This the couch to 5 K. But Iam affected with bronchiectasis. so this is also for this community as an encouragement.
this is the series of 5 minutes> Total 27.35 minutes; distance on the bike 3.08 miles (4.9568 Km almost 5K!) With COPD I never thought I would do it. But the mind is not the body, and my body told me, you can do it, I'll show you!
Well done you. Now rest. xx
I shall of sort. I'm going to a meeting to decide where my bipolar wife should be transferred to. It won't be an easy meeting. Thanks you.
you give me some hope Mic the light at the end of a long dark tunnel this year so far my bronchiectasis has infected and re-infected 20 times since April and to cap it all I have just started recovering after 3-4 day starvation only water after picking up a nasty tummy bug.
Poor you, Ant, I really sympathise with you. Perhaps it might encourage you to know that I have groped in the dark since 1994, getting ill and worse. It's only since 2010 after my illness that I started to come out of this at the gym. since August, taking Vit C with zinc - for the immune system, and vitamin D (sunshine vitamin) in Cod liver oil, and acidophilus - to populate my guts with friendly bacteria which attack the nasty ones, that I started feeling really well. All this I recommend to you so you don't go from infection to shortness of breath and depression. I've gone through that. (Doctors will not advise on vitamins supplements, as officially they don't know whether it does you good or not!) By the way, I found that antibiotics dry the lungs successfully. I hope that you get over this bouts of infection with the right antibiotics. Believe me, those vitamins help. Hope it helps you get over this soon. Regards, Mic
Hi Mic, Totally agree with what you are saying. I stocked up on your advice with all the vits. and m doing well at the moment. Thanks for your advice barnowl
P.S. Sorry getting confused with things, I also wanted to say well done with the gym, brilliant progress. It's great how the referral to the gym can help each of us. I don't get on with the bike, bad back but really enjoy the treadmill be it data snail pace. Keep it up, it makes such a difference o your overall health, barnowl
I expect you know much more than me, but after similar situation to you I was prescribed Azithromycin. Got rid of the bugs in about 2weeks. Sorry if you have already tried this but thought I'd pass on my experience. Good Luck and hope you are soon able to find some relief, I know how much you must be suffering barnowl
I realized the main thing I was doing wrong being on a daily dose of any Antibiotic and that was I should be taking a Prebiotic as well. As we all know AB's kill the bad guys but the also kill the good guys in the gut and that is how you address the system.
WELL DONE....that's the spirit
and I admire your spirit Helingmic
This will be good for your health and will encourage us all
Thank you all for your kind words. (I'll let you in a little secret: I love being loved!!!) Cheers, Mic
Very well done, and I hope you continue to make progress.
Well done Jimmy are you using a bike or tread mill
onamission, I use the static bike. I find this good to use. O don't know why I prefer it to the treadmill. Perhaps because I have no other opportunity to use it. Also, I seem to wobble less on the bike than on the treadmill; just a preference!
Keep up the good work Jimmy you have inspired me
Well done, I also have Bronchiectasis & Asthma, & can not use stairs as get me so out of breath, no treatment except Symbicort inhaler,Mobutu think that's for the Asthma. I am afraid to try exercise as walking gets me so out of breath after a few minutes & heartbeat faster! I am going to see Proff Wilson at Royal Brompton in couple of weeks because my Consultant has diagnosed me with Invasive Aspergillosis, but does,nt know enough about it, so after no appointment with him since April & using Liason team to contact him, he finally contacted the Prof in August. So I may give excercise a try but a think a cycle ride is a bit too out of my reach nowadays? Keep it up & good luck.
Sandy
Sandy, I feel for you because I've been on the same sort of path than you, first with "asthma", then coughing which would not stop, then on and of with antibiotics. At long last, my consultant like yours sent me to the Brompton. that was a brilliant experience, with all sorts of tests, very thorough ones too. I came out with a diagnosis of bronchiectasis.
