My New Life

Yesterday I saw the pulmonologist.  And he has added a diagnosis of bronchiectasis.  He also added 2 more nebs to my routine (that makes 5 nebs) some 4 times daily, some 3 times daily and some 2 times daily.  He also is ordering me a vest that I will wear 3 times a day that will shake me to get the secretions loose in my lungs.  So last night before going to sleep, I went to go stand up and of course my back pinches and locks up and I can't move my left leg.  Ugh.  Someday this all has to get better but today, I'm rotating ice and heat between my lower back and chest  (hurts from coughing so much) and resting.  Rest and drink water!!!! 

Well, to say I'm ready for a new year is an understatement.  I am so thankful to go into this year being able to breathe.  Although,  learning to live with a trach is NOT the easiest.  I can't talk quite yet, which is really hard.  Christmas day we had a scare.  I started coughing, a lot.  There was some bright red blood (maybe a little more than a little) that was coming out of my trach and I couldn't stop coughing and catch my breath.  Mom called 911 and thank goodness for the Cumberland Ambulance and first responders that came out.  I was greeted at the Cumberland ER with many people waiting to take care of me.  It was decided that with me having a trach and the bleeding I had to go back to sacred heart.  So, off I was on an ambulance again, the last thing I wanted on Christmas Day.  At sacred heart I was diagnosed with pneumonia.  So back on steroids and antibiotics I went.  But, the good news was there wasn't...