I'm alive - just got a lung infection

lking · Post by **lking** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:52 am

Catnapper wrote:I am wondering if this is the flu that is supposed to be avoided by taking the flu shot. Did any of you who had this take the flu shot?

Yup, had the flu shot just as I have every year for the last 10 years.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:22 am

Babs,

Get well SOON!

I had the "horrible cough thing" about 2 weeks into my therapy and had to go without for about 10 nights till the cough subsided. I don't want to experience THAT again! You have my sympathies.

Den

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:30 pm

The chicken feet in the soup was a tradition I continued with my kids and was good training for the wedding rehersal dinner of my daughter. Per US tradition the groom's parents paid for the dinner. They are Thai and we were at a Thai restaurant. The future mother-in-law ordered the main meal, then just kept ordering side dish after side dish of exotic Thai foods. When the deep fried chicken feet appeared there were not many takers on the bride's side of the family except for my daughters and me. It was the last time MIL told SIL that his fiance was "soo white".

DreamDiver · Post by **DreamDiver** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:39 pm

Babette wrote:I'm calling the doc tomorrow. I've had this choking/coughing thing for years - it comes and goes. I feel like I'm trying to hawk up a tonsil. Yes, I still have them.

My poor duplex-mate. We share a bedroom wall. Her life isn't anymore fun than mine this week. I've spent alot of time out on the couch, but every now and then I go to the bedroom, thinking "Now I will Sleep!" and the coughing starts again.

Babs,

I'm sorry for your cough. Indeed, I know what you're going through. Please get well soon!

You probably already know all this, but just in case it will be helpful to someone:

Cool mist humidifiers:
old fashioned - filter wick type - $10 - $15 - any kind of water
new fangled - ultrasonic type- gravity fed - $30 - $40 - de-ionized or distilled water - not filtered water.

Warm mist humidifier:
old-fashioned sunken heater element in a large tub - $5 - $15
new-fangled - gravity fed - small heater plate - $30 - $40

The most effective and easiest to control are the new-fangled ones because of the variable dial and the easy-to-refill gravity-fed cistern. Of the two, the warm mist seems to me the most efficient at getting water actually into the air and is least messy to clean and replenish. If you use tap water in the warm one, you'll need to clean the white accretion off the heater plate every once in a while with vinegar or lemon juice - but at least it's easy to see and clean - or you can use distilled or de-ionized water to avoid heavy cleaning.

If price is a problem, and you still have the old-fangled warm vaporizer, put a quarter to a half teaspoon of salt into the water. You'll see billows of steam come out of the machine - don't burn yourself on the steam! However, it will also reduce the life of the element. Be careful not to put too much salt into the water, or you'll start seeing water condense on your walls. Adding salt only needs to be done once between cleanings, since the salt remains in the container as the water evaporates.

The old-fashioned cool wick types are just a place for fungi and bacteria to grow. As I'm concerned they are a lung infection delivery system in a 'wicked' canister. The old-fashioned warm ones are at least sterilizing the water with boiling heat.

We also bought one of those Sharper Image silent air purifiers, and it has helped greatly with fine allergy-inducing particles. Plus, it really is pretty much silent. Occasionally you can buy refurbs for cheap.

Regarding the new-fangled ultrasonic cool misters: Don't use filtered water. One night, we tried filtered water in our ultrasonic mister, not knowing this and fell asleep. When we woke up coughing the next morning, there was a visible white smog in the air and a layer of white ash on everything in the room. We opened the windows and aired the room out and spent days cleaning the ash off of everything. The Sharper Image Ionizer plates had a thick white layer of ash on them. If we had not had it running that night, I'm not sure whether we would have lasted the night. I don't know what was going on, but I can only assume there must have been some kind of minerals in the water. When we used distilled water only, this did not happen.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:11 pm

DEEP FRIED chicken feet??!! That IS a new one on me. My only experience was the boiled chicken legs, feet and claws. Learn something new every day!!

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:18 pm

Are you cleaning and disinfecting your mask and hose everyday??

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:28 pm

hey babette
how are you doing today?
sorry to hear you've been so unwell...hope you continue to improve every day
take good good care of yourself
hugs and kisses and positive energy to you
sharon

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:34 pm

Hey gang! Great news! I SLEPT ALL NIGHT WITH MY MASK ON, NO COUGHING FITS, AND DRY SHEETS!

I feel SO MUCH BETTER TODAY! I still sound horrible, however.

I skipped the Benadryl last night and took the Tussin (D without the M) cough medicine, and the Mucinex (M without the D). Took my regular night pills with the Melatonin.

I think actual WORK tired me out, vs. laying on the couch channel surfing, so I was actually TIRED ENOUGH to sleep. Plus my nose was clear, and I wasn't wheezing/choking. I think I accidentally took two Allegra-D's yesterday AM, and while it didn't make me feel funny (I was worried about that) it apparently helped clear me up for sleep. I masked up, went to sleep, and slept well. No incidents. Potty break at 5 am, sorely tempted to just GET UP I felt so good, but took my morning Allegra and went back down until 9 am. I think the extra sleep did me a world of good after a week of non-sleep.

So far today - DRY PANTIES!!! Still coughing a tiny bit, but not peeing. YAY!!!! Did invest in Serenity pads with odor control last night.

I am drinking constantly. I have a constant dry mouth from my allergy meds, so I do that anyway, but for since a week before I got this, I have been RIDICULOUSLY DRY, and can't drink enough. My pee's been clear for a week or more. Since the bout with diarrhea over Xmas, I'm drinking mostly water, and only occasionally having some juice.

