@desperada.....all of the responses posted for you are "right on"....and l agree with comments about you being good humored....l would add resilient and able to problem solve. Those were the traits that shouted out to me as l read your first post.
With MAC infection and bronchiectasis, most usually you have...as my ID doctor from NJH says the luxury of time and also other folks from our group mentioned in messages....unlike so many other diseases and conditions....there is no urgency to begin treatment....if indeed treatment is necessary.
Your next step is a thorough work up by the best resource you can find...even if you have to wait to get in...go to appt at Scripps....BUT go to NationalJewish.org and start viewing. Type in Videos on NTM workshops in search button or find links on this web site...or go to you tube and type in NTM infections etc. NTMINFO.org will connect you to many resources also.

The sponsor to our support group Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is equal in excellence re NTM infection....however they are sooooo far from you...and getting there is so challenging....whereas Denver...NJH.... is closer and the city has so many hotels and ubers and rental cars etc. I have been to both cities and both facilities.

When I went to NJH . I was told that although MAC was cultured from a bronchoscopy done to find out why l coughed for 3 years....my issue was from GERD..that l was silently aspirating into my lungs the MAC germ from water l drank....here in Wisconsin we have lots of NTM in the water..and l did not need antibiotics The CAT scan did not show active infection....they have radiologists there specially credentialed to read chest CAT scans. I go back annually to monitor some other stuff in the scan.
I was given explicit instructions re GERD....l note you are drinking coffee and eating choc...no no's for reflux. they also review all systems.....for me this revealed that l did not have the asthma that l had been treated 30 years for....that l had sleep apnea needed CPAP....have a cough disorder which l have learned to control after lessons from their speech therapist....they review immune system...on and on....THOROUGH!!
Since l follow the GERD guidelines l no longer cough.
I could go on and on....ask me any questions you have...you will get thru this....you are a problem solver and have amazing humor.
@tdrell

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