On that one week mark ...

Hi Everyone!!!

Well, after my last post on Monday I had a major set back. As you are all aware, I have been fighting an upper respiratory infection, which started as a sinus infection beginning back in late November, and moved into my chest. As the norm where I am concerned I pushed myself. I did stay home the week between Christmas and New Years to treat and rest and went back to work. Then push some more, all the while taking antibiotics and treating with my supplements and mucinex, etc. Well .. as I had stated the cough became more aggressive upon leaving the operating room in Mexico. The Doctor in Mexico treated me while there with 2 breathing treatments and something to calm the cough. Ok ... fast forward to the week after I had returned home. I was trying to clean up after the dog on Monday and just couldn't do it. Breathing had become such an effort that to walk the 4 feet from my bed to the master bath was next to impossible. I continued to try the clean up when the phone rang. It was my PCP's office calling on a referral that I needed for insurance purposes in regard to having my endocrinologist in Phoenix covered. She noticed I was having a very difficult time breathing and thought I should be seen, so the trail began. I was asked to come to the office at 3 PM, which I did with Hillary doing the driving as the coughing was uncontrollable and I was told my head was purple from the straining of such a dry, unproductive cough. From the office, doc sent us to the ER. Once I arrived in the ER it was like lightening speed that I was taken back and the games began.

Since Monday afternoon, in that first 24 hours I had been pumped with 3 different IV antibiotics, blood cultures were drawn, a CT was done and it was determined that I was suffering from bilateral pneumonia!!!! I was floored ... with all the antibiotics I had been on since Christmas there shouldn't have been anything growing on me, in me, or within a 12 foot radius!!! I was admitted, and am still here for at least another day, with another week at home after discharge.

The heavy duty antibiotic (Vancomyacin) was discontinued this morning and replaced with steroids (prednisone compound). I will remain on the other two antibiotics for now as the steroid builds up and then is tapered back. I hate steroids as they really do a job on your blood sugars, making control even tougher. I can honestly say that so far, this round is starting of smoothly, and I know how to treat for it, it is just a major hassle. My nurses are wonderful and of course, I am pushing my stemmie treatment..... LOL .... They have had me on morphine and a prophenazine/codeine cough syrup which is helping to loosen up some, but VERY litte movement happening as of yet. I have a call into the Stem Cell Institute to see if there might be any adverse effects from all this antibiotic treatment. They have also placed me on Lovenox shots to prevent me throwing a blood clot. Which was what they initially thought this was due to my recent whirlwind travel, the surgical procedure, and the amount of rest I had been demanding .... lol ... prevention is good.

Ok ... well .... In about 45 minutes they will be coming in to do yet another breathing treatment (every 4 hours), then it will be cough/codeine, and tonight they will run the antibiotics. I am so glad they inserted this PIC line yesterday or I really would be an unhappy camper at best. The whole scenario just sucks. I can't even imagine what this little stay is going to cost, all I can say is ... well, I just met my deductible ... LOL ... so the rest of the year should be gravy.

My labs have been showing weird little changes, elevated white count is down, (so there was/is infection somewhere), potassium and magnesium are off, I have lost 8 pounds in only a week. Just weird stuff ... they did a chest X-ray today at lunch time in which we are awaiting results to see where we stand at this point. I just don't understand how this all came to such a drastic conclusion?????

My dog is depressed, my daughter is exhausted, and my father still thinks the world revolves around him as all he could say when Hillary let him know what was going on was "I need milk and donuts" and "You better pay my electric bill before they shut me off!!" I just live for self-centered people who can't see past their own nose. He apparently has a wallet full of cash and yet expects us to do all this excess running around in our vehicles to make special trips for him @ $3.20 a gallon. Sorry ... at this point, your bad if you can't let someone know PRIOR to running out of something. You know that saying, "An emergency on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."

Ok kids .... sorry I don't have better news. My wrinkles continue to dissolve ... hehehe .... and my feet, stomach, and blood sugars remain stable in spite of the current situation. I will post again in a day or 2 to see if there will be any adverse effects from the treatment in regard to the stem cells. GOD, I certainly hope not!!! ... and ... I continue to spread the word and education on Stem Cell treatment and all the potential it carries.

I feel that in the past three weeks that God has placed people in my path, some old friends, some new ones, and each one placed for a reason, and each one a blessing from above. I am learning more and more about so many things, including myself and for me, that is always a plus. A plus in the sense that I am here, I have been placed, yet again, in a difficult situation, and must plow through with as much dignity, compassion, and angry hair as possible. LOL ....Just a couple of hours ago, after a REALLY bad night, I was given both the morphine and the codeine cocktail at the same time, made me fuzzy, warm, and so ready to sleep, so I did .... apparently so hard, for four hours, that when my nurse came in she said she had to come in and gage my breathing, was I breathing, how fast, etc. She said I was out so hard she just couldn't wake me up knowing what kind of night it was. She said "oh your were just so cute, and peacefully sleeping" ... I responded with "ya, I'm sure, like a dead dog on the porch steps, right?" .... LMAO .... in any event, I just had more morphine, and the rest is on its way, another breathing treatment, and Hillary will be here to take me for a supervised walk around the halls.

I would like to go home ... but I really think maybe it is best to stay on like suggested as I can't afford relapse on this "crud" which seems to be going around everywhere.

To ease some people's minds, I did not catch this while in Mexico, I had this prior to treatment, and was unaware of just how serious it was, or could become.

I hope everyone following is well and healthy, mind and body!!!
Talk soon,
Peace and Light
et