... was collecting a huge, juicy, sputum sample from Isaac to send to the lab. For me, this is gold in a pot.
Not, of course that he should have so much damn mucous to cough up, nor that it was dark and way too sticky - but because without lab results on what his lungs are actually growing at any given time, treatment is still a bit of a stab in the dark.
Isaac’s lungs have been colonised with the bacterial bug PseudoA for the last 15+ years (I so distinctly remember the hospital call to inform me when he first grew this bug; the cold of the bench that I sat on outside the Edinburgh building, even the scent of the nearby bush... and most of all the awful understanding of what this news meant...). He also has regular fungal invasions (Aspergillus) as well the the odd random growth of NTM family bugs, or Staph, or some other delightful bacteria..... all of which battle it out for Top Dog in his already damaged and scarred lungs.
Knowing exactly what is his lungs are growing at any given time means we can adjust his treatment accordingly and target the arsenal that we have at the right bugs. This knowledge is powerful.
We are still waiting for Isaac’s PIP back payments. Worse, we have no sinus surgery date. Worse still, his lungs are really impacted by this cycle of sinus to lung infection. Mega dose steroids have helped a little, but his lung function is dropping.
He still never complains.
My heart, my love, my joy x
