Posted , 5 users are following.
I'm not sure if I have noticed anyone talking about pets, but if anyone has a pet do you fine that having the pet affects their symptomes.
Also would like to know from anyone who has has a Pseumonas infection if they have noticed a certain odor coming form their nasal passages even after being treated with antibiotics.
1 like, 14 replies
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steve62514 Russell27NOLA
Posted
Have a cat that thinks it's a dog, so follows me everywhere and sits close for strokes (and tolerates my shortness with her when I don't have time for such loving!). Probably attention-seeking because her brother and sisters ran out on her (she had run in from the 'wild' with them as kittens a year earlier) followed by her own 4 kittens being scared away to who knows where by the marauding father - looking for a repeat performance no doubt - a couple of months ago.<br /><br />She's about to produce 4 more! <br /><br />Anyway - I'm not really a cat person - liked the dog we previously had, but it ate everything hosehold and when that turned onto my wife's shoes it was time to despatch it to the temple!<br /><br />Have not noticed any particular impact of those pets on my condition and had no adverse/allergic reactions to pets in my younger days. <br /><br />Haven't got psuedomonas (... yet??). Not looking forward to that as I detect from postings on this site that it is not a welcome addition! Maybe the incidence of it is lower here in Thailand; must ask next time I'm with a well-informed Thai doc.
Russell27NOLA steve62514
Posted
I was a health care professional for 33 years so might have picked it up there.
Thanks
Russ
elizabeth49611 Russell27NOLA
Posted
Russell,
We have had a cat for years and 2 1/2 years ago got a dog, a Westie. 30 yrs ago when I first started having breathing issues, I was had allergy testing done. It showed that I had a mild reaction to a lot of things, dogs and cats inclued. We had only a dog at the time, so I made arrangments with my parents to take the dog for 6 months, I cleaned the house to eliminate the dog hairs and dander. I did not feel any better, so we brought the dog back. My allergy test showed that I had a mild reaction to trees, grasses, pollen, molds, animal dander, dust, etc. So where was no getting away from everything.
Fromn 1999-2012 we lived in a house with lots and lots of trees, I always kept a bird and squirrel feeder going every day. I would clean the feeders every so often. As a result I got a fungus growing in my lungs, gotten from bird droppings. So since, I've been very careful, when dealing with the bird feeder (we now live in a house with only 2 trees and less birds and squirrels to feed).
Even if I thought having a dog or cat would make my symptions alittle worse, the love and affection that you can recieve from a pet is worth more. They are there when you are sick, they bring joy and laughter in to your life. They take your mind off of your troubles. They give you unconditional love. Of course cats have a bit of an attitude. As they say:
Dog's have their owners, Cats have their staff!
Beth
Russell27NOLA elizabeth49611
Posted
Beth, thanks for your delightful story about your pets and their wilder cousins, birds and squirrels. I really enjoy all the funny videos on YouTube that people send in with all of their animal ,tame and wild.
I had not thought about finding my dog, John Lennon, a new home. He has been with me for five years which includeds a three month stent in NYC in 2013.
My dog is a Maltese which has hair rather than fur, which may provide some protection from alergic reactions. AHC says so. Anyway like you and mizsuzug say, its worth the little inconvenience.
I've never been a cat lover, although I have run into few Siamese cats I liked.
One last thing. Do you have fatigue and if so have you found anyway that helps you out.
Best
Russ
elizabeth49611 Russell27NOLA
Posted
Russell,
I do get fatigue due to shortness of breath. If I'm just walking around, I'm fine, but if I'm doing anything more than that, (ex: stairs) I get out of breath.
I have mentioned this in a previous post. The doctor gave me a new inhaler, Dulera, it made my breathing so much easier. I had very little sob. Now my insurance won't cover it, and I was given Symbicort. I am now back to being sob. So I am in the process of appealing the denial.
My thoughts on being sob resulting in fatigue; Either there is a lot of mucus and/or infection in the lungs limiting the intake of oxygen or the airways are inflamed and contracting limiting the intake of oxygen to the body. Decrease in oxygen causes a decrease in energy resulting in fatigue. Also when we are sob, it takes more energy to just breath.
I have found that there are times that I just have to take it easy and not do much of anything. Fortunately, I'm retired and I do some volunteering, but I'm not on a schedule, so on days that I really feel fatigue, I just sit around and read or rest.
Try to keep your lungs clear and avoid things that irritate the airways (I don't like to go outside on windy days).
Beth
Russell27NOLA elizabeth49611
Posted
Beth
Thanks for the reinteration. I do remember now your post from a few months ago. So far, knock on wood, I do not have SOB but your thoughts about decreased oxygen in th case of BRX make sense. I think that sinse I don't have SOB so far, I don't understand why I have the fatigue. Perhaps like you said, its that I am not getting the oxyen through the inflamation and mucous. I exercise ( staionary bike, band exericses and stretching)
Unlike your experience I have fatigue in the mornings and then as the day goes on feel just about normal.
I dont think you know, but I was an RN for 30 years (I retired in 2012 not becasue I was sick, but becasue I wanted to do other things) in ED and Cardiology, so I share your the knowledge in health sciences.
Always good to hear form you.
Russ
4jean Russell27NOLA
Posted
Hi Russ,
I was interested in your post because like you I experience fatigue in the mornings which usually improves as the day goes on. Until recently my Bx was little trouble since starting azithromycin 3 days a week some years ago ( apart from the occasional infection). However I recently had an infection which has taken more than 4 weeks to improve which has worried me. I'm hoping it is finally subsiding after two courses of antibiotics. My chest still feels a little sore from where the pain was....is that usual?
