So if you wake up coughing up mucous with blood...

[PeterPan]

It was 6-7 of my first waking up coughs, and it was frothy and pink. Then it went back down to dark mustard (no bright green, hasn't been bright green). I've been fighting what I think is a flu virus for a week now, had fevers for 4 days straight, and was starting to improve. It went into my lungs and I have asthma. I already had pneumonia twice this winter. I seemed to be getting better, energy was returning about 10% each day. However my lungs have stayed kind of full for lack of a better term, sort wheezing with exertion, and I'm breathless if I do the stairs. This morning I'm more fatigued and I was panting just with level walking. 

The coughing is now back down to no blood, but I don't think it's from as deep. I called the pulmonologist office and they have a doctor on call. I guess I'm reading all this and wondering why I'm not using my inhaler. It hasn't felt like I needed the albuterol. It's different somehow. It's more like there's stuff in there, if that makes sense. I did a couple albuterol early, and I did my stronger inhaler (arnuity) one day which seemed to help the cough.

Ok, now I'm feeling dumb. My peak flow is now 400, which might be good to some people but is really low to me. Normally I'm around 530. Now wonder I feel like junk. But my brain is getting so fuzzy I can't sort it out. The other two times this winter, I used my inhaler like crazy and still got pneumonia. That's why I wasn't bothering this time. So my breathing is down more than 20%, which explains why I'm panting. It just feels like there's mucus hanging in the bottom of my lungs. It doesn't HURT like the pneumonia did. And I don't want to be on an antibiotic again. Would doing the arnuity (steroid) inhaler make it worse and make it infected?

I think I may be a mess. 

[PeterPan]

I could go use the arnuity and see if it responds. Or arnuity and the albuterol.

[PeterPan]

It had gone down to 380 while I was writing that and went up to 420 with the albuterol. That's still a solid 20% low for me. I'll put in the call to the pulm. I just didn't want to be on an antibiotic again, but I'm concerned. Thanks for the push texas. I'll call. I actually didn't leave a message before, which must have meant I wasn't thinking clearly, mercy.

[PeterPan]

Well that was just about not helpful. The option said they had a doctor on call, but there's no doctor on call. They just took my name to forward it to the office on Monday.

So I can go to Urgent Care this morning, or stay home and hope it improves. I don't actually know what's wrong even. I'm pretty sure I don't like how I feel though. I may check the hours and go in. I feel like an idiot. I could have called the pulm all week when I was so sick and I didn't. I thought I was getting better.

[PeterPan]

I'm dressed and going.

[Annie G]

Hope you feel better. Glad you’re going in to be seen. 

[school17777]

Glad you are going.

[PeterPan]

Well I'm still at home, sigh. People were taking a long time to wake up to take me. My breathing is going back up, which is helping me feel better. It's up to 460 now on two separate readings, which is a lot better than the 380 I was at. So I look like I'm improving, not like walking death.

I think the blood can be from the bronchitis. I'm pretty sure this cough is bronchitis. So if I take my arnuity and albuterol and can keep my breathing under control and I rest, the only thing the clinic could add would be prednisone. As long as it's viral bronchitis, I don't need an antibiotic. 

But yeah, that was scary that my breathing went so low overnight. That wasn't cool. 

I'm gonna shower and keep taking readings. As long as they're going UP we're cool. That 380 was bad, because that was almost 30% low for me. Now I'm at 15% low and going up. I'm at least safe. I'll keep watching it. I didn't realize it had gone so low, and when it was that low I wasn't thinking clearly to problem solve. But now I know.

[Storygirl]

PeterPan, I'm sorry you aren't feeling well. I think it would be best if you see a doctor, so I hope someone is available to take you to Urgent Care soon.

[El...]

I really still think you should go in.  I hope you feel better soon!

[PeterPan]

Story-Yeah the bummer is I probably need some prednisone or something to get over this. It's a bummer, because my pulm would just call it in, where I'll have to pay $90 to go to UC.

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, elroisees said:

I really still think you should go in.  I hope you feel better soon!

I'm taking care of my ds right now, doing his morning routine (brushing, vitamins, etc.). I'm well enough now to drive myself. But basically I'd be paying $90 for them to give me a prednisone scrip and make sure they think it's bronchitis and nothing else. Each pneumonia this winter felt different, so I could be terrible at guessing. But once I get my ds through his morning routine (which he's balking about because he's sick and just so fun, rather ODD and ASD), then I have options.