I kept falling ill and eventually caught pseudomonas. I also had TB! After a long recovery with daily antibiotics for 2 1/2 years, I became better. The gym saved me. Even when I could hardly go for 2 minutes on the treadmill. That's what I started with. That's what I recommend to you. Do ask the consultant at the Brompton and if he gives you eprmission to do gentle exercises, get referred to the pulmonary rehabilitation.
But first the Brompton. That is such a good idea. Are you going to stay a few days there? Or just the one long day with plenty of tests?
You are on your way to better health.
Thanku for your reply. I have had Bronchiectasis for 8 yrs now, but since my partner died of cancer 2 yrs ago, I moved to my own place & long story, but been a bit of a recluse & seem to have got worse breathing probs as well. I never knew much about my Bronchiectasis, only that my then Consultant (changed 4 yrs ago) when I asked if it was life threatening he replied, 'not if we keep on top of it'? He retired & consultant I have now does,nt see me as regular & I had to wait over a yr for my appt in March, when he checked my x.ray I had ordered myself,he said I had another cavity in left lung. I have it in both upper lobes. several tests were ordered & then the diagnosis in April og Inv Aspergillosis. I no longer live in London so my appt with the Prof, is at 10.30 a.m & 25 mile drive to pick my daughter up from BROMLEY to come with me, as I am deaf due to Vancmycin 12 yrs ago. Will travel on train & tube from BROMLEY as I think will be quicker? I don,t know what tests I will have, but I,m hoping he will maybe say I have not got Inv Aspergillosis as my Consultant has not seen me to explain anything, so if I do have it, it will end my life & I just want to know what happens next? How long or anything really as no one told me since I read diagnosis & no treatment either as the treatment given I had allergic reaction too after 5 days, (I did not know what it was for at the time, as I had not heard what my Consultant said, as I always go alone as no one here to go with me). I will ask about exercise but until I go there I,m not sure of anything. Just tests on the day I think? It's only since kind people on here have spoken to me that I have found out anything, it's like I,ve been written off? I had an appt couple of wks ago for respiratory test to see if I need oxygene, I was spoken to as regards my communications with Liason team about diagnosis, but not confirmed as they just said as it's rare my consultant feels I will benefit from another opinion from Prof Wilson. I had a lady in training, then place 2 chairs not more than 10m apart & for 5 mins I was told to walk round them with thing on my finger to check my oxygene level. It started at 95 & was at 90 when she told me to stop? She then talked to the other lady & said I do not qualify for oxygene by NHS standards? I got results copy letter last wk & it says I walked 290 metres? I walked round those chairs no more than 10 times & no way was it 290 metres & I also said my oxygene dropped to 91 but went back to 95 after sitting for I minute? That's a test? Anyway you &'others on here have said that the visit to the Brompton will be very beneficial & after 6 months of worrying, I should get some answers!! I hope it's not bad news, but I suppose I will have to wait a few weeks for results of any tests to know for sure? Sorry, I have made this reply long but always like to explain as worried. After walking the corridors of Kings for a year for my partner, as he was under Prof Heaton & admitted several times, so I was going there a lot & I felt fitter, but since then & no excercise, I feel 10 yrs older..i,ve been afraid to exercise incase it puts pressure on my heart & I,m alone here, vicious circle really. Anyway hope you can keep it up & get stronger from it
Sorry sent before finished, but good luck with yr cycling..Sandy
Sandy, You can rest assure that gentle exercise will not put any pressure on the heart ( not in a damaging way). 95% (oxygen saturation, that is) down to 91% with exercise around the chairs is fairly good. My Oxygen level (O2) is 95% at rest, but can drop briefly to 87% at the gym, but I recover quickly (within a minute and a half) (it used to be 2 and 1/2 minutes 2 years ago).
Go to the Brompton and see what happens there. No need to worry, you are in good hand.
The difficult bit is your hearing. That's why, here there's no problem, since we are all writing to you. keep the spirit up, you will get there! Cheers, Mic
4 months without a chest infection 
A quieter week this week!
6 weeks post transplant.
Not feeling brilliant the last week. Breathing up and down 
My 4 year old awaiting sleep study for suspected OSA diagnosis
