So we got the call from the doc this morning that she still has psuedomonas.
Lemme try to explain what that means. She is now considered colonized, aka this bacteria has set up shop in her lungs and won't be going anywhere.
Ugh, right?!
At some point most cfers become colonized with psuedomonas. The sticky mucus in their lungs is the perfect place for this stuff to hide and killing it completely becomes next to impossible.
Now the real question. What does that mean for her future? We had a really good convo with the doc, and while I'm still heartbroken that she is colonized, we're gonna be okay. It won't make any direct changes in her med schedule. She'll continue all her oral and neb meds as usual.
Her body will establish sort of a baseline of bacteria that will be normal for her. Her Tobi should help keep it in check. However if something happens to change the status quo, (ex a cold, cigarette smoke, etc) then she could have an exacerbation. This would mean increased cough, wheezing, etc. In that case she will be doing extra antibiotics to try to get back to her normal baseline.
There is one silver lining to this. We will no longer be working to keep her from getting psuedomonas. So less of me freaking out if she doesn't let the shower run before she gets in, drinking from the water cooler at school and no longer being freaked out about chemicals being correct in swimming pools. In fact that last part about swimming pools will prob make Grace ridiculously happy.
So that's the basic explanation. Just didn't think this would fit in a status update.
