First of all, this graphic is produced by AI. I know what Pseudomonas actually looks like, but it’s pretty boring. And I’m not interested in purchasing an image of Pseudomonas—it's with me every day of my life since there's no drug to get rid of it from my lungs. Maybe next time I see my doctor, I'll ask if one of the lab technicians can get a screenshot from their high-powered microscopes of my own Pseudomonas. That would be kind of cool. For now, I let AI create an illustration of what “it” thinks Pseudomonas looks like. This one is very colorful, and that’s not what I would think of generating, but if it had to be a character, I think it would look just like this. Hey, maybe I’ll do a painting one of these days of how I feel about it.

But back to the topic, what is this bacteria that’s plaguing me? I have the most common strain, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). It commonly exists in the environment, like in water, plants, and the soil.

Why can’t my Pseudomonas Aeruginosa infection be eradicated? The bacteria have evolved to resist treatments, so certain antibiotics that would typically work no longer do the trick. Good old antibiotic resistance I’ve heard my entire life! I always had to watch out regarding the number or length of time I was on antibiotics so as not to create resistance.

It's rare for a Pseudomonas Aeruginosa infection to develop in people with healthy immune systems. But it can be serious and potentially fatal for someone like me with a weakened immune system. That’s what happened to me about two years ago. I wound up in the ICU because the infection turned septic. I had to have surgery and be in the hospital for three weeks. And Pseudomonas is one of the reasons why it almost took a year to fully recover. The Pseudomonas was still there. Imagine trying to recuperate while having pneumonia every day. It was very hard.

So that's why I have many of the symptoms that I do—because of this constant lung infection that's with me 24/7. Next time you get a cold, the flu, COVID, or pneumonia, be grateful you can recover from it. People like me with Kartagener’s, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, and Cystic Fibrosis can never rid themselves of the infection. Just need to get out of bed every day and move on with life.