my cockatoos were killing me

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last february after being really ill for almost a year, it got to the point where i would faint after taking only a few steps and have major trouble breathing. i finally went to the emergency room where it was discovered that my oxygen saturation was only 70% ( normal is between 92-100%). i spent three weeks in the hospital having tons of tests and an open lung biopsy. the tissue from this was sent to the mayo clinic. when the test came back it showed that i have avian hypersensitivity pneumonitis( bird fanciers disease) which is fairly rare. my doctor said that my cockatoos were literally killing me! he also said that if i did not get rid of them i would die in less than a year. my response..." then i shall die holding my cockatoos." so as the each month went on my health got worse. i had many hospitalizations, went on oxygen at home and became less and less able to live life, staying mostly in bed. each time i would hold a bird or be around them i would have intense reactions with my breathing. this past month i finally admitted that it was time to give in and do what i had to do. i searched and interviewed people very carefully and found good homes for all of them. the last three, our very favorites, went to the same wonderful home where they are very happy. i'm miserable without them but thank goodness they have adjusted and our doing great. as for me, well, my lungs will never improve since they are scarred but i won't get any worse. the funny thing is that our green wing macaw doesn't bother me at all. i guess because she doesn't produce the powder down that cockatoos do. has anyone ever experienced this disease themselves? if so, what happened? just curious to know.