Be Clear-A Self-Care Method to Living with Bronchiectasis

Be Clear-A Self-Care Method to Living with Bronchiectasis Never judgmental.
šŸŽ„ Free videos youtube.com/
āŽ No med advice Esposito, MPH, you can feel better!

Linda Esposito, MPH
Yale-educated 25 yr exp bronchiectasis & NTM educator | Author | Advocate
āœØ Compassionate coaching & individual consultations
ā¤ļøAlways kind. Author of ā€œThe BE CLEAR Method to Living with Bronchiectasisā€ available on Amazon-

https://amzn.to/333htls?trk=public_post_share-update_update-text

Bronchiectasis is the permanent scarring of the lung airway passages, often from an infec

tion, asthma or COPD. It is a lifelong chronic disease, but by practicing the BE CLEAR Method of self-care, created by Linda C.

Shelby MacRae, MD, will be leading an important discussion on how to communicate more effectively with your health care ...
05/03/2026

Shelby MacRae, MD, will be leading an important discussion on how to communicate more effectively with your health care provider.

I really enjoyed hearing her speak previously, and I was also happy to chat with her at the North American Bronchiectasis Conference this past December.

I highly recommend signing up for this talk!ā¤ļø

ā° Please note: This monthā€™s Coffee Break will take place on Thursday, May 7, at 2:30 p.m. ET, which is a change from the usual schedule. It will be next Thursday, not the following Wednesday.

Register below to receive the event link:
https://copdf.co/BronchNTM-coffeebreak

Because this is a support group meeting, there is the possibility of patient participation and confidentiality issues and therefore this talk might not be recorded.

Just a little over a week away! Planning to attend in person and canā€™t waitā€¼ļøā€¼ļø
05/03/2026

Just a little over a week away! Planning to attend in person and canā€™t waitā€¼ļøā€¼ļø

Every Sunday, I release a video, usually around 5 to 10 minutes long. During the week, I also share two shorter videos u...
05/03/2026

Every Sunday, I release a video, usually around 5 to 10 minutes long.

During the week, I also share two shorter videos under one minuteā€¦ little bursts of information I hope you find helpful.

And every now and then, I bring back an oldie but goodieā€¦ and today is one of those days.
Todayā€™s featured video is Aerobika in Detail, now approaching 14,000 views.

I originally created it to celebrate the World Bronchiectasis Conference I attended in New York City in 2023.

As a consultant for Monaghan Medical, makers of the Aerobika, I had the honor of standing beside a poster featuring survey results from our BE CLEAR community and discussing them with leading respiratory experts from around the world.

But perhaps the biggest honor was standing next to Dr. Joseph Falkinhamā€™s research, presented by Judy Schloss, respiratory therapist and Clinical Manager at Monaghan.
Judy shared something incredibly important: research showed that the Aerobika and AeroEclipse nebulizer cups are biofilm resistant.

In simple terms, bacteria such as MAC and pseudomonas, which can form sticky biofilms like buildup inside plumbing, do not easily adhere to these devices.

What makes this even more fascinating is that Dr. Falkinham was not specifically testing for biofilm resistance. He was evaluating sterilization methods, but researchers had such difficulty getting bacteria to stick to the devices that they had to soak them in thick bacterial broth for 24 hours just to continue testing.

It was a serendipitous discovery, but one with potentially enormous importance for our community.

Even more exciting, this research, co-authored by Judy, won an award from the review committee.

That is exactly why I am sharing Aerobika in Detail again today.

And now, thanks to YouTubeā€™s dubbing feature, this information may be available in 21 languages. Just click the gear āš™ļø, select audio track, and look for your language.

If you find this helpful, please subscribe to my YouTube channel, like this and other videos, explore the description for related resources, and hit the bell šŸ”” so you are notified when new videos are released each week.

To watch the video go to:
https://youtu.be/EbzuV_TAqjk

Monaghan Medical
Trudell Medical International

Just finished filming five new YouTube videos. I wanted to do one more, but my voice was not cooperating. I was so hoars...
05/02/2026

Just finished filming five new YouTube videos. I wanted to do one more, but my voice was not cooperating. I was so hoarse today that I even had to sip water while on camera.

I have to admit, it was frustrating, and at one point I got a little teary-eyed. Sometimes the will is there, but the body just is not cooperating.

Still, Iā€™m reminding myself that sometimes getting it done is good enough.

This is our anniversary weekend. Not just any anniversary, but our 25th.As Iā€™ve shared before, I am remarried. My husban...
05/01/2026

This is our anniversary weekend. Not just any anniversary, but our 25th.

