My husband is on W&W for CLL, though he may start treatment soon. Well, he had a heavy cold (as did I) and though it lingered abit we weren’t too concerned. Was still coughing up green mucus abit but he wasn’t concerned (I was and told him but … well, he felt better he said) Day before Christmas Eve he said he felt alot better and was finally on the up! Even had a whiskey! Christmas Eve started fine; prepared food, listened to music etc then went to Christmas Mass. At this point all Jon felt was aching across his shoulders. Still felt on the up though. We got back and he was shivering as I put some pain relief gel on his shoulders. And I mean SHIVERING! I actually thought he was messing about. The upshot: within the next hour, vomiting, raging fever, blue tinge around lips and oxygen at 91% (thank goodness I bought an oximeter for home during Covid). Rang 111 and they sent an ambulance straight away (they were thinking ?sepsis) Got to Resus and the medical staff immediately filled him with antibiotics, fluids and just about everything else I think! Turns out it was pneumococcal pneumonia. He came home a couple of days ago with doctors orders to rest for 6 weeks. He hadn’t had his last pneumonia vaccine as it was due during Covid. He was planning on getting it after Christmas. The pneumonia got him first! How blasé we were. He’s doing well now but IT BECAME SERIOUS SO QUICKLY. So my advice for what it’s worth is this: Buy an oximeter, keep up to date with vaccines; and don’t ignore the warning signs. Oh and if your lips start to turn blue you may want to be just a little ALARMED! Happy Christmas to all and a healthy 2024.
PS. The staff were all fantastic. We even had a visit from two gorgeous therapy dogs on Christmas Day in the Resus Room. God Bless the NHS!
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Tpdnotts
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Thank you yes but that was at 7.30 am and my two cats usually decide to lie on top of me during the night and they are so comfortable I don’t like to disturb them. Also it’s cold, dark and raining here.
I am just curious, did any healthcare personnel tell you anything about colored sputum? I always thought clear sputum is the only type to not be alarmed about but once the sputum has a color, then you suspect its a bacterial (viral) infection, no?
And I do see since Covid hit the scene that infections move lightning fast these days. Glad to hear that he is on the mend. In NYC 5 Hospitals have reintroduced mask mandates because since Thanksgiving hospitals are filling up & they have remained understaffed since Covid.
I knew in advance that green sputum was a concern but since Jon felt so well he wasn’t concerned. So in future if it’s not clear sputum we’ll be acting faster. I just can’t believe how fast he deteriorated. It’s been a lesson learned! One of the nurses told us that at present it’s as many with flu as Covid in hospital at the moment. Masks are being worn but very casually. They did test him for flu, RSV and Covid which all came back negative. Because CLL was mentioned I do feel they tried to be extra vigilant, but there’s just no risk free environment is there?
No there isn’t a complete risk free environment & I am honestly just paranoid. Having Covid 1X was just too many for me. I stay double masked & its has just become so normal for me. I live alone & have the luxury of feeling safe in that perspective. I wasn’t throwing shade either but just curious of what other CLLers have been told. I have to even caution doctors to put on a mask if they plan on coming within 6 feet of me, when they clearly see me sitting there double mask. I don’t play about me or allow anyone else to either. If you enter my home or car, you’ll need to be masked & I mean KN95 or better. NYC was the epicenter for Covid, so I still operate like that for the most part… #GODSPEED🙏🏾
You’ve got a good practice of caution that reassures you somewhat and that’s all that matters. Jon’s had Covid twice, had antivirals and recovered quickly and very well. This episode has been far worse! But onwards and upwards. I am so grateful I could be with him while he was so ill. During the early Covid days he would have been alone…
Yes indeed my anxiety is a big guide for me. I don’t preach to people anymore because that causes arguments but I am firm with my boundaries. I am testing my boundaries & moving outside my comfort zone slowly but surely. I need work done in my home & in the heart of Covid I just went without those necessary repairs. I have had 3 sets of people in my home recently & supplied the KN95 mask with no problems.
Infectious Disease told me to be careful with any mold/mildew or fungi so I just had the bathroom Grounted & Caulked. She also said to be masked if gardening & when I got the Upper Respiratory Infection Symptoms it was after the Farmers Market. I stayed double masked outside & it had shooked my sense of security but then I remembered many of the produce I brought home had dirt on them. That might have triggered my symptoms in hindsight 🤔Again many people in my childhood took me to be a cop or lawyer so detective works does come easy because as an RN, its part of the job. We must piece together the stories we’re told to get a better sense of causation when dealing with patients.
Its a never ending job to take the best care of ourselves in this stage 4 treatment season if not in the W&W period🤷🏽♀️ I am unapologetic with my self care & that’s on periodt!!! 🤣😅😆🙃
Very caring lady . Good advice, thank you. . I am up to date with all my vacines including 2 does pneumonia, 2 doses non viral shingles vacine and flu. I bought Oximeter when i was first diagnoise and a good temperature thermometer. Agre things change rapidly. Wish your husband a speedy recovery x
All good advice... I had my pneumonia vax a long time ago - so long, in fact, that I asked my GP to do them at one point, only to be told that it had been done! Put it down to memory lapse after illness/treatment.
As for the NHS - a superb system sadly lacking in funds of late - it matters not what the system, you need to be lucky with the competence of the person who is dealing with your case. My wife got pneumonia, but it was only on her third visit to the GP (a different one to the incompetent 'misdiagnosing' guy) that she was correctly diagnosed and given the appropriate treatment. By this time, she'd been coughing for weeks and had cracked two ribs! She had also been much alarmed by the difficulty of catching her breath.
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