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CAT SCAN - how often?
When you were first diagnosed, did you need another cat scan before starting the antibiotics? I had a cat scan done last July prior to the formal diagnosis, and now they want another cat scan prior to antibiotics. Was that your experience? It seems so soon esp. since MAC is slow growing. Thanks
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oximeter shows between 97 - 99%. Fitbit shows between 94 and 97% at night while asleep.
Hi Sue,
Thanks for responding with your tips and encouragement. Perhaps my emphysema has gotten worse and so I will be seeing the Pulmonologists in January and ask for best ways to be evaluated.
Yes, I have started the breathing exercises at least one to two times a day and will try for 3 with one at night.
I have been working with the RT doing a 45 workout
each session on various machines and had been doing fast walks indoors for at least 12 minutes with one minute rest every 4 minutes. Need to start that up again. I can still take the subway and climb at least one flight of stairs very slowly and walk to my appointments. After each block here in the city, I need to rest for at least one minute, and 1/2 block if there is an upward incline. I'm 77 and use to play 4 hours of tennis p/w, exercised everyday (with my COPD diagnosis) for the last 15 years prior to the breast cancer and mac diagnosis in June, 2022. I suppose the cancer treatments (surgery, chemo, radiation and estrogen blockers,) and all the medications I take plus my inactivity has wreaked havoc on my breathing capacity.
We will keep moving forward!
Flo@Frankie160
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2 ReactionsHi Liz440,
Not being able to walk a few blocks here in city and can only climb one flight of stairs very slowly before becoming out of breath is so concerning.
I have not had an echo cardiogram recently, however I am being set up for an echo stress test. I will look into what is best and make a request so thanks for your advice. The Respiratory Therapist also asked the same question..... I do have elevated cholesterol numbers and have finally agreed to take a low dose of Crestor.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Flo@Frankie 160
Frankie - an echo stress test is just as good maybe better than a plain old echo. I had both. The numbers were worse on my echo stress test. However, three months later all my numbers (ejection fraction) were back to normal and the reason was that myocarditis can cause temporary (usually goes away) heart failure. My breathing got much better after that. The myocarditis cause is unknown though could have been pneumonia or the vaccine. No one knows. Now I can walk up a steep hill though my muscles have taken time to get back their strength after doing zero for so long.
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1 ReactionLiz440,
Have had difficulty scheduling my echo stress test but will keep trying on account of your story so thanks for replying. If I’m unsuccessful, it will not get done until after the holidays…
Flo @frankie160
Between Fusarium fungal disease, MAC, pneumonia and surveillance for lung cancer and or metastatic cancer from my prior Esophageal cancer
they gave me CT scans every 8 weeks
for almost 2 years.
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