pneumonia

I wanted to write in my blog about it being the one year anniversary of my double mastectomy. But, life took another direction! 

The week of my one year anniversary I was diagnosed with PNEUMONIA! I was actually diagnosed with pneumonia one year to the day that I received my pneumonia vaccine!!! Why should I write about this in a blog dedicated to breast cancer? Well, because according to the physician I was treated by, thanks to my cancer, my immune system is still "out of whack". So.... I digress... here's what happened... 

I felt fine... had a bit of a cough on Monday last week (3/27) and came home. I could feel a fever coming on that night. But, for the record, two weeks before I had been bed bound with a urinary tract infection and sinus junk and a fever of 103! (of course, that is not by any means a record fever for me!). So, I had chills and said, I'm going to bed early. I can nip this in the bud. Tuesday comes, I feel, eh... but go to work... cough a lot, but keep on. Came home, went straight to bed. I was beat, temp went up to 102. I know I'm sick, but I just started this new job! What do I do?  Wednesday, I am dying. I make it through work but am just miserable. I am chilled to the bone. Out of breath with everything I do. I make it home. 
I collapse in the bed. Temp is up to 103. Brad is debating what to do. Take me to urgent care? Take me to the ER? I say if you aren't sure call the doctor. He gets the on call doc who basically says if she needs seen call the office in the morning. So... I suffer thru. Thursday I get to work. I talk with my educator and she tells me that there is a clinic on campus that employees can go to. We call, I get an appointment. Get over there (nothing is close, NOTHING!) It was a 4 block walk to get there. I get in, get seen by the doctor and the nurse practitioner.... I have pneumonia. She wrote me a script for antibiotics even though she is not certain if it is viral pneumonia or bacterial pneumonia. She also wrote for an inhaler. What a mess! Then she sends me home! 

I had to go speak with my boss and tell her I have pneumonia. I have been coming to work all week with pneumonia and now need to go home. She is surprised, but at the same time says I need to go home and take care of myself! I need to rest and take care of me. She was so nice about it! 

I am stopping here to say that God has blessed me with this job. They are so nice to me and so understanding! They are practically bending over backwards with kindness. I am so blessed! 

So.... I let my husband know. He is crushed. Why? He worries about my health so much! He is upset and tells me I need to go home and go to bed. Not a worry! Those are my plans EXACTLY! 

I have never coughed so violently in my life! I have, however, felt this bad! I've done chemo, remember! I just never imagined that I was going to have to feel that way again, especially so soon! 

So, what does this have to do with anything? Even though you are done with chemo, it does not mean that cancer is done with you! I have been done with chemo since November but cancer is still trying to wreck havoc in my life! 

If you are reading this and are still in the throws of chemo, hang on! If you have finished chemo... be knowledgeable of your body! Take care of your body! If you feel bad, don't wait, go to the doctor! 

So.... I follow up with my doctor this coming Friday... I will update... :) 

Remember, take care of yourself. 

Love and peace.