Pneumonia « Back to Group Discussions

[sweetlowmom]

Hi ladies,

I started a thread a week or so ago about colds/coughs/antibiotics/tylenol etc ... (thanks everyone for their responses there) ... anyway, it turns out that I have pneumonia. I've been on antibiotics about a week now and have improved somewhat but still can barely do much more than move from the bed to the family room. I am supplementing with lots and lots of probiotics/kefir/fermented milk products etc, but wanted to see if anyone had any experience with this. I am just soooooo exhausted, and started to get worried about money (I'm a freelancer, and my husband is out of work, so when I don't work, we don't get paid). Money concerns aside (it will all work out I know, the most important thing is my health and the health of little babe), I'd love to know if anyone has been through this ... how long will it take for me to feel better? Yesterday I felt lots better, until last night, when I just started having coughing fits again. And today much worse. It's not terrible pain like it was but I don't feel like I am improving. Anyway just putting it out there in case anyone has had a similar experience and could shed some light on the situation! Luckily the infeciton was only in my rght lung - the pulmonologist said Thursday that it had cleared up some with the abx but there was still some infection in there.

Thanks in advance for your support!

All the best

Laura

[kimble]

Hug and get-well-wishes to you, mama! Sorry I can't speak from experience, but stay hydrated and take it easy - pneumonia can be a tough bug to shake if you fight it and don't rest.

 

[jessmn]

I haven't had it but my brother did - he drank a ton of water, and slept upright hugging a pillow. I would sleep across the hallway and listen to him cough and breathe all night. It sucked. Feel better soon!!
 

[sweetlowmom]

Thanks for your replies ladies ... I am doing my best to just rest. It helps that my parents are visiting (we live in Spain and my parents have come for 2 weeks from the states) and can help with DS. Rest rest rest has got to be the key ... uff.

Thanks again!

xo

Laura

[BabySmurf]

take advantage of the help as much as possible!! A friend of mine just got over it and it took her 3 weeks to get back to normal, and she's pretty healthy otherwise.  I was afraid that I caught it after bringing dinner over for her and the kids (I didn't), and when I looked it up, it appeared that it definitely has a relatively long course and taking a couple of weeks isn't abnormal.  If you aren't feeling *any* better, I would call the doc though - did they do a culture and sensitivity to make sure that you are taking the right antibiotics? Sometimes you may need to take a different kind if the ones you are taking aren't working.  Good luck and rest and try to keep yourself as nourished as possible!

[timesway]

huge hugs, i had pneumonia a few years back.. i also thought it was just a cold and i was a total wuss.. but turns out i had pneumonia, and pneumonias pretty nasty.. i had to have iv antibiotics/fluids etc and was pretty badly affected.. at the worst point i dont think ive really ever felt so unwell in my life (but i had it whilst being massively underweight and bedridden by dysautonomia already so i guess that makes sense as to why) but it is hard and you have to just concede to it a bit, and REST REST REST.. do lots of productive coughing excersises, and lots of deep breathing where you can, tonnes of fluids, keep up with your antibiotics and probiiotics and just keep plodding.. Sounds like everythings going in the right direction,. i guess the last bit of advice i can give is once you think your better.. wait a bit longer.. do really gentle excersise, eat healthy etc.. and then slowly edge your way back into daily lifee.. u will prob find your quite knackered for a while and its important not to push yourself too much too soon but also not to sit around and do nothing once u start to feel a tad better.. gentle excersise and activity at home is probably gonna be the best next step, and then trying the big bad world (its way more exhausting then you'd think after a nasty infection)

Feel better xx

[sweetlowmom]

thanks so timesway and BabySmurf ... you hit the nail on the head, timesway - I finished my abx Saturday and am just sooooooo tired. Yesterday evening I started having painful contractions and got somewhat worried about preterm labor, but DH made me drink lots of water and just rest rest rest (not like I'd been doing anything else LOL!) and they went away ... then I woke up around midnight with another coughing spasm. But on the whole I think there is slow, ever so slow, improvement. I put two and two together this morning and realized that I had been drinking lots of Breathe Easy tea that my mom brought for me with her from the States  - and duh, that stuff is full of licorice which we are not supposed to drink. Facepalm. Today it's back to just water, or water and lemon, and more rest and letting the past be in the past and hoping no damage was done ... babe still moving lots which is good ... today is also DS's 4th birthday so I am just so grateful for my parents - my mom is making a cake and DH is off buying a present. Some people will come over, just a few, and I'll try to make it out to the family room to sit with them for a bit, at least just for the cake part so I don't totally cop out on DS's bday - feels so crappy to not be up to snuff for his happy day. I can't believe he is four!!! But I think with DH and my parents there will be enough joy to go around :) ... day by day. I can't believe how TIRED I am - just the thought of taking a shower is exhausting. Plus I lost 3 kilos (about 6 pounds) - which suprised me because I haven't done anything in weeks now, but I suppose I don't have much appetite either. Trying to eat right when I do eat.

They didn't do any cultures, BabySmurf, so I'm hoping I was on the right stuff, although the pulmonologist said that amox is what she felt most comfortable prescribing during pregnancy anyway, so maybe it was because of that. The amox did seem to do the trick as I am way better than 10 days ago, but she also warned me that "pneumonia gives a long hangover" ha! So I guess that's where I'm at now ... hungover! :)

thanks again everyone for your help and sharing your experiences. hope we all stay healthy for the rest of the pregnancy!! :)
 

[sweetlowmom]

and PS. timesway, so sorry you had to go through that ...
 

[Quinalla]

So sorry you have pneumonia! I have no personal experience, but I've heard the same that you really have to rest a lot to beat it and it tends to stick around awhile. Definitely take advantage of all help!