In which I get into the ring and fight pneumonia.

So. I was in the hospital Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Via the ER.

Here's what happened:

Last Monday I had a bit of a cough.

Tuesday it was a frequent cough.

Wednesday was Juliet's appointment, and I had pretty frequent cough and wore a mask.

Thursday my cough went spastic, and I started feeling wonky.

Friday I developed a fever and said "OK. Time for Community Care."

- They ran a couple of tests, and gave me prescription cough medicine and said to come back if it got worse. They gave me a rocefin shot to try to fight any possible bacteria causing the issue.

Saturday my fever reached 103 and my fingers had turned blue once. Mind you, I'd never seen my fingers turn blue even when freakishly cold. I found it mildly fascinating and vastly scary. I started seeing spots. Community Care prescribes antibiotics and an inhaler, and says to come back if there's no improvement. As a parting gift they give me another rocefin shot mixed with anther, stronger antibiotic. Now my bum hurts on both sides.

Sunday- bright an early I'm in again. Still feverish, barely functioning, coughing constantly and throwing up. The last meal I'd had was cottage cheese and pineapple on Friday morning, and was getting rapidly weaker. Dehydrated. This time the doc said "This is beyond us, or what can be done at home. Go to the ER!"

Yay. ER. Now. By this time I'd developed a migraine from all the coughing. Every alarm, beep, holler, every flickering of light sent me reeling. Imagine a gal curled on a hospital bed, coughing, trying to hold her head together at the same time. At least it felt like I had to hold my head together. Coughing causes some pain, but not much. Really, none of the pneumonia issues were causing pain, they were simply draining me, melting me away. The migraine on the other hand, added an element of severe pain. I asked a nurse for something for the pain, and she gave me dilaudid. For an amazing (hour maybe?) the migraine pain was gone.

The docs drew all kinds of blood for tests, got fluids going, and scratched their heads. They said I had an infection SOMEWHERE, but my lungs looked clear. They'd eliminated all the normal pneumonia culprits and were on to more exotic stuffs.

They moved me out of the ER to continue treatment upstairs in the regular rooms because they'd finally gotten me stable. There I remained, with a migraine being relieved by dilaudid and little ability to rest. When my doc came in in the morning (tuesday) he gave me a medicine that cleared up my migraine. It was PURE BLISS to have that nasty thing gone. I could sit up, even watch tv a little!

Wednesday morning the doc said that the tests were still out on Legionnaires' Disease and Whooping Cough. He said that it sounds more like Legionnaires' (wha??). He also said that my treatments are working, that what is being done now can be done at home if I wish. Goodness did I wish to get out of the hospital!

So now I am home. Still not sure which type of pneumonia I have but I'm getting better. I just have to watch out for any fever or whatnot. I am weak as can be, I sound like a car with bad breaks mixed with a barking dog. My kids are with their Grandmom and Grandpap. My hubby is taking care of me like an absolute hero.

And again, dear God. I am begging. Give me a BORING year- healthwise. I am really tired of this, and I don't know how much more I can take. As it is I may have weakened lungs for the rest of my life. I'm on umpteen different kinds of medicine, and all I want is to be strong for my family. Please, I'm begging!