Being in the hospital sucks. Been here for a week, today. They say I had pneumonia and pleurisy so bad that I almost died. I must have a higher pain tolerance than I thought, because while I was feeling pretty miserable, I didn’t feel like I was dying…
They’re going to do surgery on my lung and maybe I get to leave in 3-5 days. So much for accomplishing jack shit in this semester of school, I guess :(
RichVR
6262
Dude! So sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you. The ex-wife had walking pneumonia once. She refused medical help until she passed out at work. Now that you’re in a hospital, I hope the best for you. Having pneumonia and pleurisy is one nasty combo. If you have fluid in your lungs you need to cough it out. But the pleurisy makes it really painful.
I’m hoping that the only surgery you need is a drain or two. Please keep us informed.
Yeah, the surgery sounds basically like a drain. Poking a couple of holes and sucking out the crud. I’ve done well enough on the antibiotics in the last week that after the latest round of chest x-rays/scans some of the docs now think the surgery would be un-necessary. So, we’re all going to talk this out tomorrow to decide one way or the other, I guess.
The weirdest thing is that my cough has been entirely unproductive. The guy I’m sharing my room with also has pneumonia, but he hacks up all sorts of interesting stuff. My cough is completely dry. My main issue was limited lung capacity, but as I gain more and more of it back each day it seems 100% online and ready to go once I regain it.
On the plus side, I’m pretty sure I’m done smoking. Haven’t had a cigarette in like 10 days at this point, so why start up again? Have been wanting more and more to quit lately anyway, so yay and stuff.
My ass has never known such depths of soreness and stiffness from laying in the one and only comfortable position (on my back) in bed for a week :P Fun.
RichVR
6264
Hey, I know that position. But I was in it for a different reason. I got hit by a car crossing a street. So they did the work on my head first. They left my (left) leg for afterwards. So it was in a sort of sling thing for weeks. My only position for all of that time was on my back. And I hated it! I SO wanted to just turn over one way or the other. But no. I had to lie on my back for, well it seemed like, forever. It was as close to torture as I can ever think of. I like to lie on either my left side or my right. Or even my stomach. But I was on my back for weeks!
I actually dreamed of rolling over. All the time. And each time I’d wake up in agony because I tried to roll over in real life.
The nurse would come in and ask me why I was yelling! Hey, I’m yelling because I’m trying to roll over with a broken leg that hasn’t been set yet!
“Oh honey, they have to make sure that you’re healthy from the brain surgery. Do you need something for the pain?”
“YES!”
“I’ll get you some Tylenol.”
“Codeine?”
“Oh no honey, just a Tylenol pill. That’s all you need now.”
I finally got to talk to a real doctor about my pain and lying on my back for a week or two. He made sure that I got shots of morphine until I got my fracture reduced. Then Demerol later. I still love that guy. I want to kiss him on the mouth!
I guess I’ve been lucky so far… at almost 52 I’ve never spent a night in a hospital as a patient (knock on wood). Get better, everyone! My supervisor at work was out of commission with pneumonia for almost two straight weeks, just recently. Must be going around.
This is so true. I’m due for my latest dose of Dilaudid here in about 15 mins. My chest feels like broken glass, my bronchial tubes feel like a truck backed over them, and my various shoulder/chest/rib muscles all love to spasm and freak out when they haven’t had a nice dose of friendly painkiller lately. So yeah, when the nurse or whoever manages to remember that I’m due and then actually makes it happy just about on time, I could SO fucking hug them. Like, seriously. That feeling of relief rushing through my body is like the best thing I’ve ever experienced.
Papageno: I’m 32 and this is my first ever trip to the hospital that resulted in having to stay overnight. I feel like I’ve been pretty lucky too, just not as lucky as you :)
I had to spend a couple nights in the hospital when I was around 18 due to pneumonia. This was before laptops or handhelds. Terrible, terrible time.
Get well soon, Eric.
Holy crap Eric. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.
Just had the 40k service on my vw gti done. There were 5 recalls issued between 30k and 40k, that sure seems like a lot. I’m really sick of vw.
ibdoomed, before I started leasing a Mercedes C250 this year through my company, I was driving a '97 Jetta which has had a couple of recalls over the years, and one thing that I consider a total design flaw–reliably every 4 to 6 years this one part in the clutch assembly (this stupid little cam-shaped piece of steel with a sprocketed hole on one end) breaks at the hole, meaning it can’t turn a splined shaft in the assembly, which makes the clutch pedal go to the floor and leaves you totally stranded wherever the hell you happen to be when it happens. I’ve had to replace it 3 times (well 4 actually, but that was because on the last occasion, the crappy pot-metal aftermarket part that the shop used the first time broke after THREE WEEKS, grrr–they took care of me though and fixed it with the VW part).
Nixxter
6271
nc@@$$!!123
Hmmm, just wanted to see what would happen when I hit control V. In case you are interested, that is a password to a very secret thing.
Wow, good luck on a speedy recovery, Eric!
RichVR
6273
So we’re at Walmart getting a few essentials. I check out the ladders. This baby is there. It’s exactly what I need. And the price is pretty good. So…
Me: We should get this. We’ve needed a ladder since we moved in. I mean, honestly, how many times have I said, “Damn we really need a ladder now?”
Her: That’s true.
(She gives me that look, if you’re in any kind of serious relationship, you know what I mean)
Me: What? What’s wrong?
Her: I want to use that $100 on a new bird cage? You know the one.
Me: But the bird has a cage. We don’t have a ladder.
Her: That’s the last of the tax return. I want to buy a bird cage.
Me: Can the bird cage hold my weight? And the weight of my tool box?
Her: Very funny.
Me: Will the bird cage mean that the bird is rested enough to do work at ceiling level? Maybe grease the garage door opener chain drive?
Her: I’m not laughing.
(Now I get the other look, this is a serious warning look, I shut up)
We’re getting a bird cage. Yay.
Heh, most of the time I envy married guys, then I hear/read stories like that one. :-)
Let us know what happens if it turns out you can’t set up the bird cage without a ladder.
Why do you shop at Walmart? Fucking gross dude.
Bloody server lag. How do you delete a post?
RichVR
6279
I live in Florida. It’s a law.
