teacher, not much going on until covid, 2 x pneumonia, 3 x covid, 3 weeks ago pneumonia, got diagnosis after......mild bronchiectasis both lower lungs
"mildly dilated bronchi of the lower lobes are suggestive of mild bronchiectasis."
Have been exercising and playing hockey for years, lung function is good , just sad to get the diagnosis and hoping for happy stories!
I was diagnosed with asthma long ago and it did not bother me at all until I was in my 70ies. Good luck- hockey is a fine game to play.
yay, thank you, I'm heading back to hockey this weeK 
My husband was diagnosed with bronchiiectasis when he was in his early 30s. It didn’t stop him enjoying a very full and active life. He eventually died of an unrelated cancer. Get out there and enjoy your hockey would be my recommendation 😊Good luck with it!
Thank you so much for your reply, that is so great to hear re your husband. I am such a downer, and I need to get out of this funk and try to be positive from now! Thank you - I'm getting out there very soon!
Don’t be too hard on yourself, you’ve been through a lot, what with the Covid you’ve had , plus pneumonia and then on top of that being told you have a health condition as well. That takes its toll both physically and mentally and it takes time to adjust to your new reality. Be kind to yourself as you work on getting back to full fitness, which I have no doubt you will😊
Thank you- mentally it sure is , ahhhhh. I am a bit confused too, as to whether i've fully recovered from pneumonia, just got a head cold yesterday and now super paranoid, need to go back to work tomorrow too....but yes, i myst be kind to myself
It doesn't seem that you have been diagnosed by a bronch specialist because they know from looking at scans whether you have it or not. Whoever has looked at yours finds it ' Suggestive of mild bronchiectasis'. It may not even be bronchiectasis but lingering damage from covid and pneumonia which may resolve itself. In the meantime make sure that you avoid germs and empty your lungs thoroughly of any fluid in there in order to avoid germs growing in the warm wet atmosphere and the chance of another pneumonia.Then get on with your life! Hockey is great,running, any form of exercise to keep your lungs working. I have had a really full life with extensive bronch in both lungs since I was 3. 70 years ago.
Stop fixating on catastrophe which isn't happening and have a great time.
I am so sorry, that is what the report said, when my specialist looked at it, he agreed that he could see mild bronchiectasis.....I should have said that too. I love your last sentence, I appreciate it and it has kicked me into action - I need to get fit and strong and get past thing massive hump that is holding me back......thank you. Exactly what you say - i feel like I've had a week since finding out of putting my life on hold and being miserable - time to move on! Of course, I would love for it to be lingering damage that might pass, but I am not too hopeful of that. Thank you again, I'm right back at hockey as soon as this pneumonia is fully out ......and wow! 3 until 70 - amazing - thank you for your kind and kick butt words! I needed them xx
onwards and upwards! Like thousands of us you are going to live a marvellous life whilst managing a condition. There is a wonderful lady on this forum whose positivity keeps so many of us who have severe lung problems going through our difficult times. We are here for you if and when you need some support. You are lucky, it is mild, you have access to your specialist and they should have good physios to help you with clearance techniques.. You have all the tools to deal with it The hump that you imagined in front of you is actually just a slightly different path to that which you expected. Being a sports teacher puts you miles ahead of those who get a bronch diagnosis and know nothing about maintaining fitness., which is THE most important part of managing it. We want to know how the teaching and the hockey goes.
Thank you thank you! I honestly need all the positivity .....I'm trying to be strong, but have big up and downs right now, and also questioning whether or not i've actually recovered fully from Pneumonia - annoying i have a head cold now, and am trying to keep it from my chest = argh! stressful - so now i'm questioning should I go back to work or not - =i['ve just had 3 -4 weeks off already! what to do x
Hiya
Despair not. Bronchiecstasis is a curious illness which sometimes has very little impact on your life. Like you, I was diagnosed with it after getting pneumonia and a resulting collapsed lung.
The main thing imo is to have one meeting with a lung physiotherapist (or look at you tube) to find out how to clear the mucus if it occurs. You can buy a blowy machine called an acapella or a physio will give you a free one. But it may cause you very little trouble at all and not interested in aerobic sports in any way.
So again, Nil Desperandum, have fun, ignore the diagnosis but do some acapella clearing now and then, and you should be fine.
The only exception to all this is if you get a chest infection, when you need to try and get rid of it quickly before it goes further damage, so they nhs tend to give you a rescue pack of antibiotics.
