My mother had to enter the hospital today. She was coughing up a lot of blood. Last year, she had a kind of infection in her lungs that caused them to stiffen. It was considered normal to spit out a little blood. This time, it was quite a lot.

The doctor says that they will try to heal the damage without surgery but they might have to operate.

When someone's lungs have gone stiff, will ruptures and bleeding become common or is there a treatment that helps to restore the lung's elasticity?

Find out from the doctor the clinical diagnosis and look on this web site. http://www.lungusa.org/diseases/

Robert I am sorry to hear this-please keep up all updated on what is happening-I know all to well how scarey it is when something is wrong with my lungs-pray and pray some more dear and trust in the Lord to do what is right.
God Bless.

This mornining it was decided that my mother would have to have surgery to stop the bleeding in her lungs. The good news, I guess, is that her family doctor knew a surgeon in a Columbus, Oh who can do the surgery using special tools through small holes. The normal surgery requires major cutting which could easily have been fatal. This special surgery will be a lot less traumatic. Because my mother's doctor knew this surgeon, they are doing the procedure today. I hope all goes well.

My prayers and thoughts are with you and your Mother.

Today, the specialist used a new, high definition CAT Scan to evaluate my mother's lungs. He discovered that the previous specialist had misdiagnosed the cause of her illness and had been treating her incorrectly for the last four years. Mother has an active bacterial infection in the upper part of one lung and the lower part of the other. It's very hard to get rid of. So, the specialist is putting mother on some powerful antibiotics. She will stay in the hospital for another three days so they can monitor her. If mother lungs start bleeding again, she may still have to have surgery. I hope that it won't come to that. Even the special surgery has potentially fatal consequences for someone who weak like my mother.

Last night mother coughed up some dried blood and than began coughing up fresh blood. The medical people at the hospital got it to stop. So, it's still just wait and see if it will heal up.

Please keep giving updates hon-I will pray.
God Bless.

Last night, mother began coughing up fresh blood again. The doctor decided the she will have to have the procedure tomorrow morning.

This procedure is not so bad as the surgical method that some hospitals use. They cut open the chest.

For tomorrow's procedure, a catheter is inserted into a vein in the groin and pushed up to the damaged area of the lungs. The surgery is done through this catheter. They also take a biopsy. There is a slight chance that the bleeding could be caused by cancer.

If the surgery goes well, mother may be able to return home the following day.

Mother's procedure was this morning. The doctor used a catheter to seal off the arteries going the parts of her lungs that were bleeding. A biopsy revealed no cancer.

Mother shall continue for some time on antibiotics but should come home in the next day or so.

I am so glad to hear all of this-sounds like things are going a bit better.
God Bless.

We got our hopes up too soon.

Today, mother had sinus drainage down her throat. It was causing her to choke so much as to nearly pass out. I took her to the emergency room. While we were there, the emergency room doctor contacted her family doctor. The family doctor had just gotten the results back from mother's biopsy.

Mother has a bacterial infection similar to TB. They call it MAC for short. But, it is contagious mostly to older people and others with weak immune systems.

Mother must wear a paper mask when she is out in public. She will be seeing her doctor Monday morning to figure out a treatment plan.

She also got some medicine for the drainage.

Can you demand to get things moving? This doesn't sound very good and your mother has the right to get treatment does she not?
God Bless.

Robert2,
How is your Mother doing now?
Take care,
Lori

Mother is now taking two very expensive antibiotics to fight the bacterial infection in her lungs. The infection is allot like TB. It's hard to get rid of. Mother is doing some housework now, but she tires easily. She hasn't coughed up any blood for awhile now.

How is your mother doing now?
God Bless.

Mother went yesterday to see a specialist for this ailment in her lungs. These specialists are few and far between so mother had to travel a ways. The specialist put her on some very expensive medicine.

Otherwise, mother is feeling better. She is doing housework now but she doesn't do much cooking. She had a therapist coming to the house to help build her strength but I don't think she is ready to clean the yard yet.

