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(MAC/MAI) Mycobacterium Avium Complex Pulmonary Disease: Join us
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Nov 21 5:21pm | Replies (9354)Comment receiving replies
I haven't been contributing as much to this forum as I am in limbo about my lung condition. I spent half a day in the hospital expecting to have a biopsy of a nodule 9 mm - only to be sent home because the radiologist was afraid of hitting the wall of my lung and my having a collapsed lung. While at the hospital, I had another cscan done and the nodule had gotten small 7 mm , the size it was in June.
Oddly enough, I have stopped coughing up phlegm too - or very little. I was getting sick alot at the beginning of the school year which was treated with antiobiotics. Then I had the flu shot and I really don't know what is going on other than I do know I have bronchiecticus which is a constant.
I am able to keep up with a long school day, but don't do any work once I am home - about 6 p.m. Today I pressure washed my house - well with a light weight Home Depot system and a hose - and was able to keep up a strong pace for six hours. I only pray I stay on this path.
I know I have to remain vigilant but spending every day worrying is a waste of quality life. I was already in a mindset that I had lung cancer which now I truly doubt. It's not worth worrying about possible outcomes until they are a fact. I wish you all good health and stamina as we head into the holiday season. Kathryn
Replies to "I haven't been contributing as much to this forum as I am in limbo about my..."
Thanks so much. Just the fact that I can work is a blessing to me... as is this forum.
Kathryn, as usual .. you are busy "counting your gratitudes" .. good for you! Truthfully .. all I have to do is look around me and I am made aware of just how blessed I really am .. there are indeed so many others so less fortunate .. each in different ways. I really try to keep that in mind. There are ways I have difficulties .. but there are SO many blessings .. why not focus on the blessings? Makes the day SO much brighter! As I say to my husband "Rainbows and Butterflies!" when he gets a bit grumpy! Hugs to you on this journey! Katherine
Thank you so much. Our lives are own - I feel that even more as I live alone. But the sunsets I watch with my cat and dog at the end of the day, the antics I enjoy from my students in class and, at last, I am trying to make more personal connections - not deep ones - but enough to count on a social life beyond being absorbed by worries. Have a great week!
You've got my vote for keeping up such activities!
kwilbur...why are you so hard on your body...6 hours of pressure washing??also....l think I recall that there is a scale used with lung nodules..."a Gleason scoring" that evaluates the size of lung nodules " and the risk of being significant. ask a radiologist about it.UPDATE...CORRECTION....the name of the system /recommendations for evaluating pulmonary nodules is called is from the Fleischner Society....not the Gleason system as I said before. My apologies...tdrell
Thank you for this practical information - Gleason scoring. O.K. I really shouldn't work on my house as hard as I do - I was feeling strong and want to take advantage of every day I am like that. But this weekend I was much slower I promise you! Thanks for caring and the question to ask my doctor.
Hi @tdrell and @kwilbur - just a quick note - Gleason is a scoring system used in the diagnosis and treatment prostate cancer, something I suspect neither of you need for yourself 🙂
Tdrell, let us know if you find out the scale used for lung nodule monitoring. Nodules can be evaluated by size, border, calcification, density etc.
Colleenyoung,kwilbur....re Gleason ERROR....the scale is called the Fleischner Society....reccomendations for use with lung nodules.
7 years ago when I had a chest CAT scan that showed nodules...there was a paragraph at the bottom that Listed the Fleischner Society guidelines dependent on size of nodules as to what type...if any...follow up was needed.....i believe this tool is mostly used to externally help to see if there might be a cancer and if follow up needed.....such as biopsy or repeat CAT scan in future.Tdrell
Thanks so much. That was quite an experience, being ready, prepped for a biopsy and then sent home. $4,000 later!
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Kathryn, SO glad to hear from you .. I've been wondering how you were doing! Sounds like it's been kinda rough for a while .. but I TOTALLY agree with your philosophy of not worrying. I am an absolute believer in "Put my energy into what I can control .. and let go of what I can't control". I really make an effort to run my life by that rule.
I now realize that in my younger years I spent SO much time and energy trying to control things that I had absolutely no possibility of controlling! Now in my older years with my husband and my health issues I have found a VERY effective manner of dealing with them is: DENIAL!! I know that may sound silly .. but we made the decision that we would do our sensible "Due Diligence" in health issues .. and then "let it GOOOOOO!" Forget about it/DENIAL .. until/unless we were face to face with it! IF it reared it's ugly head .. THEN we would deal with it. But worrying .. fussing about it does not a whit of good .. put our energy into living our lives as happily as we possibly can .. as fully as we can! It has worked well for us. When things pop up .. we deal with them .. otherwise we just live as fully as we can.
Now saying this .. I still want you to be aware of what is going on with your body .. if you feel you need to get a good second opinion .. you only have to read our Forum on good ways to go about it .. be pro active .. take good care of yourself. Stay in touch and keep us posted on how you are doing. Sending you a hug! Katherine