Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lung that impairs breathing. Small air sacs in the lung (alveoli) become filled with pus, mucus or other fluid, and cannot supply oxygen to circulating blood. Pneumonia is not just one disease. Although it is commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, several different microorganisms can cause the disease.

An estimated four million Americans become ill with pneumonia each year, accounting for one million hospital admissions and over ten million hospital bed days. In the United States, pneumonia is the sixth most common disease leading to death.

Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health. Ed. Kristine Krapp. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2002. p1922-1926.


And I've got it.

I've had a cough since November that wasn't going away. I didn't get a thing written in this blog all during December, I was barely ready for Christmas, I was down ill several times, and tired easily. So now we know the cause. Oddly enough I FEEL fine, I just wear out easily and have gigantic coughing fits.

I saw my internist, Holly McMillan, this past Friday morning. She made her diagnosis and prescribed azithromycin and Robitussin DM, bedrest and lots of fluids. I took two pills the first day, then follow up with one pill each day for the next four days. The drug will continue to work for the next 10 days or so. I report back to Holly M. around Martin Luther King's birthday.

I've spent most of my time bedridden this weekend, trying to sleep. We won't discuss the dishes that aren't getting done, the laundry sitting around, the general housekeeping that isn't being done, nor Cassie's constant companionship that, try as she might, disturbs more than assists. I gave up on getting out Christmas cards and decided to do a New Year's Newsletter instead which I haven't started yet let alone get out to everyone.

It should be interesting returning to work tomorrow. I can't talk without coughing and I'm used to napping several times a day.