Her family doctor gave her some Xanax so she'd quit getting on everybody's nerves. I don't think she's taking it because she appears to be up to full steam on that one.

What did they dignosis her as again-forgot-maybe she should not be trying to do so much and focus on therpay and rest so she gets better.
God Bless.
I find with my lungs the cold can make it harder to breath and so can extreme heat or humidty.

They call the bacterial infection MAC. It stands for some long name. We just call it MAC. When Ma has a coughing fit, we can just say that she is having a "big MAC attack."

Ma saw a specialist Thursday. He prescribed her yet another antibiotic. This one costs three hundred dollars for a month's supply. She has to have it. So, one way or another, we will make sure that she gets it.

There seems to be no telling Ma to park her keester. She wants to do housework. She feels bad when other people do the work she used to do. My sister did tell Ma to leave me alone when I'm doing the cooking. With my own brain and nerve damage, it's not a good idea for anyone to be around me when I'm using a sharp knife, or a potatoe peeler for that matter. I tend to have jerky muscle spasms.

Over all, my mother does seem to be getting better.

Robert2,
How is your Mother now? Its a shame about the cost of the medicine, is there any programs she can get on about lower cost medication..? But good to hear she was getting better at time of your last post.
How is she doing now?
Take care,
Lori http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

The expensive medicine is making mother awful sick. The specialist is tring to find something so she can eat and not throw up so much. It's kind of like when people take chemo therapy for cancer. It just makes them pretty sick for a while. In the mean time, I have to make food for her that she can keep down. Were also trying to get her to drink Ensure but even I think that stuff tastes nasty.

Ma is pretty grumpy these days. I found a disinfectant that has almost no smell. I mixed it up and sprayed it all over the folks wet, unfinished basement to help kill off the mold. Ma went on about that awhile. Until I told it was all done and asked her if she smelled anything. Then she quieted down.

Ensure-tell her to try choclate on ice-it's the only one I can mustard-don't drink it out of the can cuz it tastes even worst that way.
God Bless.

How is your Mom Robort?
God Bless

Personally, I think that Boost tastes much better than Ensure. Also, you might try making jello blocks. They feel nice in the mouth and are nourishing. If interested I'll send you the recipe.

Mother has been rather fatigued lately, she is too tired to grouch at me. She has been doing housework, but it's planting time and she still isn't up to pulling a plow. I guess we'll have to hitch up my sister.

Is Boost the same as Ensure nutrition wise?

Jello blocks is a good idea. I have the recipe somewhere. If only I can get Ma to cooperate.

I pray all goes well-jello does sound good though. I have never tried boost before so can't say for sure which is better in taste or nutrtion.
God Bless.

Robert2;

How is your mother now? Could you please ask your mother's doctor to write down what "MAC" stands for. I am in similar situation and I like to know. It may help me. Hope your mother is doing better now. Thanks.__Needy.

Robert2,
Could you please find out what MAC stands for. Ask your mother's doctor to write down for you. I have similar situation and it may help me. I hope your mother is feeling well now. Thanks. __Needy.

Ma is doing somewhat better. She's driving me nuts. That means she must be feeling better.

Regarding MAC, go to this web site:
http://www.thebody.com/treat/mac.html

It should give you the answers you want.

Robert2;
Eventhough we may not like it; it's good feeling when mom acts like mom. Thanks for the info. __Needy.

Robert2,
How is your mother doing? It's been about a month since your last post on this and I am curious. Hope all is well, hang in there.
Take care,
Lori



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I wish to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

My mother has improved a bit. She is doing some housework and burning some food for meals. (For her thats normal) She still needs to rest allot and she isn't up to pulling a plow yet. But, plowing season is over now anyway.

Her medicine is make her emotions a bit unstable. She can go from zero to totally irrational in three seconds flat. I wish Zanax could be administer using a dart gun.