As Iā€™ve shared before, I am remarried. My husband Tony and I live in a one-bedroom New York City apartment. He is retired and I run BE CLEAR with Bronchiectasis full-time out of our home.

So why am I sharing all this?

Because running a business from a one-bedroom apartment can sometimes feel like having a third person living with you.

This weekend, I needed to film several YouTube videos so they would be ready while I am away at the bronchiectasis patient conference in Orlando. But I felt a little sheepish about it. Filming takes over the apartment. The lights come out, furniture gets rearranged, I try to create an interesting backdrop, and then comes the inevitable, ā€œQuiet on the set!ā€

And of course, there can be technical issues, retakes, and the tension that comes with trying to film several videos in a row.

So when I told Tony I wanted to leave our anniversary weekend open and try to film on Tuesday, even though I would only have a couple of hours between clients, he insisted I film this weekend.

He said it would not bother him and that we would still have plenty of time to celebrate.

That meant more to me than he may realize.

Working with hundreds of people living with bronchiectasis, I know support looks different in every home. Some people manage mostly on their own. Others have partners who sterilize equipment, prepare meals, or help keep track of medications and appointments.

For us, support often looks like giving me the space and time I need to take care of myself and do the work that matters to me.

That means time for airway clearance, exercise, cooking, and the professional goals I care so deeply about.

Sometimes the greatest support is not doing everything for someone. Sometimes it is simply understanding what they need and making room for it.

And this weekend, on our 25th anniversary, the best gift I got was space ā€” to care for myself, to do work I love, and to be my fullest self.

Sleeping on your left side and chewing gum after meals may seem unrelated, but both can help reduce reflux in simple way...
04/30/2026

Sleeping on your left side and chewing gum after meals may seem unrelated, but both can help reduce reflux in simple ways.

Sleeping on your left side uses gravity and body position to help keep stomach acid where it belongs, making it less likely to flow back up into the esophagus, especially at night.

Chewing gum after eating works differently by increasing saliva production and swallowing, which can help neutralize acid and wash it back down into the stomach.

In other words, left side sleeping helps through positioning, while chewing gum helps through saliva and clearance.

Different approaches, same goal: reducing acid reflux.šŸƒ

YouTube video on reflux you will not want to missā€¼ļø

https://youtu.be/wabMd8nVmN0?si=nwSH3cg23iLWM9Uc

Did you receive the BE CLEAR Quarterly newsletter yesterday?If not, please take a moment to check your spam or promotion...
04/29/2026

Did you receive the BE CLEAR Quarterly newsletter yesterday?

If not, please take a moment to check your spam or promotions folder.

One of the featured opportunities is a brief survey exploring an important question:
Would you be more likely to participate in a future clinical trial if a nurse came to your home for testing, so you would not need to regularly travel to a clinic?

This 10 minute survey could help shape how future trials are designed ā€¼ļøā€¼ļø

This is NOT enrollment in a clinical trial. It is simply a chance to share your opinion about whether home based nurse visits could reduce the burden of participation.

And there is so much more inside, including cutting edge updates, important opportunities, and information you truly will not want to miss.
Did I mention I also included my YouTube video on Pilates for bronchiectasis?

I feel so strongly about the value of this newsletter that I went through hundreds of client files to make sure every client who wanted to receive it actually does.

And I want that for you as well.ā¤ļøā¤ļø

If you are not yet signed up, visit letsbecleartoday.com and use the pop up or newsletter tab. I will personally make sure your name is added so you receive this issue tomorrow.

Because the more informed we are, the better we can help shape the future of bronchiectasis care.

For years, I had a dental hygienist I trusted. She did manual cleanings instead of using the Cavitron, understood that w...
04/29/2026

For years, I had a dental hygienist I trusted. She did manual cleanings instead of using the Cavitron, understood that with my lung disease I needed to bring my own water, knew not to tilt the chair back too far because it could trigger coughing or reflux, and recognized that if I raised my finger, it meant I needed to turn my head and cough.

So when I learned she had left my dentistā€™s office for a job closer to her home, Iā€™ll admit, I felt a little anxious.

Rather than put off my cleaning, I decided to go in early, especially because I had a small concern. Thereā€™s a pocket next to a cap I had done 30 years ago that can sometimes be troublesome, and I wondered if it might need replacing.

The good news? My new hygienist, Alma, had no trouble doing the manual cleaning, respected all my precautions, and that problem area simply needs a little extra TLC, not a new cap.