I added some Acidopholus to my mix, as well. I saw a TV show that recommended this if you're on antibiotics. I don't normally drink milk at all, but I bought a 1/2 gallon of 2% with Acidopholus and Bifidus and have been drinking a glass in the AM and in the PM. Totally tasty, and hopefully it's helping.

Never ate chicken feet. Been watching that PBS series on Jewish Americans, however, and thought of that when reading these tales. Maybe I should check the Jewish aisle at my local grocery. Yes, we have a small Jewish aisle. Very small. But I know where to go for Geflte fish if I have the urge! Gee, wonder what I'm doing Friday night?

Thank you all for your tips and support! I'm certain I feel better today because of all your good wishes!!!!

Huggers,
Babs

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:37 pm

My mom didn't continue the "tradition" of the chicken feet, but did tell us kids about her grandma always cooking the chicken feet -- either fried or in soup. According to my mom the tradition (at least in her family) started during the depression years when meat and other food was hard to come by due to the depression. She told us her grandmother would always cook the feet so there would be two extra pieces of "meat" on the table and that her grandmother would always take the feet to eat and supposedly were her favorite piece of chicken.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:45 pm

Forgot a few questions:

Yes I got a flu shot. Was a little woozy for a few days afterwards, but nothing big. Got it late, early December. Hey, I was busy...

I haven't cleaned my mask since getting sick, since I really haven't used it much. I have contemplated giving it a thorough cleaning, and will probably do that on Saturday. My usual thorough cleaning routine is: Wash in hot water with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap. Soak in solution of 50/50 Vinegar hot water for a couple of hours (random time). Re-wash in Peppermint soap to try to cut the vinegar smell. Air dry. I do this with cannula mainly, but this Saturday will do this with Cannula, tubes, big hose, and HH chamber.

I've discovered if I don't get the mask dry by bedtime, I can wipe it dry with paper towels just fine. Hoses are another story, but so far, I've managed, even if they are a little damp inside. I don't wash them very often. I'm sorta Domestically Challenged and don't clean alot of things very often.

I don't own any of the fancy sterilizer chemicals. I don't really feel the need to sterilize this mask, since I'm now immune to this particular virus, and I'm not sharing the mask with anyone.

Cheers,
Babs

SleepGuy · Post by **SleepGuy** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:16 pm

Babs, glad to hear you're on the mend. And even more so that you didn't resort to the chicken feet remedy to get there . . . . A friend took me to a Chinese restaurant a few years ago and that was his favorite dish--I haven't been back.

Catnapper · Post by **Catnapper** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:24 pm

I was hoping the flu shot would prevent this cold. Oh, well. Clearly it doesn't.

I think there is still time to get the shot if anyone still needs to get it.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:41 pm

The flu shot DOES help even if it doesn't prevent getting a flu. 2-3 years ago hubby was the guilty culprit again and came down w/it first and then shared it w/me. I had had my flu shot. He didn't believe in or bother w/one. Ha! I didn't get it quite as bad as he did and I RECOVERED A LOT FASTER. Several days difference in duration. THAT did convince him. Now he DOES get a flu shot and the dirty bird didn't get it quite as bad as I did - but then I have COPD and he doesn't. And also I am on an immunosuppressant for my Crohn's disease and he, of course, is not on an immunosuppressant.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:53 pm

Babette wrote: ... Yes I got a flu shot. Was a little woozy for a few days afterwards, but nothing big. Got it late, early December. Hey, I was busy...

I haven't cleaned my mask since getting sick, since I really haven't used it much. I have contemplated giving it a thorough cleaning, and will probably do that on Saturday. ... I'm sorta Domestically Challenged and don't clean alot of things very often. ...I don't really feel the need to sterilize this mask, since I'm now immune to this particular virus, and I'm not sharing the mask with anyone.

Funny, Babs, I haven't ever experienced any side effects of the flu shot until the this year's. I don't remember now what they were, seems to me red, hot upper arm, hard swelling of a good share of the upper arm ... lasted several days.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger in the Domestically Challenged department! However, I wouldn't count on being immune to this particular virus again since I'm on the immunosuppressant. I'm gonna do the throw away/sterilizing of the mask bit.

I'm so very glad you are finally feeling human again. Ah, relief. Keep on improving!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:03 pm

Thanks Slinky! I didn't get a red arm, but I did notice I was feeling just slightly pukey for a few days, and starting a new Pilates class that week really put me over the edge. I had to run to the locker room to throw up.

I have had a sort of low-immune thing most of my life. Started in high school with bad excema, and the doc telling me my immune system was just not 100%. Then I started getting these twice a year attacks of severe tonsilitis. Lasted for several years. They tell me it's all related.

My lungs have been slowly deteriorating for years. The doc I saw Monday mentioned that my belly fat is impacting my lung function, and sort of pointed it out on my xrays. I didn't realize it was so much a MECHANICAL deterioration - I had thought it was more like DECOMPOSITION. I'm sort of cheered by that. Losing weight might actually HELP.

I don't think the thing I have is Flu, though. I was only moderately feverish and achey - it's primarily a lung thing. And no diarrhea, nausea, usual flu symptoms. Doc didn't give me a DIAGNOSIS, just agreed I was sick and gave me some scripts. I suppose I could call back and demand a Diagnosis. She didn't even say if I was contagious.

LOL,
Babs

I'm alive - just got a lung infection

Re: bad cold

OT-sort of

flu shot