[Katy]

Froth and struggling to breathe would be an emergency room situation to me.

How have they diagnosed the type of pneumonia?  Were they guessing or were there labs involved?

Do you have risk factors for lung cancer?   Chemical exposure, smoking, family history?  Have they done a biopsy to rule that out?

[PeterPan]

Katy, the pneumonia was two other times this winter. I have asthma, and I call into the pulmonologist. They sort if out and diagnose and treat pretty aggressively, because they don't want it going on. I thought this time I was beating it, and I think (just me) that the flu when to bronchitis in my lungs. Apparently the blood is a common symptom with bronchitis. I don't have a reason to think there's lung cancer. I've been seen by the pulm multiple times including within the last 6 months. I think the mucus pooled in my lungs overnight and my lungs got overwhelmed.

I'm eating now and can go retest. UC will be open till 5 and open again tomorrow, so I'm not without options. I'm well enough to drive myself. I was almost having panic attacks before because my breathing was so low. Now I'm safer and stable, so it's more just whether I want that scrip. The pulm office will call me Monday, and they'll write scrips if I don't get them before then. 

The other bummer is UC will want xrays (more money), where the pulm sorts it out without. It's the stupid money thing, sigh. But no, definitely no reason to think this is lung cancer or something. It's directly stemming from waking up with my lungs filled with mucus from a week of coughing. I want to redo my temps and see how they are. I went off all my thyroid supps so it makes it harder to tell. They always want to know, sigh. UC can be a nurse practitioner, where with my pulm that's all they do. The pulm office will ask subtle questions and sort it out and sometimes UC is more just make it enough better so you don't keel over. I don't know.

[PeterPan]

Ok, I'm hitting 480 now. That's really good, because that's edging within 10% of my target peak flow (530-540). I think the Arnuity is definitely helping. It's slower-acting, so that's probably helping it slowly creep back up. I haven't had any blood since the first hour this morning. I'll keep watching it.

Thanks ladies!

[Kanin]

Yikes, I hope you feel better soon! I would be nervous to wait on the urgent care, in case things get worse after 5pm (that always happens to me).

[gardenmom5]

the fact there was any blood - and you've had pneumonia twice this winter - I'd go in.

[Lecka]

It sounds like you might have a cycle where you get worse at night and then better in the day, so every day it seems better through the day.  

Well — it seems that last night it got quite bad.  It’s good things are better in the day, but what about tonight?

I think you should be proactive and go today, and tell them how it was this morning, and how it has been for the past week.

Its frustrating to have to pay on the weekend, but it can be cheaper to go ahead and catch things earlier, and also, it is your health, and that is very important.

Because it’s good you feel better now, but what about tonight?  I think it would be good to go ahead and go before 5:00 and then you don’t have to worry about going downhill in the evening or while you are sleeping, and then they’re closed.  

[Katy]

If you're at the point where you're having a panic attack because you cannot breathe you need to go to the ER.

 

ETA: People die of undiagnosed pneumonia tall the time.  Not being able to breathe is something an ER will admit you for. It can go from panic to dead way too quickly to delay getting medical attention. Hemoptysis can make you choke to death very quickly. And I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, lung cancer is something biopsied for after multiple rounds of pneumonia.  This is not something to dismiss as merely asthma, which in and of itself can kill.  The froth is particularly concerning.  Go to the ER the very next time it gets bad, which given the cycle you're describing will be tonight.

[ktgrok]

If your child was coughing up blood and having moments panic from trying to catch their breath and panting from walking down the hall you'd take them to the doctor, right? 

Honestly, if it gets worse I'd go to the ER not urgent care. 

Even if it is "just" asthma, people DIE from asthma. It can get worse suddenly and be too late. 

[Lecka]

Keep in mind too, it’s not either/or for going to urgent care, the emergency room, or the pulmonologist. 

Whatever happens this weekend, you can still follow up with the pulmonologist this weekend and tell the office that you went in.

That would be a common thing to do, so you don’t have to pick one thing. 

I think you might ask your pulmonologist for guidelines, for the future, for what warrants going to the UC or ER.  They aren’t always going to just write you a scrip.  Sometimes they might even talk to you on the phone and tell you to go to the ER.

