Re: results are in> about P.A.

[Guest guest]

P.A. will come & P.A. will go, but almost always come back.

, now 17, cultured P.A. for the first time in February 2003.

Even had a bronchoscopy to confirm it was in the lungs, not the

sinuses. They put on TOBI and Cipro in March and again in

May. Both times for only 21 days. He was at clinic last Thursday

(October 9). We received the sputum culture results verbally

yesterday (Monday) from his doctor at UNC-Chapel Hill and the report

was very, very small amounts of Stentromonas Maltophilia and very,

very small amount of Staph aureus. BUT NO P.A.!. He has grown some

amount s. aureus at every sputum culture he has ever had in 15 years.

So, no antibiotics at this time. It helped that his PFT were in the

wonderful ranges for him (FEV1 at 88%).

Our problems (side effects) from the TOBI & Cipro were;

1. Getting a 16 year old up early enough in the morning before

school to do an extra treatment, TOBI along with the BEAST (Vest).

and also every evening. He did miss a couple treatments over the 21

days.

2. Sunburns while on the Cipro in May. Hey, it's North Carolina on

the beaches and school was almost over.

3. The costs. With a great insuanace plan, the co-pays were $75

each for the TOBI & the Cipro. The extra $150 a month hurt, but

when I compare it to other insurance plans, like 20% co-pay, I

wonder how people pay for TOBI at $2,800 for a box of it!.

Keep the faith, it's treatable, and a hassle, but don't get too

alarmed. IMHO anyway.

Dan (Dad of 17cf who has learned where the gas gauge is on his

truck just as it runs out of gas. Now he knows!).