Pneumonia - Hospital Stay #2 - leaving Jamestown, NY

Writing this post discharge, it's 6am and I can't sleep so time to get this down.

Things went from bad to worse and I ended up admitted to the Roswell hospital on Wednesday, November 22nd with pneumonia in both lungs, the day I would have received Chemo #6.

Friday, November 16th - I am given the MRI that I begged for and a lung x-ray because I was was having coughing fits and trouble breathing as in air hunger.
WBC (white blood count) - 72k

Sat & Sun, Nov 17 & 18th - very rough days with the breathing. I couldn't make it to the bathroom with out being exhausted and out of breath. We go to the mall with me in a wheel chair so I can get the Tulip little high heel shoes, her first pair of dangly earrings and a backing for the quilt she is making with her Auntie.  The shoes & earrings were likely not the best parenting choices. In my weakness, I wanted to see her happy so I caved on the requests that gone on for weeks.

Monday, Nov 19th - I called because I'd been so ill over the weekend. They asked me to rush in because of what the x-rays showed, citing I may have a pulmonary embolism (blot clots) in my lungs. They couldn't have noted this on Friday when the x-ray was taken along with that 73K + WBC count? WTF. We drive in and I am given a CT scan. Results show no blood clots in my legs or chest but both my lungs have pneumonia. They change my antibiotic and send me home with oxygen. I have to have oxygen 24/7.

Wednesday, Nov 21th - I called because I was not better, not even minutely. I call twice, 3 times because they don't call back.  Eventually, they call back and tell me to comein but hurry because they are going to admit me. We are over an hour and a half away. They know this. Why wait so long? We pack for a hospital stay AGAIN and rush in. I should publish a list of what to bring to the hospital.

I'm admitted. There are a lot of doctors coming to see me. I like the infectious disease doctors, They seem to have it together and are concerned. They are switching up my antibiotics with intravenous, stronger antibiotics and I will be given more than one.

Hooked up to a machine, I am intravenously via my port pumped with lots of antibiotics. I was too sick to get the names of all of them but it couldn't have been good. I'll follow up on that, it'll be good info to know. There are breathing/pulmonary specialists who visit me everyday. I start to feel a little better.

It's rough. They switch my room. I was a roommate for a few hours, they move me again. I do yoga breathing exercises, I cough up phlegm. They are unable to diagnose what type of pneumonia I have. They never did test that excellent phlegm ball I coughed up and was saving for them on the counter in the designated container.

The DH stayed in Hope Lodge an excellent group home for people with family staying at Rosewell. It was free for him to stay there. Unlike my oncologist had told me was completely impossible.

Thursday, November 29th - I am discharged. They tell me the lung crackling is gone. I am given an oral prescription for an antibiotic, Cipro and not much else or any advice on recovery.

Friday, Nov 30th. I walk 3 miles, it's tough, I get very cold while walking. I am determined to pack & leave when we get back. I set up an appointment with an oncologist in NYC in the same facility as the surgeon I have an appointment with.

I call the BC center at Roswell for support for ongoing treatment recommendations, I get nothing. I cancel my future appointments with the center & Dr Edge, completely frustrated by what has happened to me.

We call the school in Brooklyn to see if they will still take the Tulip as they said. We get good news, they will. We're leaving.

On Friday, after the Tulip gets out of school, we pack and head out.