The Walking Dead?

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I'm 4 days in to a respiratory virus that is literally taking me to my knees. Breathing isn't something I take for granted. Often I'm having to concentrate really hard to accomplish it in between horrendous coughing episodes.

There was no "coming down" part of this virus. One moment I was fine, next moment I was so sick I had trouble sitting in a chair. wham! It hit me like a ton of bricks. I've been running a bone chilling type fever....haven't been able to stop coughly long enough to actually take my temp. I've been coughing up awfully nasty stuff from the get go with this bug.

I haven't slept more than maybe snatches of 15 mins of dozing here and there in 4 days. And even then I'm not so sure I'm really alseep as the dreams are bizzare. I am pushing fluids.....but it's not doing much.

I'm up now because once again I just couldn't fall asleep. I have a half hour before I can take the cough medication. I've no doubt when it or the tylenol wears off.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. I had to look again cuz I thought I was hallucinating from lack of sleep. I look like a walking corpse.

easy child is on me to go the doctor or er. doctor I can't do. We paid the house payment and no way can scrape up the 100 bucks for the visit, not to mention any medications. ER isn't much better. No we don't have to pay. But we still don't have money for any medications that I'd get..........and honestly, I just don't have the physical strength to brave the cold, snow, the ride over, and 14 hrs of waiting. People it is grueling to make it across the room.

If I could just SLEEP dammit I think I could start to throw this off. But even when the tylenol and couch medication is working I just lay there with wild weird thoughts running thru my brain.:sick::faint::whiteflag:

I think it's taken me more than a half hour to write this post. I'm not even sure if it make sense. I think it's time for the medications again. Maybe this time I'll get lucky and get to sleep .

Some good thoughts.....juju.....would be much appreciated.
 

WhymeMom?

No real answers to life..
It must be hitting the midwest...... I came down with a similar illness... on Monday, started with a severe sore throat then moved to coughing and monstrous headache, chills....... decided I didn't want to know what my temperature was so didn't take it....... Yours sounds much worse and I feel like death warmed over, so I can only imagine what you are feeling....... I took some Musinex? and felt like I was in Zombie land...... but I'm fairly sensitive to drugs...... hope you find some relief, I'm headed for a hot shower.........
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Ummm, Lisa, you just described what I was like just before being diagnosis'ed with walking pneumonia last week.

Can you get to the Dr?

Even though it's a viral and not bacterial, my Dr gave me antibiotics due to the color of the phlegm coming out of my lungs alone. And heavy duty doses of prednisone so I could at least breath. She also gave me Tussin with codeine (which I hate!) so I could catch some sleep, albeit in small doses. I have to run the humidifier non-stop as our house is so cold and dry and I can't really go outside for long periods of time and if I do, I must bundle up and put something over my mouth to keep the chill out of my lungs. I'm still getting fever flashes and I wake up soaked every night from the sweats, still pale and listless. Mostly I'm tired at this point - the chest congestion is beginning to clear a bit and it's been a full week now. This one really knocked me down as well.

Sending healing juju your way. I think you should go to the DR if you can!
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Lisa, you REALLY should get to a doctor! You're scaring me! Better to go now than to wait until you get even worse ..... please?
 

Steely

Active Member
You need to go to the ER - now girl!!! Illnesses that involve breathing cannot be ignored. Pneumonia kills people every year because they wait too long to get help. Not to scare you - but this is nothing to wait out. Even if it is viral they can give you steroids so you are able to breathe, etc. If you don't have money for medications, and you are at the county hospital, they have to give you medications as well.

Please, gather your strength, and zip yourself to the dr, asap!~
Hugs.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Well, yeah, 'cuz being hospitalized for or dying from pneumonia is way cheaper than picking up a prescription...

:nono:

Get yourself to a doctor or a clinic or the ER. If you need a prescription, tell me where and I'll make arrangements, you nut!
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
Lisa, two years ago to the day I came down with what I thought was a bug. I fought it for the weekend, but by Monday, I honestly thought I was dying---coughing up blood dying---It was bacterial pneumonia and took 7 days of IV antibiotic to clear it up---get thee to the ER right now---
 

jal

Member
I agree it sounds like pneumonia. A guy I work with-just had the bacterial version. Please get seen. You can't let that go.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Daisylover, you have severe renal disease. Bacterial pheumonia can damage the kidneys in healthy people.

Anything that interferes with blood oxygen saturation also strains the kidneys. You HAVE to get seen and get this treated.

I do realize that finances are a big issue, but you can't depend on being able to recover from this on your own, or on it not worsening your overall health.

Please get yourself taken care of!
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
I agree, Lisa. If the cost of a prescription is what is keeping you from getting treatment, give me the high sign and Witz and I will take care of it.

Go NOW!

Hugs,
Suz
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I love you guys, you know that? :)

I forced husband to spend the very last of our money to go out and buy a "real" cough medication that lasts more than 3 hrs. Not really that expensive but when you are broke it's expensive. Didn't care. Still don't. The liquid cough medication I was using.......wasn't worth snot. (no pun intended) Not sure what it is for cuz I can't read the print on the bottle. All I know is it wasn't cutting it.

I caught a 3-4 hr nap this morning after taking the new cough medication. Most sleep I've had since like sat or sun. My fever broke during the nap. Between the non-stop coughing, fever, and lack of sleep I just was overwhelmed.

I feel better. Weak as a newborn kitten, but better.

easy child chased down the fam doctor at the hospital today while at work. He knows I'm both broke and stubborn. And the thought of going to an ER full of sick people when my immune system is in the toilet....is like asking me to walk thru hot coals. So asked him for a cough medication with fenagrien (sp) so I can sleep and an antibiotic to help with the secondary infection.

I'm pretty sure it's not pneumonia. been there done that 3 times and while this is horrid, it's different. Yes, I'm coughing up some mighty nasty stuff, but with pneumonia I either can't get it up or I feel like I'm drowing in mucus. This is a really nasty bug that knocked my legs out cuz I could. not. sleep. period. Without rest my body was loosing the fight. I wasn't remembering to take my normal medications and with them my critical medication foltex which is a seriously concentrated vitamin my body has to have to function normally due to the CRF. Once I got up from my nap I took them and made myself something nutritious to eat.

I can actually have a coherrent thought today. :)

h1n1? Dunno. Possbile. Might be. Could be something else equally nasty. Guess it doesn't matter. I think I picked it up when I went to see mother in law at the nursing home. Of course after the visit they called and told us all residents are quarintined to their rooms due to some really nasty viruses brought in by visitors over the holiday.ugh

easy child should arrive in about an hour with the medications from the fam doctor and to check me out for herself. Travis has called from school to check on me. Nichole has called several times and come over twice bringing cough medications she hoped would help.......one which I'm horribly allergic to. But got to love 'em.

I'm now going to attempt to studying my pharm once again. It is so looking like I'm going to totally bomb that exam on monday. Great way to start the quarter off.

Once easy child shows up with the medications I'm taking them and back to bed I go to get some more much needed sleep.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I know Witz. (((hugs))) Got my medications and am headed off to get what I hope to be a good nite sleep. Love ya. :)
 
Top