I'm alive - just got a lung infection

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:22 pm

Icky.... Is this what they call "walking pneumonia"? Well, I'm not going to ask for a CT scan YET. Maybe if I don't feel any better by Friday.

I do actually feel pretty good right about now. As long as I don't cough. Not achey anymore. Fever seems at bay. I do think I'm SLOWLY getting better, if you consider I've been doing this since last Wednesday, and only got GOOD DRUGS on Monday afternoon (got not as good drugs on Friday - not her fault, she's not a pulmonologist).

Anyone know if they make deoderant Depends? The Ultra Thin Maxi Overnight Feminine pads aren't helping with odor...

We shall see if I can sleep tonight. I've been taking my usual Melatonin each night, and adding two Benadryl. It's not helping. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep. I've taken the Mucinex and some straight Tussin DM (I like to keep my meds seperate so I can custom mix them), but didn't notice it helped much.

Maybe tonight I'll skip the Benadryl and try Mucinex and Tussin DM. What the heck. Might be another film festival on. And I did finish "Drums of Autumn" last night, and Roger and Brianna are back together and all is right in the world.
its.caltech.edu/~gatti/gabaldon/

Thank you all!!!!
Babs

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:30 pm

Oh, BTW, I must confess.

I bought Afrin nasal decongestant. I got the kind with camphor in it.

I NEVER use this stuff. I'm a Flonase girl - no need to go OTC. And the horror stories are so, well, Horrible.

But I couldn't breathe AT ALL through my nose, despite dosing with pseudophed and various other drugs, and I was desperate. So, I think it was Sunday, I bought some. Tried it. Two sprays per nostril.

BURNED LIKE COLD FLAME. Really ached my nose. But it cleared it, and I could try the cpap. But the choking would wake me, and I kept having to pull the mask off to choke for ten minutes, so...

Did that, what, two days? Seems like I must have bought that earlier, then... I'm still fuzzy.

Anyway, thought maybe it was the camphor. Bought some REGULAR STRENGTH house brand Rite Aid "Afrin" knock off, no camphor. One spray only. Didn't hurt so much. Hurt a little. Cleared nose. Used cpap a little, but again, coughing/choking, and nasal snot.

Monday, doc said don't do that. I knew that. I thought I'd just use it until I could get clear enough to use cpap. The Allegra-D she gave me did the trick though, so I haven't used it since.

Moral of the story - Don't use OTC nasal sprays. They hurt, and the re-bound effects are bad. Pseudoephedrine is a better choice, coupled with an antihistime of your choice. I apparently needed to up my dosage of both pseudophed and antihistimine.

Cheers,
Babs

lking · Post by **lking** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:32 pm

Anonymous wrote: Anyone know if they make deoderant Depends?

Actually, I think the Depends has some kind of neutralizer in them as there's never an odor. I highly recommend them for a coughing problem...I had to use them for two separates illnesses.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:05 pm

Get well soon Babs... I had something similar between Christmas and New Years... tried Levaquin and Prednisone... neither did a thing. Biaxin and Allegra-D got me through it.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:01 am

Wow, lking!!! First of Nov until Christmas??? Ugh. Don't discourage us! Man, we don't need or want it hanging around as long as it has much less that long!!! Sure am glad you are finally over it. Now ... we just gotta get Babette over it! I'm pretty sure I'm over the worst of it now.

But I got to thinking as I lay in bed tonight in my pred "awakeness" ... when's the best time to change my hose, tubing, and really "sterilize" my mask? W/3 days left for the pred and levaquin? Not til the day I finish them? (I keep saying pred, its actually the Medrol dose pack, methylprednisolone.)

Babette, when are you thinking of making the "major sterilizing" event w/your equipment?

lking · Post by **lking** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:56 am

Slinky wrote:Wow, lking!!! First of Nov until Christmas??? Ugh. Don't discourage us! Man, we don't need or want it hanging around as long as it has much less that long!!! Sure am glad you are finally over it. Now ... we just gotta get Babette over it! I'm pretty sure I'm over the worst of it now.

