It appears I have pneumonia. Appears, because I am still left with many questions about what is really going on with my illness.
No doctor has listened to my lungs, and I haven't had a chest x-ray. In a new world where diagnosis is done over the phone and online, it can be hard to get answers. I think I have pneumonia, at least I'm being treated for it.
Let me be clear, my doctors are amazing, and doing amazing work right now. On the chance that I did get a false negative, there is no way I want to step foot in my doctor's office right now. I'm still coughing like crazy, and the chance that I would infect someone else (with whichever version of viral pneumonia I have, Covid-19 or otherwise) is high. They are making the right decision to keep me at home and do this from a distance.
It just feels so isolating. I know it is the right thing to do, but it doesn't mean it is easy. I kind of feel like I am fighting this fight alone in my house, on my own. I imagine so many others, scared to go to the office or the hospital for whatever they are experiencing, feel the same way.
Doctors are doing the best they can from afar, and we are doing the best we can at home to understand diagnosis and treat ourselves appropriately.
Based on the "crackling" sound, the doctor I spoke to Friday thinks pneumonia is likely. She also seemed more insistent than my primary doctor that I has a false negative, which was confusing. I think she just wants me to continue to isolate as though I was positive, just in case. If I get any worse, or spike a fever, I should call back and they will recommend a chest x-ray, but for now, they are hoping I can treat myself at home.
She prescribed me a z-pack of antibiotics, an albuterol inhaler, and some prescription cough medicine. At first I was reluctant to take the antibiotics, since the pneumonia is most likely viral, but I decided to take it anyway. She also mentioned lots of rest and LOTS of fluids.
And the advice pours in! Another thing about being sick in this time, is that lots of people have ideas about what will help. I posted in a private mom group I'm in (a wonderful, supportive group of women I found after my late term pregnancy loss. Not one of those caddy, snide, judgmental mom groups!) about how scared I felt with this pneumonia diagnosis. The group includes women from all over the world, and some are nurses on the front lines of Covid right now. They gave me some helpful advice that my doctor didn't mention:
No doctor has listened to my lungs, and I haven't had a chest x-ray. In a new world where diagnosis is done over the phone and online, it can be hard to get answers. I think I have pneumonia, at least I'm being treated for it.
Let me be clear, my doctors are amazing, and doing amazing work right now. On the chance that I did get a false negative, there is no way I want to step foot in my doctor's office right now. I'm still coughing like crazy, and the chance that I would infect someone else (with whichever version of viral pneumonia I have, Covid-19 or otherwise) is high. They are making the right decision to keep me at home and do this from a distance.
It just feels so isolating. I know it is the right thing to do, but it doesn't mean it is easy. I kind of feel like I am fighting this fight alone in my house, on my own. I imagine so many others, scared to go to the office or the hospital for whatever they are experiencing, feel the same way.
Doctors are doing the best they can from afar, and we are doing the best we can at home to understand diagnosis and treat ourselves appropriately.
Based on the "crackling" sound, the doctor I spoke to Friday thinks pneumonia is likely. She also seemed more insistent than my primary doctor that I has a false negative, which was confusing. I think she just wants me to continue to isolate as though I was positive, just in case. If I get any worse, or spike a fever, I should call back and they will recommend a chest x-ray, but for now, they are hoping I can treat myself at home.
She prescribed me a z-pack of antibiotics, an albuterol inhaler, and some prescription cough medicine. At first I was reluctant to take the antibiotics, since the pneumonia is most likely viral, but I decided to take it anyway. She also mentioned lots of rest and LOTS of fluids.
And the advice pours in! Another thing about being sick in this time, is that lots of people have ideas about what will help. I posted in a private mom group I'm in (a wonderful, supportive group of women I found after my late term pregnancy loss. Not one of those caddy, snide, judgmental mom groups!) about how scared I felt with this pneumonia diagnosis. The group includes women from all over the world, and some are nurses on the front lines of Covid right now. They gave me some helpful advice that my doctor didn't mention:
- Z-pack (azithromycin) has had some good results fighting Covid-19, even though it might be counter intuitive to take an antibiotic for a virus. Take it!
- If you have pneumonia, put a humidifier in your room at night!
- Try postural draining techniques (I tried this right after I used my inhaler, and it helped a lot!)
- Don't rest on your back. When you are at rest, stay on your sides or front to improve breathing and oxygen saturation.
- GET MOVING! I didn't realize that walking and moving around, even though I'm exhausted and want to rest, can actually help fight pneumonia!
I think, like always, you have to wary of medical advice you find online. Listen to your doctor first and foremost. While anecdotal, these are things that have helped me feel better, and I hope they will help others too.
This morning my cough feels looser and more productive, I am hoping for a better day today!
Saturday April 18th
US cases: 712,184
VT Cases:779
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