I-Aspergillosis lusulelo lomngundo olunqabileyo nolwenzakalisayo olubangelwa kukungunda kwe-aspergillus. Olu ngundo lufumaneka kwiindawo ezininzi, kuquka umhlaba, amagqabi abolayo, umgquba, uthuli, kunye nezakhiwo ezifumileyo. Kukho iintlobo ngeentlobo zesi sifo, ikakhulu ezichaphazela imiphunga, kwaye ukuxilongwa kunzima kuba iimpawu zifana nezo zezinye iimeko zemiphunga. 

UGwynedd Mitchell uneminyaka engama-62. Unabantwana ababini abadala kwaye uhlala nomyeni wakhe eWales. UGwynedd akaqhelekanga kwiingxaki zempilo; unengxaki yokuphefumla kakhulu, unengxaki yokuphefumla ukusukela kwiiveki ezintandathu ubudala, kwaye njengomntwana, kwafunyaniswa ukuba unesifo sombefu kwaye wahlaselwa rhoqo. Kodwa ngo-2012, washiyeka othukile xa kwafunyaniswa ukuba uneentlobo ezintathu ze-aspergillosis, i-allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) kunye ne-aspergillomas ezintathu (ibhola yokungunda emiphungeni).

La ngamava akhe ohambo lokuxilonga i-aspergillosis.

UGwynedd waqala waphawula utshintsho kwiimpawu zakhe zesifuba zesiqhelo ngowe-1992. Isifuba sakhe sasisoloko singalawuleki kakuhle, kodwa waba namaxesha obunzima bokuphefumla okwandayo, ukwasulelwa yisifuba ngokuphindaphindiweyo, yaye ngesihlandlo esinye sokukhohlela, waphawula igazi kwimifinya yakhe.

UGwynedd uthi: “Ibiyimali encinane xa ndithelekisa noko bendikhe ndadibana nako kwiminyaka yakutshanje, kodwa ibiyinto yam yokuqala yokufumana isifo sehaemoptysis.

UGwynedd wenze idinga lokuya kubona ugqirha wakhe, owathi wabeka ukopha ekukhohleleni kakhulu. Nangona kamva wavavanyelwa iSifo sePhepha (i-TB), awayengenayo, iimpawu zakhe azizange ziphandwe ngokubhekele phaya.

Ngo-1998, emva kotyelelo lukagqirha oluphindaphindiweyo, uGwynedd wathunyelwa kwingcali eyafumanisa ukuba une-bronchiectasis yaza yamxelela ukuba akadibani ne-aspergillus.

UGwynedd ukhumbula esi sifo, “basuka nje basibiza ngokuba yipigeon fancier lung (olona hlobo luxhaphakileyo lwe-hypersensitivity pneumonitis). Bendicinga ukuba andizigcini iintaka, kulungile. Kukwaliwa okungayi kundichaphazela. Akukho mntu wachaza ukuba yintoni i-aspergillus. Abakhange bathi lubumba, kwaye lukho kuyo yonke indawo.”

Emva kokuxilongwa kokuqala, uGwynedd waqhubeka nomjikelo ophindaphindiweyo wosulelo lwesifuba, ubunzima bokuphefumla, ukutyelelwa kwe-GP, kunye nemimiselo ye-antibiotic kunye ne-steroid esele iqhelekile. Kodwa imeko yakhe ayizange itshintshe.

“Kangangeminyaka eliqela, bendibuya naphambili kugqirha wam ndiphefumla nzima, ndikhohlela iphlegm emdaka, ukopha kunye nosulelo lwesifuba. Rhoqo, akukho ngaphezulu kweeveki ezisi-8 eziya kudlula phakathi kotyelelo. Iisampuli ze-mucus zazisoloko zithunyelwa, kodwa azizange zinike iimpendulo. Khange ndibuyiselwe kugqirha okanye ndiphinde ndinikwe iXray,” utshilo uGwynedd. “Ndiye ndaziva ukuba ugqirha wam akandimameli xa ndimxelela indlela endingaziva ngayo.”

Ngo-2012, iimpawu zikaGwynedd zaba mandundu ngakumbi. Isifuba sakhe besingafuni kuzinza, ebetsala nzima ephefumlela phezulu, ebeqaqanjelwa ngumqolo, kwaye neyeza lakhe lesiqhelo lalingancedi.

Ukulandela idinga likaxakeka kunye nogqirha wendawo, uGwynedd wathunyelwa ngqo kwisibhedlele sasekhaya, apho iXray yabonisa isithunzi kwimiphunga yakhe. Emva kokukhutshwa, i-CT elandelelweyo ibonise isifo semiphunga esibanzi kunye 'nobunzima' kuyo yomibini imiphunga.

Kwiinyanga ezintathu ezalandelayo, uGwynedd wabona iingcali ezininzi ezibandakanya i-oncologist (i-aspergillosis idla ngokuphazamana nomhlaza), kwaye wenziwa iimvavanyo ezininzi phambi kokuba kufunyaniswe i-aspergillosis.

