Fungal lung infection?

[Coppernob]

I had a bronchoscopy last week. The consultant found she couldn't get into my right main bronchus because there "was a huge mass of phlegm, sputum and inspissated sputum that was impossible to suction out. I took some washings and removed some with the suction catheter and I also took some endobronchial biopsies of this. It had an ash-like blackened quality to it and the only time I have ever seen anything slightly similar to this the biopsy results turned out to be fungus."

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Any suggestions/insights to offer?

I have confirmed APS and Sjogrens.

I am awaiting analyses.

Meanwhile, I think all her poking about in my lungs dislodged some of this gunk with the result that I ended up in A&E last night because I was coughing so hard I truly thought I was going to choke to death. Fortunately I eventually managed to hawk up a great gob of the stuff (which I unfortunately swallowed before I could produce it for further analysis) so I then felt substantially better - tho only relatively speaking! They then proceeded to totally ignore me once I was taken through to an A&E cubicle. After an hour, when we discovered there were still 10 people ahead of me to be seen, we walked out. Disgraceful.

I'm sort of OK for the moment, tho scared this will happen again and that I will, again be ignored by the NHS, perhaps with catastrophic results. But it would be very good to hear if anyone has any enlightenment to offer on this condition.

Thanks, JudyCoppernob

[Coppernob]

Hi AbFab, had to laugh - no, of course, I couldn't take washings etc - that was part of the quote from the consultant's letter! i.e. SHE was doing the washings. She's lovely. So far I've seen her privately (in desperation again at the NHbloodyS - National Health Shambles, I call it!) but she also works NHS of course - so clearly there ARE some good eggs out there.

And yes, it is good in many ways that I've started ejecting 'The Alien' as I'm tempted to refer to it - but it was pretty damn scary at the time. I might call consultant tomorrow and ask if there's anything I can do to minimise the violence of it if it happens again.

Where are the Hospital Reviews please? I'll gladly fill one in.

Thanks, JudyCoppernob

[MaryF Administrator]

Hi, I don't know if this is relevant, but my children had walking pneumonia.. otherwise known as mycoplasma pneumonia... nasty nasty thing.

medical-dictionary.thefreed...

They took ages to get better as the diagnosis takes so long at times due to how slowly it starts. And it is common within the autoimmune spectrum. Mary F x

[Coppernob]

Very interesting Mary, as I also had mycoplasma pneumonia several years ago! (Which I discovered on my own initiative, btw - docs would never have thought of it.) I've told my current consultant so I know she has it in her mind to investigate. JudyC

[GinaD]

Mycoplasma pneumonia? Me too! One day, out of college, un married and living with Mom, I sank to the chair when my Mom said she had to fetch something from the kitchen before we headed out to the parking lot for our morning drive to work. She asked me, " Why did you sit down just now? " " I'm tired." "Are you so tired this morning that you sit down when I'm going to add less then 10seconds to your standing wait for me at the door," " Yeah. I'm tired.". "Thats not tired. Thats sick. I'm taking you to our doctor."

And . . . I had mycoplasma pneumonia, aka " walking pneumonia.".

Interesting. Could this be one of the buggers that confuse and enrage our immune systems?

[Coppernob]

Hi GinaD, yes interesting innit? Bit of a chicken and egg thing, I guess. i.e. does bug destabilise immune system leading to AI disorders? Or does already weakened/screwy immune system leave us open to bug in the first place?

I can't actually remember the chronology in my case, that is, when I had the mycoplasma and how that fits into the timeline of my AI conditions. Must give that a think.