[kaplods]

After feeling so lucky to have escaped winter without my annual bout of bronchitis, I caught some nasty respiratory virus that settled into my chest. It turned nasty, really fast, and now is crossing into pneumonia. I woke in a panic last night because I couldn't breathe and the whistling wheeze in my lungs sounded like a pipe organ (well, at least a very weird pan flute).

I've got my first dose of everthing in me (prednisone, a medicated inhaler, antibiotics, and codeine cough syrup). I have never had a cough that codeine didn't tame at least a little, but I might as well have taken tap water.

I'm exhausted, because I can't lay flat without feeling like I'm going to drown in my own goo (TMI, sorry)

Every time I breath it feels like shards of glass down my throat and through my chest. My ribs feel bruised from the monster coughing sessions.

I'm sure hoping the prednisone does it's job fast, because this is just so horrible. I thought my asthma was gone when we found it was being triggered by NSAIDs, but the nurse practitioner said that even if my asthma was drug-induced, it didn't mean that I didn't have real asthma, or that the asthma "went away." She has two children with asthma and her oldest daughter just had a very bad asthma attack after being symptom free for almost two years.

The virus probably triggered the asthma, which triggered the bronchitis, which started to become pneumonia. Fun, fun.

The (sort of) good news is that I can't taste anything, and I can't take more than a few bites without getting exhausted, so I'm only eating when really hungry.

I feel better upright than laying down, so I guess it's going to be trying to sleep in the recliner (then my arms go numb).

Yeah, I know I'm whining, and ranting, but it's distracting me from the panicky sensation not being able to breathe right is causing (I hyperventillated for the first time in my life this morning, because I was so panicked, luckily hubby recognized what was happening and got me a paper bag).

Hubby is "I told you so"ing, because he wanted me to go in to the walk-in on Tuesday, but on Tuesday it still seemed like a normal respiratory or sinus infection - the kind that usually, for most people, clear up on their own. Actually, mine never clear up on their own, but if I go to the doctor before I've been sick at least a week, they send me home to wait and see. Which then means two office visits, and being on medicare I try to avoid that if I can.

Looks like I didn't this time though, because I need to have a follow up appointment with my family doc early next week to make sure the meds are working, and this isn't sinking deeper into pneumonia.

Just venting.

[kiramira]

So sorry to hear about this, Ms Kaplods. Breathing that is so very painful, like inhaling glass doesn't sound like very much fun, and I hope you can take it easy, get things under control with the proper meds, and recover soon!
And you aren't whining and ranting at all -- you feel pretty crappy right now so you are entitled...
Take care of yourself
Kira

[kaplods]

Thanks Kira,

I just got word from the hospital that the radiologist looked at my xrays and confirmed that it is actually pneumonia. It's just so mind-boggling that pneumonia can come on so suddenly (I felt kind of sinusy last week, but didn't feel really ill until Sunday).

I am feeling a little better with the meds in me. I'm just really looking forward to being able to breathe normally - talk about a thing you take for granted. It's such a claustrophobic feeling, and so difficult not to panic.

I am much calmer now, which is good, the panic was only making it worse.

[kiramira]

I can just imagine how panicky it would be not to breathe. You may have had a walking pneumonia for a while, and then it just flared up. You'll get through this -- just make sure you get the medical care you need no matter what time of day it is...keep us posted and keep your chin up!
Kira

[mandalinn82]

Yikes! Lots of fluids, take your meds, and feel better soon!

[EZMONEY]

I hope you feel better real soon Colleen!

[dutchgirl]

That sounds absolutely awful!
Vent by all means if it helps, and take good care of yourself.
Sending healing vibes you way.

[Jen415]

I was wondering why I hadn't seen any of your posts! I've had pneumonia once....NOT fun!! Lots of fluids and lots of rest, young lady!

[TJFitnessDiva]

I hope you feel better soon! My pawpaw went in the hospital on Wednesday with it and my step-mom has it too but is at home

[BillBlueEyes]

Emailing virtual chicken soup, kaplods, hope you're breathing better soon.

[kittycat40]

Kaplods, I hope you are feeling at least a teeny tiny bit better today. My mother had that kind of pneumonia that came on radically fast- sounds very similar to your experience.

BE WELL. vibes coming

[Tai]

Colleen, I'm so sorry to hear you're sick. Once the Prednisone kicks in you should have some relief. Did the doctor think a nebulizer (breathing) treatment might help?

Try to get some nutrition into you when you are able and feel better soon!

[LittleMoonRabbit]

awww, I hope you feel better soon!

[JuliaDH]

Praying for healing & Sending Hugs!

[Slashnl]

Ick. I had pneumonia once. Thought I was going to die.
Hope you get to feeling better soon!!!!