Day 24

I went to work today. What was supposed to be a half day turned out to be about 5.5 hours. I suppose since my usual day is easily 12 to 14, I didn't quite make the half mark!

I woke up at 8:45. After not falling asleep till 3:00 (I love steroids!). I washed my face, brushed my teeth, used the bathroom and returned to bed where I had my first breathing treatment of the day. Even after the treatment I just sat there and wondered why on earth I had decided to attempt work today. Nearly two hours later I found myself in the parking lot at work.

I spent just about two hours in my office catching up, grading, and preparing for my last class of Foundations of Ed. It was a good class. They had many outstanding and creative projects to share and I was surprised that I made it through the entire class without falling over!

But class did take the starch out of my panties!

I took nearly another two hours to get enough mental and physical energy to make the trip from my office back to the car. I could tell I pushed myself today because my chest hurts in that spot, still and again.

I am home now. Showered and in PJs for the remainder of the weekend. Taking another breathing treatment and ravenous (I love steroids!). And wondering if I'll have the stamina for Monday!

Note: I completed my extended round of antibiotics earlier this week, however I still have a great deal of snot and drainage. I continue to take over the counter and prescribed (at night) cough meds. I am still taking Albuterol and Symbicort and I have a little, crinkly wheeze that won't quite leave. Energy scale (1 being low - 10 being great) is about a 2.5. But last week it was in the negative numbers so this is an improvement! My next doctor's appointment is Tuesday.

Day 19

Ten days of illness and isolation (as suggested by the Health Dept. and CDC). Tenth day doctor diagnoses pneumonia prescribes Tessalon & Levaquin. Day 14 sees no real improvement; doctor adds more Levaquin and breathing treatments via a nebulizer. Day 18 brings severe pain when breathing. Day 19 doctor orders Sunday visit to ER for another x-ray and blood work. Breathing improved. Pneumonia still present. Possibly viral. Doctor doubles orders for breathing treatments and adds codeine cough syrup for pain (!) and a month of steroids. Good news: I am not admitted. Bad news: I freakin' hurt like hell and it looks like I am going to miss another week of work.

I miss Andromeda!

Flu Update

Thank you friends for the get well wishes! Every day is a step closer to the light (of daylight, sunshine, and bike riding!). :-)

Tuesday's visit to the doctor and x-rays revealed that the pneumonia is still very present. While there were indications of healing, the doctor extended my Levaquin prescription by five more days and added a medicine to be inhaled via a nebulizer (Thank you V.J. for lending me your nebulizer!) three to four times a day. The Albuterol makes me terribly jittery. Yikes!

I must say that the constant bed rest has improved the condition of my glaucoma-ridden ankles, but my Beriberi is really acting up.

Orion is about half way through with his second round of antibiotics. John has just started his second round of antibiotics and is on his second day of Tamiflu. All this time I was blaming the boys for getting me sick, perhaps I infected them. I just hope they don't catch my Beriberi.

Oink! Oink!

Cough, cough...

Wheeze, wheeze!

Anyway you look at it, pneumonia sucks. I've missed over a week of school and by the looks of it I may end up missing another week.

At least I won't have any STI's after I finish this impressive round of antibiotics AND perhaps the glaucoma in my ankles will improve.