This was also a reminder of something I talk about often: our mouths and lungs are more connected than many people realize. The mouth contains hundreds of types of bacteria, and some can end up in the lungs. There is currently a great deal of research trying to better understand which bacteria may be helpful, which may be harmful, and which perhaps simply coexist without causing much trouble. Good oral health is not just about protecting our teeth. It is also part of protecting our lungs and overall health.

Next week, Iā€™ll share more about the precautions and procedures I personally use at the dentist for those who are new to the BE CLEAR community.

After my appointment, I took a walk through the neighborhood, admired the Empire State Building, and had breakfast with a friend.

Sometimes taking the best possible care of ourselves also means allowing space afterward for enjoyment.

Iā€™m thrilled to share that two posters based on surveys completed by the BE CLEAR community have been accepted by the Wo...
04/28/2026

Iā€™m thrilled to share that two posters based on surveys completed by the BE CLEAR community have been accepted by the World Bronchiectasis Conference committee!!

Thank you to the more than 300 participants from the BE CLEAR with Bronchiectasis community who completed the Monaghan survey. Your voices, experiences, and commitment to bronchiectasis helped make this opportunity possible.

I am honored to represent our community at the conference June 24 through 26 in Hannover, Germany, where I will stand alongside Judy Schloss, RRT, Clinical Manager, from Monaghan Medical Corporation.

It will be my pleasure to help explain these findings and ensure that healthcare professionals and researchers understand how committed our community is to sharing real-world experiences that can improve the lives of those of us living with bronchiectasis.

This is what progress looks like. Patients showing up. Patients contributing. Patients helping shape the future.āœØāœØ

A huge thank you to Judy, an experienced respiratory therapist, who worked tirelessly to design and refine the questionnaire multiple times until it reflected the insights we hoped to gather.

Judy and the Monaghan team listen carefully to our concerns and, whenever possible, work to address them.

Because of their sincerity and dedication, it has been my pleasure to serve as a Monaghan consultant for many years, helping bring the patient point of view directly into these important discussions.

Again, many thanks to everyone who participated. I look forward to sharing the posters with everyone when they are presented at the conference!

Monaghan Medical

Over 15,000 views of this post in four days. That says a lot.Maybe itā€™s because we all need this reminderā€¦Weā€™re each car...
04/27/2026

Over 15,000 views of this post in four days.

That says a lot.

Maybe itā€™s because we all need this reminderā€¦

Weā€™re each carrying things others canā€™t see.
Kindness and compassion matter. šŸŒæ

Judgment doesnā€™t help.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1XuGz9rqtg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

With damaged airways, we are more susceptible to lung infections. My own bronchiectasis journey began with a diagnosis o...
04/27/2026

With damaged airways, we are more susceptible to lung infections.

My own bronchiectasis journey began with a diagnosis of a Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. I was able to clear it after several years, and although about 50% of people may experience another infection, Iā€™m hoping not to be one of them.

Thatā€™s why I take some simple precautions to help reduce the possibility of acquiring another infection.

For me, those include:

ā€¢ Limiting exposure to mist in the shower
ā€¢ Avoiding hot tubs and indoor pools
ā€¢ Being mindful about controlling reflux after eating and drinking

Now you might be wondering, ā€œLinda, what does eating and drinking have to do with lung infections?ā€

Itā€™s a great question. The difference is direct versus indirect exposure.

Mist from a shower can be inhaled directly into our nose and lungs. But with eating and drinking, the pathway is more indirect. When reflux occurs, especially with liquids, small amounts can make their way from the stomach into the lungs.

Thatā€™s why managing reflux is something I take seriously.

Another step I take is, for the most part, drinking sterile or well-filtered water. For over five years, Iā€™ve used the LifeStraw pitcher and have found it to be effective. That said, I wasnā€™t completely comfortable only changing the main filter once a year. Even twice a year didnā€™t feel quite right for me.

So I created my own schedule for changing filters, and I shared it in a video a few months ago. You can find it in the ā€œEating and Drinkingā€ playlist on my YouTube channel, BE CLEAR with Bronchiectasis. There are also other helpful videos on this playlist.

Lifestraw video:

https://youtu.be/-s322N7hl58?si=lmLDbxCIkeGBtrIb

Eating and Drinking Playlist:
(continuous playing of all Eating and Drinking videos)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYv0bQel-Ipt2vemaruAoXclc1NJ3e7hp

VoilĆ ! I thought I would show you what air-fried tempeh looks like. You could even throw some in the soup for a little c...
04/26/2026

VoilĆ ! I thought I would show you what air-fried tempeh looks like. You could even throw some in the soup for a little crunch.

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