I was also an RN for 40years but have been retired now for 15years (where does the time go?!!). Prefer being a nurse to being a patient!! 😂
Jean
Russell27NOLA 4jean
Posted
Hi Jean, It's funny, I know go to the same hopital I worked for the last 17 years of my career. Everytime I'm there I can feel all of that time as an RN fading gradually away. I dont miss it, like yourself. Its like visting the grave ofan old friend and then jumping for joy. I gave up my License last year. They told me I would have to go back to nursing school if I wanted to be a nurse again. That will not be happening.
I had a Pseudo infection 3 months ago. It took some time for me to realize I wasnt getting better and then some time to get medication. I was better in about two weeks after staring the antibiotic.
So glad youre getting better. As far as the soreness in your chest my years in the ED and in Cardiology tell me that there all sorts of reasons that it is sore. Coughing can pull muscles, plurectic pain from lung infections of the pleura itself, is a symtom I have had in the past. Soreness I always associate it with injury to an area ( brusing or over stretching a ligament or muscle).
When I worked in the ED we recieved calls form patints asking what something or the other could be and we always asked them to come do that we could examine them. "Cant see you through the phone was our mantra." So please regard my advice with a full teaspoon of salt.
It's funny how some people have whole days where they are out of commisson and other like you and I start slow in the am and get going as the day wears on. To each his own.
Keep me posted,
Russ
mizsuzyq Russell27NOLA
Posted
HI Russell,
I had two cats (they both passed) during the time I have had BronchX. I went to an allgery doc and he did test to see if my cats affected myty condition. I did not have ant allergeries to my cats.
Since I also have Pseudomonas colonization in my lungs, it does rear its head once in awhile with what they call a "flareup". I have had sinus surgery due to a really bad sinus infection which did deteriorate some of my bone in face. The smell was really really bad. The pseudomonas had not gotten in my nasal, but did have staph infection, which is really hard to get rid of. And yes, I had the smell still while on antibiotics. The smell now comes and goes, but I have come to the conclusion after the sinus surgery over a year ago and being treated with stuff to wash out my nose, that it's never ever going to go away completely. I still use the nasal wash that you can get at local drug store. My ENT doc said to use sterile water or reverse osmosis (we have this system). Warm water to 100 degrees and use the mix in the warm water. Do this in am and pm before bed. Have your doc tell you how to use this or look up on youtube or some other type of video. You can also get this nasal wash kit at Costco.
Good luck and wish I had more positive input for you.
Russell27NOLA mizsuzyq
Posted
Mizs, thank you for telling me about your experieinces. I had two other repleys from Steve and Elizabeth and their experiences was muck like yours. My dog and I have been togenter for five years so doubt that I could give him up for any reason. He is a Maltese, a white fluffy ball of fun and love.
Just thought perhaps I could make some changes.
Was interesting what you shared about your sinus surgery and nasal washes that you do. I also had sinus surgery about 18 monhts ago and am using the NeilMed system with an added steroid from my doctor.
I am buying a sterilzation device for use in the Microwave. ( I normally clean with soap and water and 2 minutes in the microwave.I'm wondering if you have come across a funtional brush to clean the bottle that you use for the nasal lavage. Have ordered a few brushes and have found one to clean the tubing that goes into the bottle but nothing for the bottle so far.
How is your general health? I have been having more fatigue lately but no infections, except for two months ago, which was the pseudomonas..
I am back to about half the sputum production since the antibiotis, which is back to my normal level.
Nice hearing form you.
Russ
elizabeth49611 Russell27NOLA
Posted
russell,
You mentioned some changes in keeping your dog. It was suggested to people that have asthma/allergies to keep all animals out of the bedroom. I find that hard to do. We have a cat and a dog. I do keep an air purifier with a hepa filter going at all times in the bedroom. I also clean (dust, vacuum) more often and get our dog groomed to cut down on the hair. I'm in the process of cleaning the whole house right now, from washing all curtains, and bed spreads to cleaning the window blinds. I do a little each day, hoping that when I'm done in a week or two, I'll be breathing better. Have you ever run your finger along the top of a door jam, or the door itself? Very dirty and dusty. I always wipe the top of the blades of our seiling fans thru out the year.
Keep healthy, Beth
Also, we have our air ducts cleaned professionally every few years. We change the filter on the furnace regularly.
Russell27NOLA elizabeth49611
Posted
Beth thanks for the update on your cleaning procedures. I have my house clened every two weeks and use HEPA in the bedroom and livingroom. I have a one sstory two bedroom home.You have inspured me to ask my cleaner tomorrow to come back and do a more through clening. Also am using the 3M Filtrate #3 level filters for AC and Heating.Im not a great cleaner but did discover a way to totally clean my 10 inch stailess fry pan by submerging it in a stock pot of boiling it. I was able to turn it into "LIke New " pan. The crud just "melts" off! The pan has been taking it on the chin while I am leanring to cook at age 69.
Thanks for the tip about cleaning. Good luck with your project; hope it helps you the way you are expecting.
Russ
mizsuzyq Russell27NOLA
Posted
t02439 Russell27NOLA
Posted
Hi Russell, I found that having a pet did affect me. I had more infections, coughs, sneezes. my advise would be to get rid of pets....best I can describe it is that it is similar to those who suffer from pet allergies.
Pseudomonas infection isnt necessarily the only infection, it can be any infection. I did find that with some antibiotics i did have cases of halletosis. can't help you much on nasal odours as I dont have a sense of smell. But it might be worth mentioning it to your doctor, maybe they can have a look at it.
Hope this helps
Tanz