Its too bad they didn’t talk to you about that and didn’t actually have a doctor on call, but you can still go to UC or ER and then talk to them on Monday.  

 

[PeterPan]

I'm at the UC. At least if I'm going to die overnight I'll have asked.

[PeterPan]

Antibiotics and prednisone. "Let's not mess around." Apparently it was pretty obvious to the doc.

[samba]

So glad you went in and got started on meds. "Let's not mess around" is right! Lots of people need you...here on WTM and probably a bit at home too. ?

[Carol in Cal.]

I've had asthma my whole life, two ER visits, bronchitis a few times, pneumonia when I was little, nasty stuff--and NEVER have a coughed up blood.  That is some scary stuff (you can imagine what word I wanted to use), and although I had to be convinced to go to the ER the first time, had there been blood on the hand I was coughing on I would have been in there lickety split.

[PeterPan]

19 minutes ago, texasmom33 said:

Glad you went. Hope you feel better soon. Can you make sure someone checks on you in person tonight and in the morning? 

My dd is here and my dh will be returning from a wedding in a few hours. (I obviously couldn't go, lol.) Of course they're sorta worthless on health. I have my meter though, and the UC will probably call at some point. They often do follow up. I'd be surprised if they didn't call me tomorrow morning to check on me. 

I would think I should be stable from this point on. That's why I didn't wait, because I really felt like that was an important point that any worse overnight could be incredibly dangerous quickly. The Arnuity is a preventative inhaler, 24 hours, so that should keep me stable too. As long as I keep doing that, along with the new meds, I would think I'd be fine. 

It's a really good question on the lung cancer thing. I dunno. Obviously things happen. I have significant stress correlating with the start of the asthma, and this bronchitis is from another round of that stress. Like literally I went to the high stakes, high stress meeting, got exposed (I know who there was sick, grr), and came home fighting it. The pulm put a lot of stock in high stress making the asthma worse. That's why we're hoping, now that those problems have turned and are improving, that the effect on my health my improve, sigh.

[PeterPan]

3 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I've had asthma my whole life, two ER visits, bronchitis a few times, pneumonia when I was little, nasty stuff--and NEVER have a coughed up blood.  That is some scary stuff (you can imagine what word I wanted to use), and although I had to be convinced to go to the ER the first time, had there been blood on the hand I was coughing on I would have been in there lickety split.

Well that may explain it, lol. The UC sorta gave me the princess treatment, being extra nice, telling me to get rest, asking me if I wanted anything else, etc. I read online the blood with bronchitis thing was common, but then when you actually talk with people it doesn't seem very common. And I think her let's not mess around meant that, that THEY didn't want it to keep happening but were gonna be aggressive. Well that and I sorta told them that I had talked with my friends on a homeschool board and that the friends had told me I was gonna DIE if I didn't get treatment and that I had come to make sure. 

[ktgrok]

Given your history you may want to purchase a pulse oximeter. The flow meter says if air is moving in and out but not if the oxygen in it is being absorbed. 

[Another Lynn]

1 hour ago, Ktgrok said:

Given your history you may want to purchase a pulse oximeter. The flow meter says if air is moving in and out but not if the oxygen in it is being absorbed. 

Yes!  Not expensive either.  We got one for my Dad after he had pneumonia last winter and it is great peace of mind!  

[Ottakee]

I agree you need a oximeter and a treatment plan.  Are you not on the preventative med daily year round?  They can take days to weeks to be fully effective.

We have treatment plans, oximeter, stethoscope, symbicort, Albuterol, combivent, nebulizer, and steroids all on hand here.

[PeterPan]

I think the issue is probably me. This pulm doesn't do plans like that or give out scrips ahead, seems like, but they do have very good nurses when you call. It's just that every time I call I get put on an antibiotic, sigh. So I sort of put off calling. I knew mid-week it was probably bronchitis, and if I had been thinking straight, which clearly I wasn't, I would have realized they could have given me prednisone for the bronchitis, maybe saving it from getting this bad. But I didn't call, because I didn't want to hear antibiotics, sigh. So by the time I asked for help, the antibiotics were inevitable. And that's my fault, kwim? I could have called. I knew it was probably bronchitis. I just thought I was getting better. I actually was. Then boom I was in big trouble. 

