I'm doing better...for the most part

Well, I just haven't had much to say, or have been too tired to say it.

I am much better. Thank you very much. I am off all meds and the side effects are gone. I absolutely hated that spacey feeling. I still become short of breath easily and I tire easily. But I feel a little better every day.

I hosted Thanksgiving, which was really not a great idea. My brother's girlfriend flew up for the holiday and hadn't met the family yet. My sister made the turkey, stuffing and gravy and an apple pie and pumpkin pie, which really took a load off of me. My brother bought a ham and a chocolate pie. Jamie and I made the sides and got the house ready, with a lot of help from Jim. With all the help that I had, I was still exhausted before everyone got here. I actually had to go and sit in a quiet room for a bit, just to get away from the noise. I was starting to feel overwhelmed. I did enjoy it though. I really like my brother's girlfriend. He seems so happy with her.
Friday I rested, mostly. I'm so afraid of getting sick again and am trying to take care of myself.

Jim and Jamie went shopping at 3am Friday. As a rule I hate black Friday. Jamie likes it and I've gone shopping a few times. Jim saw a good deal on a washer/dryer set and was determined to go buy it. Ours run okay. Most of the time. I've resisted spending the money to replace them. Even though the washer, on the spin cycle, sounds like an airplane getting ready to take off. And the dryer, I can't even describe it's special noise. I have been asked, when on the phone, what the noise is though. And our washer and dryer are in our basement! So, come this Thursday we will have a new washer and dryer...

Today I had a follow-up with the pulmonologist that saw me in the hospital. He told me that recovery is about six weeks and that I was progressing normally. It's been a month since I started getting sick.
Then I showed him my right arm, which is the one my IV was in. It's been sore to the touch since I came home from the hospital and is now swollen, not terribly, but noticeably. And so tomorrow I have an ultrasound because it could be a blood clot. Lovely. And on Dec. 9th I have to have a chest CT scan to make sure my lungs are good. I go back to see this doctor on the 21st. I've already seen my primary care doctor for a follow-up and see him again tomorrow for some bloodwork. Oh, and the CT scan? Did I mention that I had one in the hospital and had a panic attack during it, because I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I have never felt that way before! I can't describe it, except to say that I was terrified. When I came home, I could lie down in my bed for no more than a couple of hours before I would get the same panicky feeling. I spent the first two weeks home mostly on our recliner couch, mostly sitting up. Strange. Now I'm okay. My doctor told me that the steroids may cause those feelings. Another reason to hate them...

So, I've basically lost one whole month of my life and that really made me think of the so many ways that I waste time, or put things off or...
Did I mention that I spent a lot of time on the recliner couch...thinking?

Okay, while I was sick Jamie decided to quit her job and go back to subbing, which really wasn't working for her in the first place. Not happy about that, but really too sick to care at the time.
Well, today she had an interview and was offered a job as a lead teacher in the infant room at a childcare/learning center! Not a teacher in a district, but still a teacher! I'm very happy about that!!

And Jon? He got the keys to his house and is doing some mostly minor repairs and painting before he moves in. He mostly has this permanent look of panic in his eyes about the money he has been spending. Poor guy. But that's home ownership for you! I am excited for him!

So, that's my life in a nutshell. Things are looking up!

What a way to spend the month of November

This will be short. Maybe I'll elaborate about my fun month in another post. On November 1st, I started feeling flu symptoms. I spent the following week sometimes feeling better, sometimes feeling worse. Worse won. On November 7th, I was forced talked into going to the ER. I felt horrible, so I finally agreed to go.

There, they told me that you just have to wait out the flu, not much they can do...

Then the doctor came in, listened to me and ordered a chest x-ray.

Double pneumonia. I think I remember him saying that he was very concerned. And that I was being admitted.

Without going into ALL of the details, I spent from late Saturday night until Tuesday evening in the hospital. I shouldn't have come home Tuesday evening, but I convinced them to let me go. My lungs sounded better and that's what was most important. For the next several days at home, I felt no better. Then, slowly, slowly I have started to feel better. Not myself yet, but better.

They figure that I started out with H1N1 and eventually ended up with pneumonia. I have never felt so sick in my life. But I'll be back. I know I'm in here somewhere. I know I will feel more human once I totally get these drugs out of my system. I absolutely hate the "spacey" feeling. I absolutely hate that I have almost zero energy.

But, I'll be back!