Good luck!
ps that should read ‘not impact on aerobic sports in any way’
Thank you for your kind words and words of hope ,it is really what I need right now .....I am hoping I am one of the lucky ones, I think I'm just a bit down because i'm still a little sick from the pnuemonia . I do have a blowy thing, but not sure its the best one to have- do it every morning for now ........I don't have the rescue pack now , so maybe thats what I need to ask for. Thank you again, I wil lget one with my life!! xx
Hi sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It’s a bit of a shock isn’t it. I was being monitored for 3 years for lung nodules & then diagnosed with mild Bronchiectasis on the last CT. That was in 2020 a few weeks before lockdown. I had a phone call from a secretary to say they wanted to see me but the lockdown happened. I had a phone appointment later that year & they thought it may have been as a result of Pneumonia 3 months earlier. My GP wrote them a letter for advice & I prescribed Carbocystine to loosen the phlegm. My GP also prescribed an antibiotic rescue pack should I start with signs of an infection. I havnt been seen by a consultant since I was diagnosed but they did arrange a lung function test last year then discharged me by letter. I’ve had so much help from this lovely group to help me understand about this condition. I was stressed at first about not being seen but now feel that if they don’t need to see me then it’s positive. I am annoyed that this group have been the ones supporting me & not the hospital or GP but am pleased it’s only mild. Enjoy your hockey x
I'm sorry you have so little medical help. Gosh, yes, it is a shock, and I'm not usually a negative person, so I'm trying really hard to get out of this funk! mild is good for you too. Do you have many day to day symptoms to deal with? I really hope you stay well, and than k you for your kind words :)
Hi thank you I also have Asthma all my life so get a bit breathless but could be caused by Asthma & not Bronchiectasis 🤷🏻♀️ I have been coughing up some sputum but I actually ( with the help from this group) thinks it’s silent reflux or post nasal drip so again probably not Bronchiectasis. I’ve only had 2 chest infections since diagnosed treated with antibiotics but have caught Covid twice too. I’m nowhere near as fit as you having a lot of other health issues & older too. So I would try not to worry too much about it & continue as before. Ask your GP for a rescue pack just in case & if in any doubt about any new symptoms then get in touch with your medical team ( Respiratory nurse, physio or consultant’s secretary) for advice. I think I probably stressed for about 2 years unnecessarily so totally understand how upsetting a new diagnosis like this can be. Go play some great Hockey & enjoy life x
thank you , I'm with you, im totally stressing way more than i should be I can't help it! arghhhhhh......good idea re rescue pack, going back to doc later this week, hopefully with more reassurance. just got a cold annoyingly and hoping that stays off my chest. ......one thing after another. good luck with everything and thank you for the positivity. It is what I need !~ x
Hope you feel better soon. If your GP is unsure regarding a rescue pack then ask him/her to contact your Consultant for advice. I think the thing with this diagnosis is to have things in place so you can act quickly for infection & also knowledge of who to contact if you need to. X
Hi and welcome to the site. I am sure your chest must have had a battering what with covid and pneumonia and am sure you will get back to "normal" in time. You may be lucky and the brochiectasis will give you no problem, just keep your eye out for infections that must be dealt with quickly and keep your chest free of mucus. Get on with your hockey and enjoy your life. I used to play centre forward at school and loved it x
i really hope I may be lucky, and trying to work on my mental health and ability to cope with bad news! i teach little ones PE so it's really hard to stay away from germs, but I sure am going to try! thank you foryour kind reply! I play CM mostly! fun! xx
I think its always a shock when first diagnosed, i didnt have a clue what it was and how to treat it. The people on here soon put me right. You can search on bronchiectasis and look at previous posts, the more knowledge you avbe the better armed you are. Try not to worry too much x
I would suggest that you pace, by that I mean resting, recharging, not pushing your body to its limits, but building up your stamina gradually. That way you work with your body, allowing the time in needs to heal and regaining your strength, stamina and flexibility. We easily swing from doing too much on a good day and then feeling awful and not wanting to do anything if our bodies say 'ouch, too much.'
There is a book called "Better Recovery from Viral Illness" by Darrel Ho-Yen which covers pacing among other things.
All the best with the teaching and hockey.
thank you so much, I will read that book! yes, pace myself, I hear you. It is so true, the good days feel great so we go for it. I'm going to take it easy ,try to get those early nights and long baths, but also try to get my exercise when i can. Thanks so much! c
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