Ekuqeshweni kwakhe kokuqala kunye noNjingalwazi uDavid Denning kwiZiko leSizwe le-Aspergillosis (NAC) eManchester, umsunguli weli ziko ngoku osele esidla umhlala-phantsi uxelele uGwynedd ukuba ukuba imeko yakhe yayiqhubekile ingachazwanga, ngengazange aphile ngaphaya kweminyaka emihlanu.

“Njengoko unokucinga, ndandikhathazeke kakhulu. Ndandisoloko ndikholelwa ukuba isifuba sam siya kundifumana ekugqibeleni - kodwa ekupheleni kwe-70s okanye i-80s. Kwakunzima ukuyiqonda ingcamango yokufa ngokukhawuleza,” utsho uGwynedd.

Ekufunyanisweni kwe-aspergillosis uGwynedd waqalwa ngendibaniselwano yonyango lwamajoni omzimba kunye neyeza lokulwa nokungunda. Nangona kunjalo, ngenxa yobuzaza besi sifo sakhe, kwaba semva kwerejimeni engqongqo yeenyanga ezintathu yokufakwa emithanjeni yemihla ngemihla yeyeza lokuthomalalisa ukungunda awathi uGwynedd waziva ephucuka, kodwa yaphawulwa xa wenjenjalo.

“Kudala ndikhumbula, bendisoloko ndisazi imiphunga yam kunye neentlungu ezikuyo. Kodwa ndikhumbula ngenye imini ndiseluhambeni ndaza ngequbuliso ndabona ukuba andiziva mnandi kwaye andiqaqanjelwa. Ndaziva ndingumntu nje oqhelekileyo! Ndandingaqondi ukuba kwakubi kangakanani ixesha elide kangako; Ndandisandul’ ukuqhela,” utsho uGwynedd.

Sele iyiminyaka elithoba ukusukela oko kwafunyaniswa uGwynedd, kwaye, ngeengcebiso zoogqirha, inkxaso evela kwezinye izigulana kunye nosapho lwakhe, kunye nolingo kunye nempazamo, wafunda indlela yokuphila nesi sifo. Uye wahlakulela ukuqonda ukuba yintoni eyenza iimpawu zakhe zibe mandundu kunye noko kufuneka akuphephe. Oku 'kwazi utshaba lwakho', kudityaniswa nothotho lwamayeza, kuyamvumela ukuba ahlale esebenza kwaye ekwazi ukulawula isifo. Noko ke, ubomi abukho kwaphela.

“Ndiziphepha izinto ezininzi; amagqabi awileyo, iindawo ezinemithi, izakhiwo ezidala, kubandakanywa izakhiwo zeNational Trust, iimarquee (ndibone ukungunda kwiindonga ze-canvas ze-marquee). Ndiyaziphepha iindawo ezixineneyo ezifana neethiyetha, iicinema kunye neemyuziyam ngexesha labo elixakekileyo,” utshilo uGwynedd.

Ngaphandle kokuthintela ukuchanabeka okunokwenzeka kukungundo lwe-aspergillus, ukwanda kusenzeka, kwaye uGwynedd uhlala esoyika ukuba nakuphi na ukuwohloka kuya kubangela ukuba ukhetho lwakhe zonyango luphele; Usulelo lwakhe luxhathisa amayeza amaninzi e-antifungal kwaye uba neziphumo ebezingalindelekanga ezimandundu kwabanye, imiba efunyanwa zizigulana ezininzi enokuthi ithintele ngokuqatha ukhetho lonyango. Isidingo sokuxilonga kwangethuba sesinye sezizathu zokuba uGwynedd abe nomdla ongaka wokwazisa nge-aspergillosis, ukuze abanye abaphethwe yile meko bafikelele kunyango kwakamsinya kwaye balibazise ukuqhubeka kwesifo.

“Ukuba unesifo semiphunga esingapheliyo, esingalawulekiyo ngamayeza akho, ukuba ufumana usulelo lwesifuba oluphindaphindiweyo okanye naziphi na ezinye iingxaki ezizingisileyo zokuphefumla kwakho – tyhala ukuba uthunyelwe kwingcali. Xelela ugqirha wakho ukuba ufuna iphandwe. Musa ukoyika ukuthetha. Ukuxilongwa kwangethuba kubalulekile ukuze kuthintelwe ukuwohloka nokuphucula umgangatho wobomi,” utsho uGwynedd.

Ukuba ufuna ukwazi ngakumbi malunga ne-aspergillosis, iimpawu kwaye ngubani osemngciphekweni, cofa Apha.

Ungandwendwela iwebhusayithi ye-NHS Apha. 

Ngolwazi oluthe vetshe kwiZiko leSizwe leAspergillosis cofa Apha.