So I don't know. People keep talking about their plans with the pulms, and this guy is different. I would have to try another doc, which feels like it has its own complications, sigh. He hasn't really bugged me or interfered or been hard to work with otherwise. Some docs are kind of controlling or have a litany of things they push. He hasn't done that. I don't even keep a GP or see an OB. I haven't been to a doctor, other than for this stuff, in over 15 years, and yes that includes childbirth. I take my kids to docs, psychs, all kinds of people, and I totally skip them myself. Guess it's a mortal flaw. 

So I don't know that I'd find someone better or different just because I tried someone else. I already drive 35 minutes for this guy. Our small town had a whopping ONE when I started. So I'm already going to a hospital in the big city. They make everything easy, calling it in, and their appointments are always on-time. Fwiw much of the year I don't need to do much for my asthma. I'm usually like once a month, once every other month, on my albuterol. I mainly work on keeping my house clean (dog, dust), taking C, and taking the Zyrtec. It seems directly connected to times of intense stress, and the doc could tell that. He's more wanted to see if we could keep it under control and then go down all the rabbit trails (allergies, etc.) if basic methods weren't enough. So far they have been except that now I'm prone to going to pneumonia or bronchitis every time I get a bug. And I'm not sure how we fix that.

[PeterPan]

7 minutes ago, Another Lynn said:

Yes!  Not expensive either.  We got one for my Dad after he had pneumonia last winter and it is great peace of mind!  

I can look on amazon. My oxygen numbers were not terrible, even with my first (really really bad) round of pneumonia a couple years ago, so I never bothered. It seems like it would be more trivia, but we could see.

Just now, Ottakee said:

I agree you need a oximeter and a treatment plan.  Are you not on the preventative med daily year round?  They can take days to weeks to be fully effective.

We have treatment plans, oximeter, stethoscope, symbicort, Albuterol, combivent, nebulizer, and steroids all on hand here.

Thing is, my breathing is FINE most of the time now. I hadn't even needed my albuterol in several months and I was off the Arnuity and fine, stable, doing great. I had a horribly stressful IEP meeting (talking with lawyers, bring in 3 layers of experts, the works, TONS of $$$$$$$ on the line), and that's when this happened. It wasn't just out of the blue. The arnuity gives me headaches, so I can't be on it all the time unless I have to.

Are you saying I should be on the Arnuity just year-round to prevent them from so easily going to bronchitis/pneumonia? But it gives me headaches. Ugh. I don't know. 

[PeterPan]

Ok, so I ordered a pulse oximeter. We'll learn something from it, I'm sure. Don't know what, but we'll compare numbers and learn something. It may be that sometimes my O2 is low when my air flow seems fine or vice versa, dunno.

Then they had ads for temporal thermometers. The clinic had these. Do they work? Is there a good one? That could make my life simpler. I would love to be able to check ds more simple (and myself). Every time this stuff happens they want to know if I'm running a fever. I'd love to be able to swipe one on my forehead if it actually worked.

I can ask around about the doc thing. I don't know. It's clearly a personal failing that I haven't tried, an intransigence. It's not his fault I didn't call, kwim? They were there and I just didn't call, which is my anxiety, my issue.

I think the fever is back, grrr. When I tried to rest earlier my lungs got gunky, so I think y'all were right that I was looking at a bad morning tomorrow without some help. 

[Ottakee]

If the inhaler gives you headaches have you tried other ones?  There are several options.

Do you also have seasonal allergies?  I know the counts are sky high here.  For my DD her triggers are mostly viral infections. At the FIRST sign of a cough, sniffle, lowered peek flow, etc we start up her symbicort and nasal spray if not already on them.  We monitor closely.

  

[PeterPan]

6 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

If the inhaler gives you headaches have you tried other ones?  There are several options.

Do you also have seasonal allergies?  I know the counts are sky high here.  For my DD her triggers are mostly viral infections. At the FIRST sign of a cough, sniffle, lowered peek flow, etc we start up her symbicort and nasal spray if not already on them.  We monitor closely.

