Fatigue and Bronchiectasis

Are you doing execercises ? 

Have you been shown?

or breathing exercises to clear your lungs before you

go out?

With BX fatigue is the norm as the couching is really what will wear you down,so just getting out of the hospital take it slow for a while and do some moderate excercise when I got out of the hospital I was doing our stairs in the house 3 times a day for about 10 to 15 mins each day and progressed more each time if felt the need,but as we all say you need to clear your lungs so stay focused on getting that done each day.

Best.

Normal for some Margiesgirl (it would appear to me from following this forum), but not for everyone. We bronchX sufferers are all different and I am guessing that lots of moderate sufferers like me don't bother posting on help forums like this.

My tiredness fatigue is not a daily event - comes and goes and rarely extends to the level of exhaustion you describe. I would estimate (very broadly) that I experience tiredness/fatigue for typically less than 2 hours once very 3-4 days, that extends to what I would describe as exhaustion only once every two weeks. Its not evenly spaced like that implies - tends to be concentrated in periods when I am feeling on edge of an infection. Of course if I have a full blown infection then tiredness to exhaustion can be a daily event (but is not constant throughout the day).

So tiredness is not a curse for me (and neither is coughing), but I recognise it is for some sufferers and hope I can put off the day that the more extremes of the condition arrives for me.

I have given up trying to understand any pattern to the randomness of the shades of how I feel. In particular I quite regularly (say monthly) get an uptick in the flags of infection (one or some of sputum volume and colour, coughing, tiredness/exhaustion, breathing less cleanly, wheezing, sleep disturbance, headaches, fever/temperature control issues, lethargy) which makes the condition a bit more than an irritation. That can then give me a period of anything from 1 day to a couple of weeks where I feel a bit grotty at times. I don't rush for the enhanced antibis "rescue pack" (I take azithromycin prophylactically 3 times a week) until I get several flags coming together and that seems to happen twice a year on average. Then I can feel ill and sympathise with others who feel that way on a more regular or even semi-permanent basis.

I do of course do all the right (ie recommended) things*. Daily exercise (swimming/walking/gardening); daily lung clearance (simple approach of 15mins once-a-day lying flat breathing and exhaling deeply to stimulate coughing up); good diet/weight control; no smoking. I'm lucky in the impact of my bronchX but I'm sure the basics of lung health can help every sufferer. It maybe that I also benefit from living in a rural area (of Thailand where the weather is helpful - ie warm) and not exposed to crowds/urban public transport on a regular basis.

*Not 'Mr Perfect'. Occasionally drink more than moderately when out with mates and regret it the following day - stupid, given that immoderate alcohol intake nixes the effect of antibis! 

My pulmo banned me from walking for months after a number of I cidents where I'd walk the dog, feel fine, and 2 hours or so later be in the ER. Later he said I could start walking 1 minute, 3 times daily, double at 3 weeks, double at 3 weeks, etc. I was permanently banned from my stationary bike, but It's high tension & can't be adjusted. A year later I work out in an indoor pool for an hour or more 3 times weekly, but I can't swim much of that time. There are treadmills in the pools and I do 10-20 minutes and tons of exercises.

If you have to, walk in place at home, hang onto chair or wall if needed. Build up to 5 minutes 4 times daily, then do 2 longer indoor walks. Grocery shopping you were not just walking because you had to bend down, reach up, push or carry a basket, etc.

I know these flare ups take a long time for us to recover from. My consultant has said to me...but you've been very poorly for a long time, it will take time for you to recover. This is when I expect to spring back in a couple of days!!