On 9/19/17 I had rotator cuff surgery. Within 2 weeks I devolved sever breathing issues. I had a chest x-ray showed pneumonia. Put on prednisone. Two weeks later getting worse, given Z-pack and two weeks after that still no change. I then had a cat-scan which show debris in my lower right lung. Apparently I had aspirated at some point during my surgery. I then saw a pulminologist and had a bronchoscopy. The result was Bronchiectasis. How can I go from someone who danced and sang her 59th birthday into the we hours of the morning on 9/16/17 to 8 weeks later to I cannot make it from the house to the garage without almost passing out. Feeling very devastated right now.
Kathy I am so sorry about what's happened to you. Sadly, when bronchiectasis calls, it sucks. I can't speak to aspiration as a cause, but I hope that one day soon you'll feel a bit better. Are you getting physical therapy?
Kathy, my doctor thinks I have this due to aspirating during surgery as well! I had asthma as a child, but had outgrown any symptoms and when I began having bronch symptoms, I at first thought asthma, but it was different, so I went to het my heart checked out and from that appt. the lung issue was discovered. My doctor says mine is not very bad (and I will agree with that). I'm on inhaler 2x a day and when I think I have mucous sitting in my chest, I up my fluids and take mucinex or some sort of expectorant. I do exercise 2 to 3 times a week. If you are able to exercise, I highly recommend it as it helps get the mucous moving out of your chest. Maybe with a bit more time, you'll get things under control and start feeling better.
This is also new as it’s just come about in the last week. I’m doing breathing exercises for times a day inhaler two puffs every four hours. And beyond that nothing else.
I’m just waiting for the go ahead to get back to water aerobics. Because my rotator cuff Repair I’m very limited on what I can do physically with my upper body
I understand. I do water aerobics too! In fact, I went back to it before my doctor said I could and modified my exercises. It would probably be okay for you to walk in the water as long as you're not in deep water.
I had PT that had me walking forwards and backwards the length of the pool and then doing leg lifts on the side. You could probably do that safely since it doesn't involve the upper body. The water is so good for our bodies.
Can you walk in place, holding the back of a chair, one minute? Don't try for speed, just try up to 4 times daily if that's okay with your doc. When I've been sick a while, that's how i start coming back. But make sure that even this is okay with doc because of aspiration.
If it is, start with 1 minute up to 4 times daily. When you're ready, go to 1 1/2 - 2 mins. 4 x daily. Increase speed just a bit, & length. You get the idea.