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MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Mar 4, 2023 | Replies (27)
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Replies to "I'm a little confused, was the MAC seen on a CT scan or diagnosed with a..."
@sueinmn
Thank you so much for responding to me! I think you're the only person that has and I'm so scared! So it wasn't just a CT scan, they did a bronchoscopy about 3 weeks ago, and they found the Klebsiella pneumonia a few days after, and then about a week ago they called and told me that they thought I had TB because of the petri dish culture, but I tested negative for that via a blood test, so then a couple days later they realized it was Mac that I had. I have an appointment with infectious diseases on Tuesday at 10:00. The results of that pending CT scan are back today, and it's showing a cavity 3.2 CM by 2.1 cm. So scary! I have read about cavities and I haven't seen any that are that big? Do you know what they do for those if anything? Also the CT report stated that around that mass, which is the cavity now, there had been a lot of smaller nodules on the last CT scan in January, and it said that those nodules have dissipated a little bit but I have a bunch of new ones in the middle of my lung and on the bottom of the lung. I'm not sure if that's a common symptom of MAC?! But I know nodules don't develop that quickly. I was wondering if they were maybe scars from the pneumonia. Or if this is just a symptom of this mac. I will add that I don't really have any symptoms of this. I am short on breath sometimes. But none of the other symptoms that are listed, I sleep with a heating blanket because I'm cold. Haha, I eat all the time. I'm always hungry, I don't have night sweats or losing weight, I'm not coughing, or spitting up stuff since I've been on the antibiotic for the pneumonia. I think it's just really strange. I only found out I had this Mass because in January I woke up at night wheezing and I started coughing up some blood. I went to the ER, they did a CT scan, found that mass and thought it was cancer!! And of course they would think that. And then you know it was the process of the CT scans, the broncoscopy, the biopsies, and now this is where I am at. I do agree with you that they're probably not going to start treatment until after my surgery. My pulmonologist told me tonight that he believes I should still have the surgery but it'll be up to infectious disease on Tuesday to make the final decision. This is an aggressive cancer and my doctor said that part of the reason that I probably got the Mac is because of my immune system being so compromised, so I'm hoping that they just move forward with the surgery on March 4th.. again, I really appreciate you sending me a message and if you could give me any other information from what I've told you. I've read a lot of your posts and you seem very knowledgeable about this. Any help you could give me I really and truly appreciate! This is really scary for me. I'm 52 and I take care of my five-year-old granddaughter full time. I just can't imagine anything happening to me and I feel like the world is coming down!! Thank You!
Angela (Wisconsin)