Pneumonia in July
Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. Please leave any comments there.
Not as fun as Christmas in July, let me tell you.
I’ve been sick since Wed. night/Thursday last week. I just got a little bit worse day by day, but I didn’t realize exactly how “bad” I was feeling. It just sort of snuck up on me, or maybe I just didn’t want to think about it. I was really slow mentally and physically all day Friday. My brain was in neutral and I struggled all day at work. I had to run an errand at lunch and it wiped me out. I struggled through the rest of the day and didn’t feel at all well Friday night.
Sat. was the worst. My fever got up to 103.3 F. I woke up absolutely disgustingly drenched in sweat, so bad we had to strip the bed and wash everything. Yet within an hour or two, the fever came roaring back. 102+ plus all weekend.
My back kept hurting. Mostly my left side. I couldn’t get comfortable. Sunday night, I made my way downstairs to call in sick at work, and I was shocked when I could hardly rattle off the voicemail speel I’ve been using for 16 years now. I didn’t have enough air.
I hoped Monday I was getting a little better because my fever stayed in the 101-102 range and I was actually able to eat dinner with the family (yes, That Man COOKED a delicious BBQ meatball dinner!), but my back was just KILLING me. And the shortness of breath just got worse and worse. Monday night when I went downstairs to call in again, I could barely make it back up. I sat in my chair panting, short, painful gasping breaths that really scared me.
If I was a smart person, I would have had my husband take me to the ER that night, because I couldn’t sleep. I was too uncomfortable, coughed too much, and felt like I was panting most of the night. But with 3 children, it’s hard to justify dragging them up out of bed to wait for hours and hours at the ER with many other sick people. So I waited to go to our local urgent care this morning as soon as they opened.
He didn’t need xrays to know I had pneumonia. He just wanted to see how BAD it was. But he was very worried about me, which scared the hell out of me. My left side is the worst. That pain I felt in my back? Was actually my LUNG hurting. Standing for the xrays wore me out so badly that I fought to keep from fainting, because I was scared he’d admit me on the spot, and I really didn’t want to go to the hospital. Once back in the room, I laid down, and immediately rolled over to the floor so I could throw up in the trash can. Ugh.
Needless to say, he sent me to the ER for further evaluation. He really seemed to suspect they’d hospitalize me for a few days. Luckily, some hefty iv antibiotics and two bags of fluid were enough to convince the ER doctor to let me come home. WHEW. However, I have an inhaler and more oral antibiotics to take this week, so hopefully *prays* I am on the mend.
It is just wrong on so many levels to have pneumonia in July, with a crazy heatwave outside. While I sit here shuddering under a blanket.
I tried coffee for the first time today since Friday and it didn’t taste good yet.
But hopefully it will taste good again in a few days.
So my apologies for delays in responding to people. I know I’ve had a few requests for RTCs lately and I’ll try to get them out as soon as possible. I also have a lovely review for Lady Doctor Wyre to post. As soon as I muster up the energy…