How many of you with bronchiectasis ... - Lung Conditions C...
How many of you with bronchiectasis still manage to hold down a job ? I so want to be able to go back to work. Thank you. Holly
Hello, My husband suffers with severe COPD which is not the same condition as yours BUT he still works full time. He has had to have a week or so off this year with a bad exacerbation other than that working is good for his soul! Hope that you are able to carry on working. TAD xx
Thank you TADAW . Last year before I was diagnosed I had four repeat chest infections over 6 months and different antibiotics without effect and was so unwell. However now I am diagnosed and am aware of the management I am hopeful of returning to work. Before I left hospital , the respiratory doctors were saying that i'm now vulnerable to infection and need to avoid crowds of people etc. I am going to take onboard all offered information on keeping well and give it a good go. 
Holly.x
We have found the most difficult time is winter with all the colds and flu. My husband has taken to wear gloves quite a lot and I bought him hand sanitiser for his desk! AND I have instigated hand sanitising before anyone makes any tea! It is more difficult but I hope you are able to continue. OH, and he has had the pneumonia jab and has the flu jab very early - September time. AND took to giving him a fizzy vitamin C every day in winter don't know whether it helped but it helped me to know I was doing all I could! Good Luck TAD xx
Thank you for sharing the information regarding gloves and sanitiser. I have also been recommended manuka honey. Am going to try everything. Holly. X
Now we used manuka honey during his last exacerbation and I am so convinced that it helped that he will be getting a teaspoon a day through the flu season! xx
Hi Tad.Good advice. I do the effervesant vit c too. I get mine 3 for 2 in Tesco & always get the one with added zinc. For good measure if I'm feeling dodgy I'll add echinacea drops which is/are? supposed to boost the immune system. Pricey at about £11 but it lasts ages.
I'm feeling dodgy at the minute, snuffly, so I'm off to take some right now. I've already had a spoon of Manuka Honey 20%. Fingers crossed. All the best, peeg
I was only diagnosed with Bronchictasis in March but I am still working (never stopped)
I am office based now, due to age not health, so I don't come into direct contact with the general public in work. Hopefully this will limit infections.Have been well up to now but feel a bit chesty today (hope I am not getting a dreaded infection) The doctors are still trying to find a suitable medication for me as I have dry Bronchictasis (no mucus) at the moment I only have my Ventolin.what are you taking?
I was very unwell this year , short of breath, absolutely unable to move from complete lack of energy. Thankfully following CT, Bronchoscopy all has become clear. I'm on 1g Amoxycillin TDS, 40mg prednisalone, 750mgs, carbocysteine TDS. 20mg omeprazole and Salbutamol nebuliser. My lungs were full of infected mucous which I wasnt bringing up. The carbocysteine helps to loosen this and i do breathing exercises which are effective. I couldn't work, couldn't walk to the bus stop without having to sit down for a breath, but now i feel better after the bronchoscopy and intravenous antibiotics. The respiratory team have told me that i won't get occupational health clearance so will need to find other work now. What other symptoms did you have? I also lost about 2 stone in weight.
You sound similar to me with all the infections. you seem to be getting on top of your condition.
I haven't worked fulltime for 3 years. I need to for financial reasons but I only have to get a few things done in a day or have a nice time somewhere to spend the whole of the next day on the sofa, exhausted.
I'm trying to push myself to exercise when I'm tired out now I've done PR and proved to myself it can be done with the right breathing.
As I'm a bit dim at times I bought myself an oximeter to pop on to check sats when I feel knackered.
I dont use it all the time (dont want to get, or appear too obsessed) but it is very handy for telling me I need to do some controlled diaphram breathing for 5 minutes & then sats go up I feel more energised.
I'm going to frog march the dog around the park now because I'm feeling tired out today - practise what I preach!
Take care Hollyhockhattie xx ps at least you know what you have, I hopefully get a diagnosis on 2 Sept
I have bronchiectasis and work 35 hours a week instead of 37. I share an office with only 1 other person rather than the 8 I should! My employer is aware but my line manager is not great however as we are all solicitors we are all aware of disability legislation.
I do try to work from home when I can - supposedly 2 days a week but often only 1 day. I have had quite a lot of time off but they accept it.
I do have to go to places where there are lots of people. I always wear a scarf when I'm out.
I take a lot of medication every day and get very tired. Since May I have had infection after infection and been struggling. I've taken so many antibiotics. I am seeing the consultant again next week after some more tests.
Judith
Thank you for sharing this Judith. It's a reality check for me as I feel so great since my admission to hospital and haven't felt so well for almost 2 years. The thought of walking to the top of the road was so traumatic just a few weeks ago and now I'm walking the dog everywhere. I'm a nurse in theory but would like to return to practice, however the respiratory team are anti the long hours , stress, vulnerable to infection from the patients and of course needing occupational health clearance. I'm doing all the things I have been advised but I guess winter is around the corner and in reality i'm going to have to work hard to stay well.. I saw one of the practice GP's yesterday to get my reserve medications. He changed some of them to what he thought was best for me and he has never seen me before. He also asked me if I been to the surgery prior to my hospital admission! This concerns me as I spent two years back and forth to the surgery with shortness of breath , which became so bad that I couldn't move to answer the door and just slept not knowing what was wrong with me plus the constant chest infections which were not responding to any antibiotics. I seem to be on a long term list of medications like yourself and I have a follow up with the consultant in 2 weeks time. I am going to wear a scarf when i'm out from now on. I think that a bronchoscopy once a year as part of the care plan would be good as they wash your lungs out and remove all the nasty bacteria and as procedures go its fine.
Good luck with your appointment and thank you for taking the time to reply. Holly.
Hi Holly I've recently been diagnosed with Bronchiectasis and struggling with SOB and fatigue. I am an intensive care nurse and have been off work since March this year. I'm worried I'm not going to be able to return. Are you now back at work ? Any advice would be helpful. Many thanks Dawn.
Hello Deehbee and Holly.
I’m Tom a second year student and newly diagnosed as having bronchiectasis.
Recommendations if you would please. Am I pursuing a career that’s going to leave me in dire straights with my health now or will I be ok?
Obviously I’m going to be informing university of this mess but at 32 and having put so much work and effort in I feel massively frustrated.
Any advice and so forth please