  

Yeah, I think it creeped up on me, sigh. Like I just forgot. Like you're right that if I had the brilliant things written down that I already knew to do, I could have done them. In my defense, I really was terribly sick as soon as it started, and the outcome is the same as when I've taken the inhalers and everything. I still ended up on an antibiotic, sigh. But I've been taking the zyrtec for a few weeks, yes. I knew I was having some spring allergy problems. The pollen is high right now.

So what I could do is start a running list myself. I tend to forget things honestly. Like I really seriously forget things. But I could put the list in my drawer with my inhalers, and then it would be there, bold as brass, saying what to do. I wouldn't have to wait for a doctor to make that, because I now know enough. I could just write it out so I don't forget.

On the headaches, my dd was telling me to pair glutathione with these wicked things. The Zyrtec gives me headaches too. I'm just really sensitive. With the glutathione, I do ok, so I thought that was a good plan. My liver is probably the cause, so probably any alternative would give me headaches as well. The glutathione will probably work. I had been taking it with the zyrtec and it was helping. I ran out this week but ordered more today.

[ktgrok]

Asthmatic bronchitis is what I used to get (outgrew it, thankfully). Which meant every time I had a cold it turned into bronchitis and wheezing, etc. Sounds similar to you. I didn't need preventatives, but when I got a cold at the first sign of tightness or a cough I went on a study dose of prednisone, plus inhaler. The theory at the time was hit it hard, hit it fast, then get off the meds quickly. So we'd do high doses of steroids just for a few days at most, then wean off quickly, and it worked well. You are jumping on this WAY WAY WAY too late. As the FIRST hint of anything in your lungs at all.the first tickle of a cough, you need to be throwing the big guns at this. Then it won't get so bad. But once you have the swelling and mucous of the asthmatic bronchitis reaction, the bacteria just LOVE to live in that crud that is sitting there, and yeah, then you need antibiotics. 

Also, you need to accept you may need antibiotics more often than the normal person. All things being equal, not taking antibiotics too often is a good thing. BUT...all things are not equal here. And each round of pneumonia may be damaging your lungs and setting you up for future events more easily. 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

Yeah, I think it creeped up on me, sigh. Like I just forgot. Like you're right that if I had the brilliant things written down that I already knew to do, I could have done them. In my defense, I really was terribly sick as soon as it started, and the outcome is the same as when I've taken the inhalers and everything. I still ended up on an antibiotic, sigh. But I've been taking the zyrtec for a few weeks, yes. I knew I was having some spring allergy problems. The pollen is high right now.

So what I could do is start a running list myself. I tend to forget things honestly. Like I really seriously forget things. But I could put the list in my drawer with my inhalers, and then it would be there, bold as brass, saying what to do. I wouldn't have to wait for a doctor to make that, because I now know enough. I could just write it out so I don't forget.

You probably need to take the preventative inhaler whenever you need the zyrtec.

[PeterPan]

4 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Asthmatic bronchitis is what I used to get (outgrew it, thankfully). Which meant every time I had a cold it turned into bronchitis and wheezing, etc. Sounds similar to you. I didn't need preventatives, but when I got a cold at the first sign of tightness or a cough I went on a study dose of prednisone, plus inhaler. The theory at the time was hit it hard, hit it fast, then get off the meds quickly. So we'd do high doses of steroids just for a few days at most, then wean off quickly, and it worked well. You are jumping on this WAY WAY WAY too late. As the FIRST hint of anything in your lungs at all.the first tickle of a cough, you need to be throwing the big guns at this. Then it won't get so bad. But once you have the swelling and mucous of the asthmatic bronchitis reaction, the bacteria just LOVE to live in that crud that is sitting there, and yeah, then you need antibiotics. 

Also, you need to accept you may need antibiotics more often than the normal person. All things being equal, not taking antibiotics too often is a good thing. BUT...all things are not equal here. And each round of pneumonia may be damaging your lungs and setting you up for future events more easily. 

Ok so I'm writing out the flow chart to put with my inhalers.

-any sore throat-Arnuity + glutathione

-any cough-call for prednisone immediately

Because, yes, you're right. As soon as that cough settles in, it's over. I had really bad pneumonia the very first time, because I didn't realize what was happening. I'm super hypo-sensitve for sensory. I had no, no clue how sick I was till I lay on my bed with an OMG I'm going to die here moment. And my family wasn't taking me in either. It's crazy.

So anyways, I'm writing the flow chart and that's as far as I got. Anything else?

