@jweisser welcome to Connect. I moved your message to this existing discussion by the same name so that you can meet other members newly diagnosed with bronchiectasis as well as those who have been there. Click VIEW. REPLY in the email notification to read past posts. There is a great wealth of information shared by extremely knowledgeable and supportive members in this group. I hope you’ll read through some of them. You may never know why you got bronchiectasis, but you will learn how you can manage the condition. Please ask questions and then ask some more. We’re listening.

@jweisser Thank you for posting. I was diagnosed at Mayo's Rochester three years ago. I was terribly ill before the diagnosis and had eventually lost a lot of weight. Had been to 7 different specialists and none came up with the problem. Mayo's found it in a couple of hours. Your note caught my eye because I, too, had never heard of bronchiectasis and apparently that showed on my face when they told me. So, they went on to say "You do not have cancer -- you have bronchiectasis. It is not curable but we can manage it". And.... they have. I wasn't aware of ultra sound being used to diagnose it. That was news to me (but of course, I don't know much). I hope you have a doctor with good knowledge of this disease and if so, I believe you will soon be feeling much better. Do post again so we'll know how you are doing and many of the patients on this site are extremely helpful. They have had great experience and will surely help you through this.

@jweisser Most of, if not all, people in this discussion group have bronchiectasis. Some have more serious symptoms than others. I understand how scary it can be when you don't know anything about it. Here are links to some websites that provide information on bronchiectasis. In the mean time, you'll find a lot of helpful ideas, advice, tips, etc. on this site to help you manage this disease.
https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/bronchiectasis-pt1.pdf
http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/bronchiectasis/symptoms-causes-risk-factors.html
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/bronchiectasis
Come to this site often and feel free to ask questions. You'll get a lot of help and emotional support from it. Good luck.

@jweisser You might find this website helpful. https://www.bronchiectasisandntminitiative.org/Bronchiectasis/Bronchiectasis-Resources/Basics-Of-Bronchiectasis?utm_source=BronchandNTM+E-Blast10.2018&utm_campaign=+e-Newsletter&utm_medium=email

@jweisser, Welcome to this forum. You'll find information and support here that is not available anywhere else in such a convenient package. I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis in 1997 -- had never heard of it. It's taken many years and lots of independent research and lots of personal experience for me to feel that I know what it is, what it means in my life and in my future, and how to best protect myself. People around me have no conception of the condition, and I've had to work with a couple of pulmonologists who understood it less than I do! Fortunately, I'm with a knowledgeable, proactive pulmonologist now, but you can't assume that "the doctor knows." Arm yourself with information. Plenty of it can be found right here. You will be empowered by it.

@jweisser Hi there. I am glad that you are seeing a pulmonolgist soon. If your dr. doesn't offer a CT Scan or sputem test; be sure to ask for those two things. The CT Scan is the best test for bronchiectasis. It will show the actual structures inside the lungs. That way, your pulmonolgist can see what is going on in your lungs. The sputem test is to see if mac or pseudomonas is growing in your lungs. These two infections are commonly found in people with bronchiectasis. They cause the coughing and fatigue. If you don't have them now, you may in the future, so you want to get regular sputem tests. I have had mac/bronchiectasis since 2005. I did not begin to lose a lot of weight until 2016. That was due to a pseudomonas infection. I went from 143 lbs to 116 lbs in 8 months. Since treatment in 2016; my weight is coming back. My point is, you may not be losing weight now, but you may in the future. It is one of the warning signs of an active infection. I hope you will take the time to read from the Discussion Board. It is on this group's home page and has a list of helpful topics. I hope you get to feeling better soon.