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Have you had your water tested?
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Jan 15, 2023 | Replies (84)Comment receiving replies
As a newly diagnosed MAC patient, I have learned so much from all of you! After reading this post, my husband did some investigation. He found a Special Pathogens Laboratory in Pittsburgh and spent some time in conversation with them. Even though we have well water which typically does not have avium, we are going to have our water tested to find out. This lab tests for all NTM, not just avium. It will cost approximately $200 and will take 7-8 weeks for results. The lab sent us the testing kit complete with return packaging. For inquiries the address is 1401 Forbes AV Suite 401, Pittsburg, PA 15219 and the phone number is 412-281-5335. He also communicated with Dr. Joseph Falkinham from VA Tech who was mentioned in another post. He is out of the office now, but said he would get back to us with the names of other labs who might test for this. Another question I have is how many exposures to avium does it take to become sick? So much to learn.....Nancy
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This might be a stupid question, but what do we do if our houses tests positive?
Thank you for this information about the lab in Pittsburgh. We also have a well, on the same aquifer as the water being "stolen" by Crystal Geyser, but do want to get our water checked, especially inside the house. Hopefully, we can get the kit and send a sample from California.
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@n4seth That is a very good question Nancy. Avium is everywhere. Most people have it but are not infected with it. It’s kind of like if your skin were swabbed it would most likely have staph on it. But you are not infected with it. MAC is like that. I think the key is to not keep reinfecting ourselves from the source where we got it: e.g. shower heads, potting soil, hot tubs, household dust etc.. For some reason (genetic, body type, lifestyle etc.) we on this forum have a susceptibility to it. Terri (mentor) has been doing her own research on water testing and similarity in career choices of members on this site. I remember being asked by doctors if I had been around birds or lived on a farm. (No, I had not.) I used to be a tad obsessed with trying to figure out where I got it. Now my obsession is in doing what my ID doctor and pulmonologist recommend to get rid of this unwelcome lung inhabitant. So to answer your question, I don’t believe the number of exposures predispose a person to get MAC. However, I think because of our susceptibility, it is of utmost importance to not continually reinfect ourselves after diagnosis and being put on the Big3. There are many things we can do to hopefully not reinfect ourselves. These are discussed in previous posts and have provided me with tons of new knowledge. irene5