It seems like it is easiest to do an update every couple of months instead of more frequently because sometimes there is a lot that has changed; other times, not much is different. My last major update was about the bronchoscopy, and to be honest, not a lot has changed since then.

I visited my Infectious Disease doctor in July, had a CT done that showed things have changed some, and I had a rib that was healing that I didn’t even know I broke. (My guess is I broke it during the bronchoscopy when I was coughing a lot.) It’s still annoyed sometimes but I think it is finally healing. I had some blood work done while I was there to see if I can use a different medication that maybe wouldn’t upset my stomach as much and be a pill, not a paint-like substance. I think the results said I could switch but no efforts were made to do so, so all I had to show for that experience was a large bruise on my right arm.

I visited my endocrinologist in August. She decided to check to make sure I don’t actually have primary adrenal insufficiency instead of my diagnosed secondary adrenal insufficiency. I do not have PAI, thankfully. I got to talk with her about my experiences at the hospital when I had the bronchoscopy done and she told me next time I’m in the hospital, my “normal dose” of hydrocort should be my “stress dose”, so basically I’m to tell them I take twice as much as I usually take since being in the hospital is stressful. In spite of this information and my doctor agreeing I was right about how I should have been treated, I still am very nervous to end up in the hospital again.

I got the “final” results of my bronchoscopy three months after I had it done. This is what I have and how we’re treating it currently.

• Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis: longest standing diagnosis, except this showed two different kinds of Aspergillosis. Multiple molds!
• Mycobacterium Intracellulare/Chimera: a relative to TB, from my understanding. I was treated for Mycobacterium Abscessus for a year after surgery and did not tolerate the antibiotics well so for now the plan is to simply keep an eye on it via CTs and bronchoscopies. *shudders at thought of another bronchoscopy anytime soon*
• Pneumocystis Jirovecii: the reason I take the fun yellow paint-like medication. Also another type of fungal disease that preys on immunocompromised hosts.
• Haemophilus Influenzae: basically just a bacterial infection. They gave me ten days of Augmentin for that.

Other than the cold I got right before the bronchoscopy, I was actually relatively healthy this summer, which was nice! I got sick at the beginning of September, which I had just recovered from when last night I started noticing the start of another cold. My tell-tale sign is getting a sore throat. I made sure to drink a lovely concoction of apple cider vinegar/lemon/stevia/water (recipe below. Not my favorite thing to drink, but it is effective), nebulized some silver, took extra vitamin C and bioplasma cell salts, and I was in bed before 11, which is rare. Doing everything possible to stay as healthy as possible is a big priority in my life, and it should be in yours, too.

If you have anything natural you like to turn to when you start to feel sick, let me know in the comments!

Recipe for Lemon ACV drink:

1 tsp – 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar, preferably with the “mother” (ACV can be difficult to get used to and stomach at first. I still have issues drinking it sometimes, but drinking a little is better than none, so start small if necessary)

1 tsp – 1 tbs of lemon juice, fresh is preferable but bottled works too

A couple drops of liquid stevia, to taste. (Honey is an option too, but I prefer liquid stevia in cold drinks, honey in warm)

Ice cube

Water

The colder the drink is, the easier it is to drink (and it helps soothe the fire in my throat). I place an ice cube in a 12 oz glass, pour in each of the ingredients over the ice, add water, stir, and drink a few sips at a time or all at once.