This post is the eleventh in a series on my Necrotizing Aspergillus Pneumonia illness. Where have I been? On a journey, to say the very least. If you’d like to start from the beginning, start here.

Well, I tried to ignore the fact that my sinuses were dripping last week. I wasn’t feeling congested, so I didn’t do any sinus rinse. Then Saturday, I started feeling like ca ca and started them, all in trying to stave off a real problem.

Sunday and Monday I had low grade fevers, and a sinus infection cropped up in full force. Tuesday I was feeling a little better physically, not thinking I was wheezing, but not sure if I was having difficulty breathing. With the issues that I’ve had this past year and a half, I thought it best to try to get in to see my local Immunologist. When I called, the receptionist told me that the doctor had no available appointments until June. I told her to pass a message on to the nurse for me with my symptoms. The nurse called to triage me, consulted with the doctor, and then asked if I could be therein 20minutes. Sometimes ya just gotta name drop.

First I did a pulmonary function test (PFT), then the doctor came in and asked the usual battery of questions. He did the physical exam – eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, listened to my lungs. Left nostril was 70% swollen, neck/glands swollen, lungs – decreased air flow. Definitely bacterial. 🙁

He had me do a breathing treatment (nebulizer) and then had me relax for a few minutes to let the medicine work. They then had me do another PFT. He came back in to listen to my airways. They were much improved after the treatment.

So now I’m back on Biaxin (antibiotic), prednisone (steroid), nebulizer treatments at home, and sinus rinses. I’m a little gun-shy about my health at this point. That’s the antibiotic that he put me on the last three times – the second two times he needed to put me on something stronger. I could be worrying for nothing. I pray it goes away and I don’t repeat the pattern that hospitalized me, ending up with a lung biopsy which found my Necrotizing Aspergillus Pneumonia. I’m a worry wart! I also had another low grade fever when I got home.

Oh, then I realized that I was a bad, bad girl! My physicians at National Jewish Health had told me that the next time that I had breathing issues (although I wasn’t 100% sure I was, and frankly, I have so many breathing issues I honestly think I’m “immune” to recognizing them), theytold me toincrease my Dulera inhaler from once a day to twice a day. If that didn’t work they wanted me to try the Spiriva samples that they’d given me. If that didn’t help, then I could be put back on steroids. Well, I completely forgot thatI had the samples at home. I’m just going to go with the flow this time and when I have my follow-up in 3 weeks, I’ll pass on the message.

Half a bottle of my anti-fungal medicine left! It’ll be a year, April 25th, that I was hospitalized.

My story continues here.