I am just so damned sick...trying to just "outlast" a bad cold but coughing so bad today I noticed

[CTyankee]

brown phlegm coming up and got scared. I am so exhausted I can barely get out of bed in the morning.

Finally, I went to the doc. He is concerned but prescribed meds and got an order for me to get a chest x-ray. It is bronchitis but he looked worried it could be worse.

Hoping it isn't pneumonia. I'm elderly (78) and probably at risk for all kinds of terrible things.

He ordered up a chest x-ray. I'll be doing that next week.

I'm caring for a disabled husband and feel I just can't not be his helper.

But this is not good...

[PoliticAverse]

1. Best wishes to you. n/t

[CTyankee]

2. thanks for the kind words...I'll let DU folks know how it goes...

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Be well, CTYankee!

We need your voice!

[CTyankee]

8. well, my voice ain't so great just now...I sound really awful.

Hoping for a better outcome later after my chest xray...

[brer cat]

4. Keep on top of it, CTYankee.

It is too easy to develop something worse. I hope you feel better soon.

[elleng]

5. Be well, yank.

You're NOT elderly; DAD was elderly, and he passed @ 99.

[lunasun]

6. Get the x ray . Do as little as possible . I hope your husband doesn't get it . Take care

[jodymarie aimee]

7. I got sick the 30th and diag myself....

I am stubborn.....finally the 8th I went to the hospital...pneumonia and I almost died as the med I was taking upped my BP dangerously. So I am taking 3 strong strong meds and am still in hell. Hacking like mad, black poo, putrid taste in my mouth, sores all over my body. I have gone down to 89 lbs. as food tastes like crap.

I will never do this again.... diag myself.....I have lost half the month...

I don't understand the delay RE x=ray....they shot me right over there Monday. Get well lady.

[CTyankee]

10. Well, if it weren't for my neighbors and friends helping me I wouldn't have gotten over to the

doc in the first place. I simply couldn't drive myself that short a distance.

I know this is what happens when a caregiver gets sick. Ignore it and it'll go away. It's exactly the wrong way to look at it.

Had a frank discussion with my husband today. There are some things he has to start doing again now that his back disability after surgery has improved with physical therapy.

I do have some help. I have a home help aide come in to do laundry and cleaning every other week. I'm getting a service called Peapod to deliver groceries from my online orders locally...we'll at least have food in the house...

[halobeam]

9. Seems nearly everyone is either sick,

getting sick or getting over being sick. If not them, then definitely someone they know is.

It's a brutal season, this one. I haven't heard of anyone getting flu yet. It's either a cold turned bronchitis/pneumonia, or some nasty virus, like norovirus.

I hope your xray comes out clean! Take care of yourself as if it hadn't.. and watch out for others! It's the time you are most vulnerable to catch the next thing you are exposed to.

Let us know how things go for you!

Hugs n all ...

[Gothmog]

11. I have been fighting the same cold since early December

I have done one round of antibiotics.

Good luck in fighting your cold

[MLAA]

12. Sending you healing thoughts!

I prescribe lots of sleep (without feeling guilty) in addition to whatever else your doctor prescribes! ❤️😴

[Bayard]

13. Be well, dear

Bronchitis stinks. Mine is chronic, and yeah, what you cough up can be pretty disgusting, especially the projectile kind.

[dewsgirl]

14. It seems quite a few people that have had

The latest strain of cold/flu, it had hung on for a long time. Best wishes, hopefully everything will be fine.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. I was told it is the flu. Just now getting over it.

If it wasn't for the decongestant meds and an effective cough suppressant, it could have ended up with pneumonia.
which is what 2 reported people in their 20's died of from this damn bug.

It seemed to be going away, I was feeling better, and it came back, it seemed, but not as bad.

[BigmanPigman]

16. As an elementary school teacher I was sick 80%

of the over 15 years I worked in public schools. I had Mono for 6 months and worked EVERY DAY since the doctors couldn't diagnose it (weighed 84 pounds for years afterwards), pneumonia (almost died from loss of 33% of my blood from a strange strain that doctors didn't correctly diagnose), regular pneumonia, respiratory failure due to an old, moldy class building that was eventually torn down after half my class and I were too sick to come to school, and had non stop "colds". I finally had to leave teaching due to the sick environment. I am now without an immune system and have two severe illnesses that are very costly and I will die from one in a few years. l will loss my meager teacher savings, go bankrupt and bankrupt my family if the ACA is repealed since I get no retirement benefits since I got too sick while too young to qualify for any.

GO TO A DOCTOR! THEN ANOTHER DOCTOR!! If that doesn't help, go to a third or check yourself into the emergency room which I had to do twice. If I hadn't I would've died at home with a doctor's note saying I was fine to return to work in two days in my cold, dead hand. I AM SERIOUS!

[CTyankee]

17. thank you. I am taking your advice and following up with my chest x ray and taking the antibiotics

the doc prescribed for me. I am hoping for good results from this antibiotic he has prescribed.

I just wish I had my old doc back. He retired in November and I haven't followed up with the practice he sold his practice to. So I had to go to a walk in doc for this. My bad.

I plan to follow up with that practice asap. I shoulda done it sooner but didn't . My bad. I ended up with a walk in practice, which was fine. I got what I needed.

[BigmanPigman]

18. GOOD! Learn from others like me.

What I have found through the years is that I KNOW MY BODY better than anyone. You do too. Doctor's don't have the time anymore. Listen to you own mind and body ALWAYS!

My current disease was misdiagnosed for 6 months by several doctors. I keep detailed noted of how I feel, my diet, sleep, symptoms, time of day, what I ate, what over the counter and prescription meds I take and how I feel/react. If I didn't I would be dead right now. One doctor told me he wishes his patients were more like me. Always take all your notes and bottles of meds with you when you see any doctor. They need all the help they can get and your health is at stake. You are your own best advocate...be strong and don't be afraid to question them or change doctors. I also bringing family and friends' phone numbers, blank paper to take notes, my glasses, gloves, socks, mags, etc with me now since I have had to go from the doctor to the emergency room to a private room with no warning within hours and end up staying there for days. I live alone and need to have my little dog taken care of too. Also, take a cab if you can. You never know what state you will be in and if you are OK to drive. Be sure to take your neighbor's phone numbers along as well.

Take care and let us know how you are.

[CTyankee]

19. I take cabs or call on friends to take me when my husband can't.

I have 2 friends I call on for rides. Hubby will be taking me more often as I have told him in no uncertain terms that he HAS to! No excuses!

All this drives my kids nuts. They are all out of state and i just can'tworry them about my health condition/drs. offices difficulties.

Luckly, I live within striking distance of Yale New Haven Hospital, which is a fantastic facility.

[BigmanPigman]

20. Great husband AND GOOD LOCATION!

Take advantage of their help! This is a very serious flu year and it has only started. Healthy 21 years olds are being hospitalized.

Force yourself to drink TONS of water in the meantime too.