But I got to thinking as I lay in bed tonight in my pred "awakeness" ... when's the best time to change my hose, tubing, and really "sterilize" my mask? W/3 days left for the pred and levaquin? Not til the day I finish them? (I keep saying pred, its actually the Medrol dose pack, methylprednisolone.)

Babette, when are you thinking of making the "major sterilizing" event w/your equipment?

Yup, it was awful! No energy, couldn't breath, and all I did was cough, cough, cough, except not at night once I started on the Mucinex DM. Not knowing when or if I would feel better and not even realizing it when I was over the bug, I just stayed on my regular weekly schedule for my mask/hose/filter and my daily nasal pillow cleaning (mostly so I would have a good seal).

catbirdgirl · Post by **catbirdgirl** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:00 am

I had something like this for ages in november.

What got me better was mucinex D, Robitussin, and a nasal spray called Nasonex. it opened up my nose so I could breathe and was able to sleep with cpap after 2 or 3 days.

the cough hung around but I think some of it ended up being acid reflux cough after 2 months, it couldn't be the cold.

I went to the doc cause I was coughing up glop and thought it was going bronchial, and he was like, nope, just a bad cold. No sinus infection, no bronchial. I thought he was nuts! I have rarely had a cold and not a sinus infection. but I guess, go me? The cold that is circulating this year is BAD.

Sundown · Post by **Sundown** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:07 am

I hope you get better, Babs!!!!!

Hugz!

Joffive · Post by **Joffive** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:15 am

So sorry for you!!!
Feel better soon...

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:22 am

Feel better soon, Babs!

If it's getting better then it's probably not bacterial pneumonia!

m

Moby · Post by **Moby** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:03 am

Get well soon Babs!

And maybe you need to check you don't have a urinary infection as well?

Sending you some Ozzie sunshine

Di

Catnapper · Post by **Catnapper** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:11 am

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?

I hope all who have been sick are better soon if not already. It sounds miserable, and you have my sympathy. I like the tessalon drug for coughing. I highly recommend it, however, my son felt that it made him worse. If you try it, be sure to drink a full glass of water after taking it. You don't want that to get stuck in your throat. That would be bad.

Catnapper - Joanie

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

Yep, I had my flu shot same as I have every year for I don't even remember how many years now. I'm also "into" my 2nd year or so of my second pneumonia shot.

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:24 am

You are probably already doing this -but just in case you're not-8 ounces of fluid every hour. Tick them off on a chart. A pulmonologist I once worked with claimed that water in suffient quantity was better than any pharmceutical expectorant. The nurses had to chart liquids like medication for his patients-and they did do better.

The level of fluids keep the urine flowing and a very light yellow-if not almost colorless--drink more water and get depends of chux bed pads, and baby wipes.

Turning the XPAP humidifier on full bore at night keeps some fluid going in at night.

Chicken soup only works if you include the feet in the soup

Hope you are feeling lots better by now.....Kay

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Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:37 am

Those feet in the chicken soup bring back fond memories of every Sunday at my grandparent's grocery store. We always called them Ma and Pa even tho they were my grandparents. Pa and my mom and dad worked the store. Ma made home made egg noodles, chicken soup, creamed chicken, mashed taters, veggies, pie every Sunday. And always those two long chicken legs complete w/feet and claws sat proudly in Pa's soup bowl. I always assumed that was a Russian/German tradition but as a teen my very best friend was a Polish immigrant and her family had the same tradition. Those chicken legs complete w/feet and claws in Mr K's soup bowl.

No one has EVER made creamed chicken as good as Ma did tho. My mom said she could, that she used Ma's recipe - but it was NOT the same. *sigh* I think Ma used sour cream. I use Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. (Hey! I've never claimed to be domesticated!).

Mask	Humidifier

Humidifier

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