Thanks, ksmiles! Yes, Va Tech sounds familiar. I will try to get more info there. I'm glad they were able to confirm your source. and I hope you're doing well. Yes, I try to limit potential exposure, too.

Mimi,
You are welcome. I am doing ok; I work on infection control measures and other practices each and every day to feel as well as I possibly can and to keep bugs away. :)))

Thanks, K! I remember reading a list similar to this a year ago and thinking I could never get all this done. I guess anything is better than nothing, though.

One of my strategies is to avoid swimming pools, hot tubs and water parks (nearly all water parks here are indoor and open year-round). This is an easy one for me because at 54 I'm much less interested in appearing in public in a bathing suit than I was in my 20's. ;)

Ok what do u do to clean the shower head? Mine is just a couple years old new surround but very old building. I don't get much pressure have to stand right in front of it. I let it run a few before getting in ny back is to the shower head.. I think its bad pipes myself why my pressure is down no one else in here is. They already had to pull the new surround back to get at the pipes for another problem.

Here's the way they say to do it, Kandy: Remove the showerhead and disassemble it to the best of your ability. Place it in soapy water and scrub all the surfaces. Vinegar can be used to get rid of the calcium buildup (it will bubble when placed in vinegar).

I think the main idea is to remove the slime (biofilm) that the bacteria like to grow in. If you remove the slime, you remove the bacteria.

Thanks for the tip!!

Katie, I've heard this from a few patients... From what I understand, baths (instead of showers) seem to be a common practice among those susceptible to NTM lung infections. So know that you're not alone in that regard. :)

I've read that too, Delia!

Yes, people on this site can understand the reason why some of us choose not to shower.
The outside world may have great difficulty comprehending why one would not take a shower.
Showers wake you up in the a.m. and are the preferred bathing option by most.