Posted on 14 Comments

Pneumonia in July

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…

14 thoughts on “Pneumonia in July

  1. Oh, my goodness. I’m glad you’re getting better, but you waited way too long to go in! Don’t do that again. If you have a fever that lasts more than 8 hours. Get your butt to a doctor.

    1. Thanks, Barbara. I have bad experiences going in “too soon.” Only to be sent home with absolutely no medicine or explanation other than “viral” and I have to get much sicker for a week before anything can be done to help me. (The last time I had bronchitis I went to the doctor 3 times with a cough that lasted 3 weeks before they gave me an inhaler.) So I’m a little leary of going to the doctor too soon and like to let nature take its course and hopefully fight it off. Unfortunately, this time, another day at home probably would have landed me in the hospital for a few days.

      1. Well, I’m just glad you’re on the mend.

  2. OMG Joely! Take care of yourself and feel better soon!!

    1. Thank you, Sherri! I am. Lots of rest, including episodes of HOARDERS on Netflix.

  3. If you have a fever or 100 or under, then that’s nature taking it course time – small fevers mean the body is fighting … over 101? That’s sick … I wish you had mentioned your back pain in your tweets – I know what that is. Rest, drink lots of fluids .. sleep, sleep, sleep – your body has to fight and all of your energy needs to go to the fight. Get better soon Joely!!!

    1. Bailey, I just hate going to the doctor and being treated like a hypochondriac for complaining about a little ole fever (and yes, it’s happened several times). But I do wish I’d gone in Sat. when my fever got so high. That was scary! I was so out of it, though, and That Man was gone. He’d taken the kids to the pool to give me a quiet house. I just laid in bed and shivered, then sweat, rinse and repeat.

  4. Oh, no! I’m so sorry, Joely. I’ve had pneumonia a few times, but never in July.

    Take care of yourself, rest, drink fluids, and let That Man wrangle the monsters for a few days. I hope you’re back to enjoying coffee soon! 🙂

    1. Thank you, Lianna! He’s already missed 3 days of work to help take care of the kids. I hope he still has a job. 🙁

  5. Oh, Joely! I’m so sorry to hear you’re ill. (Only you could get pneumonia in July though.) Keep us updated, okay?

    1. Definitely, Alissa! It’d be humorous in a way…if only I had air enough to laugh!

  6. Holy crap, Sis! *hugs tight* 103.3 is nothing to mess around with! Only a degree or so higher can cause brain damage!

    Don’t make me Jewish mother you, woman. I’ll sic my doctor on you. You know how he Jewish mothers me, and you don’t want him being all over-protective on you, too.

    What is it with doctors who think everyone that comes in is a hypochondriac? I realize there are plenty of those around, and also plenty of drug-seekers who just want whatever they can get, but geez. Three times in three weeks for a persistent, wracking cough and the jerk couldn’t even take you seriously? Good grief!

    Now that I think of it, I’m happy with my Jewish mother of a doctor. I go as rarely as humanly possible, which may be why he knows I’m not a hypochondriac, but then again, you only go on pain of death, too. What gives??

    1. This doctor at the Urgent Care was wonderful. I’m going to see if he has a private practice and get him for my primary care physician. I really connected with his manner. Much better than those #&%*@% who wouldn’t help me when I had bronchitis!

      1. Exactly! I mean, it’s not like you can manufacture those deep, chest-tearing coughs. And why would you? Who WANTS to take antibiotics or get stuck with an inhaler??

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