Newly diagnosed

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Hi everyone. I joined this forum recently but haven't asked anything to date. I was diagnosd with 5% bronchiectasis damage to my lungs earlier this summer. I was relieved to find out what my symptoms of 10yrs pertained to - regular fatigue (sometimes overwhelming and requiring ridiculous amounts of sleep to combat) a persistent cough (with v small amt of daily extractions) and 1 or 2 nasty annual viruses, chest/lung infections that last usually for 4 wks, sumtimes longer. Xmas before last I was unwell for over 2 mths. I have an active job (my own biz) as an entertainer and am not able financially to slow that down (am single!) - altho I luv my work with a passion I am in middle of horrid infection now and find tht evry time I work it sets me back. My consultant says my job is unusual and maybe I will need to slow down I am currently starting a new biz tht will require less leaping around, but tht will take time to build!Ok. This forum. The letters between u guys have scared me! I didn't realise that bronchiectasis could be so severe. Am sorry to hear there r people suffering so much out there and glad u support each otha with advice. Mine is mild but the infections I get tend 2 b very debilitating. Social life stops and its just work and rest and no fun for weeks on end. Frustrating! I don't know anyone with this condition so I came here to share my story (sorry if its taken too long or seems rather mild in comparison to you guys) ... But I wld also like to ask a couple of questions:Firstly, I've been told to get fit (20 mins out of breath exercise minimum a day) which I've been trying to get in2 and haven't accomplished yet, but am along th right tracks (re-jigging my mind-set!) I have also been told tht if I keep getting infections my condition cld worsen.Du know of mild cases whre getting fit and clearing th lungs daily (that usually does it for me) helps to prevent going down with the viruses that often develop in us in2 infections?And secondly, du know of sufferers who have had their lungs worsen bcos of repeated infections ova th years and how bad can they get from just those?Am feeling a bit worried at th moment as th hospital cldnt give me answers to these questions. I'm 45 and feel there's plenty of time for degeneration and seriously wish to avoid it as this is hard enuff to deal with!! I send out my best wishes to those who r much worse off than me.Thank u so much to any1 who takes th time to read this and respond.Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless deviceDate: Sun, 2 Nov 2008 18:45:00 -0500To: <bronchiectasis >Subject: RE: travelling with bronchiectasis Janice, am hoping you rec’d responses by now. I was away on a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea and ended up in morocco for a few days. I took my nebulizer and needed it. Do you know if the electricity is comparable to ours? I was on a ship so it was ok, but in Spain, staying on land, it was not. The restaurants allow smoking so be careful. I don’t feel my rescue inhaler is anywhere as effective as my nebulizer, but maybe the boys are different. I didn’t think the temperature changes affected me at all. From: bronchiectasis [mailto:bronchiectasis ] On Behalf Of janice.djelloulSent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:23 PMTo: bronchiectasis Subject: travelling with bronchiectasis Hoping for more advice please! we're planning to travel to North africa next month to visit family in a rural area. There are private hospitals which are better than the share-a-bed, bring your own medicine type local hospital, but I am worried about the 9yr old twins' bronchiectasis, especially because of the range of temperatures they'll meet in a day. Should i take a nebulizer with us? How does that work differently to the inhalers? or will lots of their inhalers be enough? Obviously I'll be taking antibiotics to be made up if necessary, but is there anything else i should be aware of? i know a friend went to another part of N.africa and the private hospital had oxygen tanks but they had run out of oxygen! Hopefully all will be well, but need others' advice just to be on the safe side please!