Background
I am 53 years old and live with my husband and three dogs. My two children are grown up and have left home. I was a healthy child, but as an adult I developed asthma which got worse over a period of time. I was treated with inhalers, and when required, courses of steroids.
When did I notice something was wrong?
When I was in my mid 30s, my asthma was becoming increasingly difficult to control. Around this time, I became very ill as the result of a viral infection, and I developed pneumonia. After I recovered from this, I noticed that my chest problems had got worse. I had a number of chest infections that required antibiotics, I developed a productive cough, I was short of breath and I also noticed that I was very tired all the time.
How was I first diagnosed with bronchiectasis?
After a year of repeated chest infections, and uncontrolled asthma, my GP arranged for me to have a CT scan, which revealed that I had bronchiectasis. I had never heard of bronchiectasis before this, and because I had been a fit and healthy person until this point in my life, it was difficult to come to terms with this diagnosis at first. I asked to be referred to a specialist, and was referred to Prof Hill at the ERI.
How do I feel about the treatment?
I feel I have the best treatment available. I’m a little bit unfortunate in that I have a number of allergies to antibiotics, so it’s taken a bit longer to find what works best. At home, I nebulise gentamicin twice a day and as a first line antibiotic I have clarithromycin, which I take for 14 days if I notice an infection starting. However, with most infections, I usually need a two week course of IV antibiotics to clear it. Because I often rely on IV antibiotics, I have a portacath which means that I am able to administer my IV antibiotics at home. This has made a huge difference to my life, as it has reduced the necessity for hospital admissions. Now, I am able to tell when things are going downhill with my chest, and I make sure I act quickly. I find that starting antibiotics as soon as possible improves recovery time.
What is the effect on my day to day living?
At first, it took me a bit of time to get used to having bronchiectasis. Prior to my diagnosis, I was a marathon runner, and whilst I didn’t give up running altogether at first, the cycle of infections and recovery made it difficult to commit to the high level of training that I was used to. I don’t run now, but I do manage to do a lot of walking with my dogs and I love that just as much. Apart from that, having bronchiectasis hasn’t really stopped me doing anything I want to do. I still work full time doing a job I love; I love travelling; I have a good social life. I do have to be careful about getting over-tired, as if I get run down, that can make me more vulnerable to an infection. I’m also better at pacing myself and knowing when to say no to things. I used to worry about pulling out of things if I didn’t feel well, but now I accept that it’s sometimes necessary, and friends understand this. Overall, I cope well with bronchiectasis and lead an active life.
Last updated October 2019