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← Return to Bronchiectasis: New Diagnosis
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Dear People
So glad to find you & this site. This is my first post. I was diagnosed in May of 2018. I had had bronchitis 2 years in a row & x-ray taken in urgent care checking for pneumonia found interstitial reticulonodular lung disease which I looked up on web - scary! Saw wonderful pulmonologist (hadda fight for it with My Med ins). Have had 2 CT scans that show Bronchiecstesis. Turns out it showed up on previous x-rays from when I had pneumonia around 2011. Nobody told me.
I’m a non-smoker so who knows? While inflammation some areas of lungs better, some a bit worse. So far, progression is slow. The doc says the bronchiectasis will stay with me. Relatively mild.
Hard to cough stuff up, could only sleep on left side till recently. From reading here & elsewhere online I have learned that physiotherapist can teach one how to clear lungs - there are some YouTube videos as well. I’m going to ask for referral next visit. Also have found that propping myself up on a bunch of pillows at night has enabled me to sleep on my back. Still can’t sleep on right side without pain & coughing- but really helps. Even the pulmonary doc seemed baffled by this. I’ve learned from reading others’ experiences that this is common!!
I am also afraid of being in crowds, getting sick again. I got a pneumonia vaccine & will get booster next year. Also got the super duper senior flu shot. No guarantees & no vaccine for bronchitis.
I exercise most mornings at home & am trying to stay hydrated. I live in N Calif & smoke from fires was awful. Tho stayed in, it seeped in. Dreading another fire season.
So this is my story so far.
Bless you all for your posts - I don’t feel so alone & scared. I’m also so sorry for your suffering. Hoping mutual support here will help us all.
Replies to "Dear People So glad to find you & this site. This is my first post. I..."
@skylark1 Just to clarify - many if not most people with bronchiectasis are not smokers. Certain other things can predispose you to developing it - among them are asthma, GERD, some pneumonia, or some type of rheumatoid arthritis. In my immediate family, my husband was diagnosed, and also has arthritis that shows in his lungs. My daughter & I have bronch, we have both had asthma for years. My Mom had it, was never a smoker but was exposed to huge amounts of dust in her work, and suffered from frequent pneumonia.
Bronchiectasis is a progressive disease, slow in some, faster in others. To me, the most important thing is to stay healthy and avoid the bad lung infections, especially MAC and pseudomonas, which are very difficult to treat. Many people here have these and must undergo unpleasant antibiotic therapies. Clearing the airways gets rid of the mucus that provides a place for those bugs to grow, so it is very important to get some instruction and learn to do it, then to do it regularly, even if you don't feel sick.
Have you been tested to determine if there is an infection in your lungs? Sometimes the pain, coughing and difficulty breathing can be symptoms of infection, as well as fatigue and weight loss. MAC cannot be diagnosed from a simple blood test - your sputum must be cultured for 6 or 8 weeks in a special lab to see if it is present, and if so, what drugs can treat it.
I hope you continue to visit our group and ask questions - many people have a lot of experience with symptoms and doctors.
Sue
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Sorry - diagnosed May 2019. Haven’t figured out how to edit 1st post.