For six hours in a Saint Luke's Hospital emergency room recently, Dakota Allen worried that he might become a fatal pneumonia statistic. He'd been coughing for weeks.
"I overlooked it," said the 20-year-old who works two jobs, one of them at Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City. "I thought it could be early flu.
"Then it just got to the point where I was coughing pretty regularly and I went to the CVS MinuteClinic. That's when I was first diagnosed with pneumonia."
Interesting yet alarming. Thank you for this.
I wish I'd read this a month or two ago! I too ignored the symptoms thinking it was the remnants of a chest infection. I almost left it too late....I am lucky to be here!
I nearly left mine too late too . It was my daughter who demanded I go to hospital and got one of her brothers to take me . It was really like an emergency with doctors and nurses running around doing all sorts. Scared my son out of his mind. So I thank my daughter I'm alive. We certainly need to be more proactive
So pleased this has been posted. Pnuemonia is so very underestimated. My Xmas was double puemonia and 2 heart attacks spent in Exeter Wonford. Back home now recovering. I was lucky this time it was bacterial pnuemonia where as 4 years ago it was viral pnuemonia and I ended up in ICU fr 19 days and almost died with respiratory failure. Problem is, how do we know when it is pnuemonia and not flu or even just a nasty cold?
I am not too sure how long I had it for, before being admitted to hospital, I suspect it was only a couple of days, my lungs are not exactly good with a FEV1 of 28% and I just knew it was not the standard chest infection with the amount of pain, the paramedics measured my blood oxygen as down to 84%. . All said and done, after treatment for both Bacterial Pneumonia and the start of Sepsis, I was discharged 60 hours later with a course of high dose statins, antibiotics and steroids. I was very lucky indeed. So much so, that 2 days later I went off on holiday for a week on a yacht and recovered very rapidly. Still, not something I would want to repeat.
How different that would have been had my lung function been higher and had left it for longer before seeking help I don't know, surely the Pneumonia and Sepsis would have gained a stronger foothold and been a lot more difficult to treat?
Hello..what is CVS Minute Clinic? Thanks 2greys, you always have GREAT info ! Janet127
I know what it is, do you? 
Me again after pneumonia.
What is it about stairs?
Have bronchiectasis - seeking help with coughing!
