, I now have time to take classical guitar lessons!

@letsjustbreathe What caused you to give up travelling?

@sueinmn Hi Sue, for the past 15 months, I have been struggling daily with symptoms of what
I believe is Bronchiectasis. I was referred for a CT scan in February 2026 (via the NHS, I live in Scotland) and I'm still waiting. I was prescribed a steroid inhaler in February which I take at least twice a day, but I don't feel it makes much difference. My sinuses seem to be really affected too, and I constantly sound like I am loaded with the cold. I continuously cough up thick mucus throughout the day, every day. I have had no period of remission. Do you have any advice on how best to progress further assessment/diagnosis, as I am concerned it will worsen the longer it goes undiagnosed/untreated? Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

@cheb & @roebeau1 I have lived with Bronchiectasis for over 8 years, Asthma for over 40 years, and allergies my entire life. A long time ago, I decided not to let these conditions (and several others not related to my lungs) dictate my life.

Common sense is very important, as is separating the true risks into categories of high, medium and low, then deciding how we want to live.

Remember, all of life is a matter of balancing what we want and need to do, and what we enjoy doing, against the risks of each activity. Even walking or driving to work, the grocery store, church and the library carry risks!

Dr Jennifer Honda, at the University of Texas at Tyler, who specializes in "Living with NTM" has some excellent videos on exactly this topic. Here is her most recent presentation, delivered at the National Jewish Health Patient Conference in September:

,It never occurred to me to worry about paining a room in my home. What specific risk do you think might be caused by painting a room?