[PeterPan]

4 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

You probably need to take the preventative inhaler whenever you need the zyrtec.

Ohhhhh. See me having a moment here. Sorta seems obvious when you put it that way.

[PeterPan]

And really, the doc had said they'd be aggressive. It's just with my screwy brain, I wasn't calling. I didn't want antibiotics, so I wan't calling. 

So I've got the 

-any sore throat

-any cough

-any allergies needing zyrtec

Are there more scenarios for my if-then page? Some of it I have down pat. I already know how to get pneumonia, lol. Don't need any charts for that. And for the treatment moments where it's low, that's just obvious stuff (meter, albuterol, meter, blah blah). It's more just the viral stuff that gets me. Would it be good to call BEFORE it goes into my lungs? I mean, honestly, I was so doggone sick, SO sick, it was totally obvious it was going to go into my lungs. You could tell that last Saturday night when it started. I was having horrible fevers, body pain. This was never going to be just a sniffle and move on. This was a dragged out war. So should I have called when it was in my sinuses, like before it ever migrated to my lungs?? Or just when it went to my lungs? 

Cuz really, he'll do anything. I just have to pick up the phone and ask, and it's realizing WHEN to ask. Which, you're right, for me means a stupid flow chart, lol.

Ok, seems to me my chart should say -any viral exposure while under severe stress---> immediate call. Because that's the difference. I kicked a virus a few months ago when I wasn't stressed. But this time I did all the same stuff but just with way more stress on my system. The prednisone could have made up the gap.

[PeterPan]

Yeah, sigh, I hear you. I think I had been having mild asthma for years on and off without realizing it and then that really bad first pneumonia did that damage. Now it's just bam and it's there.

He's kinda middle of the road on the preventative for me. He wanted me to try Singulair, and that has SO many psychiatric side effects I decided that was an utter no go, not going there.  The Arnuity is actually one step up on the chart and he would be happy to see me down a step. So he's ok with the Arnuity, but the tier with Singulair is lower and where he thought I could be. I want to try pairing the Arnuity with the glutathione and see if that lets me use it without the headaches. Thanks for the explanation on the antibiotics. I read something about repeated use leading to cancer, so I was trying to be careful. Unfortunately, I'm only 41, meaning I've got a lotta lung years left here, sigh. It's really not cool.

I guess we'll see. They were getting more pooly when I tried to lie down in the recliner. I don't know if staying up with HELP or if it's better to just rest and let it roll. Don't know.

I don't think, objectively, I needed antibiotics before today. Today was the day I went from improving each day to precipitous decline. Or are you saying he would have done even the antibiotics earlier if I had called?? How would he have known if I was improving? I had the cough, but it was clearly in the bronchitis realm. I don't know. I agree I should have been on the arnuity weeks ago when I realized. But I've got it written out now on paper and it can go in my drawer or I can even copy it for multiple places so we know the plan.

[PeterPan]

The doc's office will probably call me Monday morning. They're very good about things. I left a message with the nurse line, so they'll doubtless call. That will be 48 hours on the meds, so hopefully it will be settling down by then. I'm definitely glad I went. I was really afraid for where I'd have been on Monday without going, sigh. I was just too worn down.

[PeterPan]

I'm going to send my action plan to a friend so she can remind me I have one next time I say I'm getting sick. 

[Ottakee]

I would also ask your pulmonologist to review/tweak your plan.  He/she really should have a personalized plan for you.

[Lecka]

I think you need to make a follow-up appointment with your pulmonologist and make sure he knows what happened this weekend.  Or talk to the receptionist, and see if they recommend you come in.  

All the other ideas sound wonderful, too, but you still need to make sure your pulmonologist is aware of what is going on.  

Is it possible for anyone to go with you?  Maybe they could help you to advocate for a plan.  Or maybe you can say you need a plan, for how to respond to some symptoms. 

It is very reasonable to ask for it.  

 

[Lecka]

I think also if it seems to have a connection to seasonal allergies, you can put an alert on your phone now for next year, to remind you of steps to take next year, so you can try to notice any symptoms.

I think also you might feel emotional/stress symptoms if you aren’t quite noticing physical symptoms.  You can write a note that if you are having some emotional/stress symptoms, that may be how you are aware of some physical symptoms.  

