Biofilm – NTM Bacteria’s Secret Weapon

Biofilm – NTM Bacteria’s Secret Weapon

Biofilm is one of those words people use as if everyone understands it. When I first heard the word ‘biofilm’, I imagined something dramatic:  some sort of sci-fi, weird, slimy coating in my lungs. What I’ve come to understand is – the reality is both simpler,...
How we stay connected

How we stay connected

Once a month, we meet together on Zoom. Sometimes there’s a guest speaker, sometimes it’s just us. Sometimes my camera is on and I’m sitting at my desk with a cuppa. Sometimes I’m secretly still in PJs, tired after a rough day. Sometimes I talk a lot. Sometimes I...
Why Me?

Why Me?

Finding out I had NTM lung disease turned my world upside down.  But long after the shock had settled, the questions still hadn’t. Why did I get this? How did it get so bad? Was there something I missed? Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are part of our everyday...
Why Blog?

Why Blog?

Kia ora, friend. My name is Mary. I’m a writer and photographer living in sunny Central Otago. In 2017, I was first diagnosed with MAC lung disease – a form of NTM, or Non-tuberculous Mycobacterial disease. I remember sitting with that diagnosis and feeling...