Truthfully, I barely gave thumb texting a try. Thumbs are the fattest fingers and I couldn't see using them to type. To this day, I don't know how people do it!

As for Arikayce, I did not fit the protocol but my doctor wanted me on it anyway. I was diagnosed with MAC in Nov 2018, and started the big 2 (bad reaction to rifampin after 2 or 3 doses) in March 2019. My doctor prescribed Arikayce in June although I had less than the 6 months of positive results required. Perhaps the fact that I cannot give up the steroid in Symbicort influenced her decision. Insurance approved it and we were in the process of ordering it when my June sputum sample showed a deadly fungus (mucor). On July 1, I had a bronchoscopy looking for the fungus as well as MAC and neither showed up in the 8 biopsies. MAC also did not show up weeks later in the June specimen. Arikayce had already arrived and the home visit was scheduled so we went ahead. I think my doctor was surprised that the antibiotics, which only work for 40% of patients, worked for me so fast.

After only a few days, Arikayce triggered an exacerbation of my chronic bronchitis and I had to stop. By August, I was breathing better and my doctor told me to try Arikayce again but only 3x a week. I was ok until December when my breathing got really bad again and I stopped.

My July and August samples had also been negative for MAC so I'm due to stop the oral antibiotics in June, the first month of 3 months of negative samples. Sputum samples in October and January were also negative. I have an almost full month's supply of the very expensive Arikayce sitting in my refrigerator since December. My doctor told me not to use it.

When I started it, I was told that the nurse could meet me at the doctor's medical center if I wanted to be there instead of home. I don't know if that would work for you during this crazy time.