I think try to think of how you felt in the past few days, and how you would recognize that again, because I think it’s likely you have had some symptoms prior to this morning, and you can think about what your symptoms *were* and how they registered with you, and if you need to think of some feelings you thought were in the “fine” range, as not so fine, but leading up to you being sick this morning.  

Edit: however you were doing last week, it was how you were doing leading up to this morning — it is good to recognize that if it comes up again.  

[PeterPan]

27 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I would also ask your pulmonologist to review/tweak your plan.  He/she really should have a personalized plan for you.

Oh there's a good point. 

7 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I think you need to make a follow-up appointment with your pulmonologist and make sure he knows what happened this weekend.  Or talk to the receptionist, and see if they recommend you come in.  

All the other ideas sound wonderful, too, but you still need to make sure your pulmonologist is aware of what is going on.  

Is it possible for anyone to go with you?  Maybe they could help you to advocate for a plan.  Or maybe you can say you need a plan, for how to respond to some symptoms. 

It is very reasonable to ask for it.  

 

I'm sure it will depend on whether the blood in the mucous stops. If it continues, they'll doubtless have my butt in there.

[ktgrok]

You read antibiotics MIGHT be linked maybe to problems down the road sometimes in some people.

vs

Pneumonia is DEFINITELY bad for you and can even be fatal.

You need to treat what you know is the immediate health risk not the future possibility of a risk

 

 

[PeterPan]

13 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I think also if it seems to have a connection to seasonal allergies, you can put an alert on your phone now for next year, to remind you of steps to take next year, so you can try to notice any symptoms.

I think also you might feel emotional/stress symptoms if you aren’t quite noticing physical symptoms.  You can write a note that if you are having some emotional/stress symptoms, that may be how you are aware of some physical symptoms.  

I think try to think of how you felt in the past few days, and how you would recognize that again, because I think it’s likely you have had some symptoms prior to this morning, and you can think about what your symptoms *were* and how they registered with you, and if you need to think of some feelings you thought were in the “fine” range, as not so fine, but leading up to you being sick this morning.  

Edit: however you were doing last week, it was how you were doing leading up to this morning — it is good to recognize that if it comes up again.  

Now that's an interesting idea. I'm all about anything I can put on my phone, mercy. I'll have to chew on that and come up with something. The flu season starts in the fall, so I could put in monthly reminders or something. I could put in spring reminders about zyrtec and adding arnuity if I'm taking zyrtec, etc. That would be layers of protection.

I had some odd symptoms that I think were connected, but I'm still mulling it. I had some odd repetitive behaviors pop up that I thought I had pretty tamped down. I don't really have an explanation for that, and it was later in the week, as the bronchitis was increasing. The fevers were decreasing and the bronchitis and the repetitive behaviors increased. I don't know why. I thought I'd just watch it for patterns next time. It might be my body was signaling the physiological stress of the illness, don't know. The emotional stress was in the weeks before the virus exposure, so at that point it was too late, sigh. But I put on my written plan any viral exposure when under stress, call for prednisone. Basically I'm that much more likely to be sick that I might as well just. By the time I actually did it, it would be obvious I was getting sick and needed it. 

Fwiw, I did last longer here. It doesn't sound like much, but it took a whole week to convert to death march. Last fall, I had an exposure where I went from exposure to a virus to pneumonia in a weekend, Friday to Monday morning. For real. I was that susceptible. So we've made tons of progress, considering how bad this bug was, considering how long I lasted. And getting that stressful stuff improved is helping I think. I think it will improve it a bit. Like not gone, but that was just really freaky to be converting to pneumonia so fast. This is better, because now I actually can have a plan and hope the steps might slow it down and catch it.

[PeterPan]

5 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

You read antibiotics MIGHT be linked maybe to problems down the road sometimes in some people.

vs

Pneumonia is DEFINITELY bad for you and can even be fatal.

You need to treat what you know is the immediate health risk not the future possibility of a risk

 

 

Yeah, it's not a laughing matter, but you're right, lol.

That's why I was open to going this morning, because I was having that sense that if I laid down with this, I was gonna be sinking in to the death march by Monday. I could tell. I didn't have that all week. I mean, do you? It was literally a shift overnight from not pretty to wow you're that close to having this go crazy south crazy fast. I've assumed it's when it actually turns to infection.