@katemn,
I'd like to also add that ONE sputem culture can come back positive, but that
does not mean that it is considered a disease at that point and should not
be rushed into treatment. Three consecutive day spetum samples testing positive
indicates disease (full blown infection) and should be treated. Dr. Leventhal
said that many people can have a positive result, but that 90% of the time, the
body gets rid of it by itself. I think that if a patient has ONE positive, he
has them come back in either a few weeks or month to retest. obviously, we have
a long ways to go in figuring out this disease.
 

@jkiemen,
the are the videos that I watched that night. Katherine posted these and they
are very informative. I hope her post containing the video list came along with
this post. If not, ask her for them.
 

Please take me off your email list. I keep selecting unsubscribe but I keep getting these darn emails. I'm desperate!

Hi @oceanbliss, have you followed these steps: From the Mayo Connect site main page (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/; you will need to be logged in), click the Following link (with a + sign next to the text) for a particular group under My Groups (for myself, there is only one group: MAC & Brochiectasis). You should see a dropdown list after that. From the dropdown list, select "Unfollow. Do not notify me about this any more". Then click the Update button. Hope this helps.

Perfect instructions Ling. Additionally, here are the instructions on how to unsubscribe from a particular discussion thread.

How to unsubscribe from a thread
1. Open an email that you have received about the discussion thread.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the email.
3. Click "Unsubscribe"
4. Select "Unfollow. Do not notify of this anymore" from the drop-down selection.
5. Click Update.

To the Mac moderators:Help. I'm jumping in from the chronic pain side of the Mayo forum for info on Mac.for my husband. The word nodule caught my attention. Yrs ago my 78 yr old husband had some type of scan performed by a thorasic surgeon. Forgot why, but my husband was sent to him after a kidney scan was performed and somehow this nodule showed up in his lung.
Husband a heavy smoker, refuses all chest x-rays during his annual physicals. He spits up and chokes on volumes of phlem as did his mother and twin brother. Our primary doc thinks it's all coming from sinuses. Thorasic surgeon asked hubby if he ever lived in the Midwest. Yes. Thor Dr. Said for some reason that region produced some bacterium that settled in people's lungs forming nodules that in years past were surgerically removed, but in present day they do not do surgery if nodules do not grow any bigger. Hubby's cough and choking could wake the dead clear down So Calif. Nothing my primary doc can do....can't force a horse to drink water.
My step Aunt has bronchiatis ????and some asthma but nothing else. Please direct me to the site that explains the aspects/symptoms of this Mac disease. I can't take listening to these choking and spitting up volumes of phlem episodes any more. Thank you for your patience. Signed victorious69.

@virtuous69, do you have a first name .. moe personal! Man do I relate to you!! I am the "unpaid medical secretary" to an equally stubborn husband .. in the hospital 3x in 3 months so far this year .. yet told me that he is going on our 2016 planned international trip with the statement "If I am ok the day before .. I going .. with you or alone." He knows darn well I won't let him travel alone in 2017! So when I read your post .. oh did I relate! SO .. down to business:

Bronchiectasis resources from my File Cabinet:
BRONCHIETASIS-SYMPTOMS OF
Symptoms of bronchiectasis http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bronchiectasis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx The most common symptom of bronchiectasis is a persistent cough that brings up a large amount of phlegm on a daily basis. The phlegm can be clear, pale yellow or yellow-greenish in colour. Other people may only occasionally cough up small amounts of phlegm, or none at all. Other symptoms may include: shortness of breath wheezing coughing up blood or blood-stained phlegm chest pain joint pain clubbing of the fingertips – the tissue beneath the nail thickens and the fingertips become rounded and bulbous Signs of a lung infection If you develop a lung infection, your symptoms usually get worse within a few days. This is known as an infective exacerbation and it can cause: coughing up even more phlegm, which may be more green than usual or smell unpleasant worsening shortness of breath You may also: feel very tired cough up blood, if you haven't already done so experience a sharp chest pain that's made worse when breathing (pleurisy) feel generally unwell When to seek medical advice If you haven't previously been diagnosed with bronchiectasis and you develop a persistent cough, visit your GP for advice. While persistent coughing may not necessarily be the result of bronchiectasis, it requires further investigation. If you've been previously diagnosed with bronchiectasis and you begin to experience symptoms that suggest you have a lung infection, contact your GP. You'll usually need treatment with antibiotics. Some people with bronchiectasis are given a stock of antibiotics as a precaution, in case they suddenly develop a lung infection. When to seek immediate medical advice Note Some people with bronchiectasis develop a severe lung infection that may need to be treated in hospital. Signs and symptoms of serious lung infection include: a bluish tinge to the skin and lips (cyanosis) confusion a high temperature of (100.4F) or above rapid breathing (more than 25 breaths a minute) severe chest pain that makes it too painful to cough and clear your lungs If you experience any of the above, phone the healthcare professional in charge of your care immediately. This may be your GP, a doctor who specializes in lung conditions (pulmonologist) or a specialist nurse.

BRONCHIETASIS-BREATHING VIDEO WONDERFUL INFO FROM M.D. Dr. William Girard of University of Texas Health

MAC /MAI.. MYCOBACTERIUM MAC-TREAT OR NOT TO TREAT I felt like my Mayo Clinic doctor put the 'puzzle' of to treat or NOT to treat with antibiotics JUST like a great big puzzle. The puzzle pieces were put together based on the results of the sputum culture results/Bronchoscopy if needed/CT scans/Xray/Pulmonary Testing. THEN deciding whether to treat with antibiotics NOW .. go to quarterly checkups, semi annual .. then to annual .. sometimes then back to semi annual checkups. It is ALL up to your GOOD Infectious Disease doctor who is (IF) KNOWLEDGEABLE about MAC. But it is my understanding there SHOULD be follow up checkups to CONFIRM that the MAC in your lungs is STILL "stable"/NOT colonizing. Without CONTINUING checkups (I expect for my life time) we have NO idea if the MAC is colonizing .. OR IF we are still "stable"! Those nasty critters DON'T disappear .. just lie there in waiting .. that is why it is so important to take good care of ourselves .. eat healthy .. exercise .. stay positive .. be serene!

I am going to be very frank with you .. if I was sitting in your shoes .. I would NOT google/research MAC/MAI .. it will scare the bejeezus out of you .. MUCH better to read the past pages of this Connect Forum to educate yourself .. THEN come back with any questions you may have .. we are here to support you every step of the way! Sending you a hug in this tough time! Katherine