Hi Folks!
Thanks for all of your prayers and messages over the few days. I really do appreciate all of the Love and Support!
As you can see from the headline I am now at home still on 2 Liters Oxygen for awhile but slowly improving.
It all started rather suddenly and I became short of breath and nonstop coughing till my ribs felt broken.I also had a raging fever that left my teeth chattering in my head and heat pouring off of me like a radiator! I went to the ER and they admitted me with an Upper Respiratory Infection and COPD exacerbation. I knew that sooner or later it would come to this and Thank God I quit smoking because it has been later rather than sooner!
I tested negative for pneumonia but some other bug which I can't begin to pronounce let alone remember snuck into my lungs. This is because folks with COPD have frozen cilia that don't work. My bronchials got filled with goop and the germs decided to take a swim in the muck and worked their way down to my lungs. Not a very scientific description - nevertheless, accurate!
I was given antibiotic and my all time favorite - not! - prednizone by IV. Also had to have albuterol nebulizers and supplemental oxygen. In the hospital oxygen isn't all that inconvenient till you have to try to walk too the bathroom while stumbling around due to fever and avoid tripping over the cord!
While I'm recovering satisfactorily from the infection it will take awhile to determine how much permanent damage was done to my declining lung capacity. That's the worst of it. You can't get it back! What's lost is lost forever.
I'm not complaining though! I've had a great run of 6 Years with minimal illness along the way especially considering that I also have asthma which makes the whole prognosis that much worse.
I feel really blessed to have Family and Friends that support me without judgment and I include all of you in that category.
Thanks for being so patient while I was away. I thought I would be able to update you sooner but all I do is sleep restlessly - a side effect of the prednisone. Tired and wired!
Keep up the good work of recovery and most important of all - keep them away from your face!
You really don't want to do the hospital thing very often! The food is overrated! LOL!
