I have pneumonia (again)

August 21 was supposed to be a going out of town day.  It was a long weekend and yet,  I spent it dealing with my sickness.

Daughter brought eight of her finance staff to Las Casas de Acuzar in Bataan for a day treat.  My son attended a swimming party (despite the rain) at his friend’s new house.Husband played golf (despite the rain).  He felt a little guilty leaving me.

I went to Cardinal Santos Hospital and had a chest X-ray.  It was not a doctor’s order but I thought maybe I should have an x-ray.  How come I am not getting any better.   Anyway, it’s been a few years since I last had one.

It was the perfect time to do tests.  No long lines in all the departments.  The lab, radiology, etc, were empty.  I saw female employees doing selfies.

The Pope’s standee welcomed me at the empty hospital lobby.

I was not getting well. My husband wanted me to go back to the doctor but I didn’t have the energy to go that short distance. I felt weak to sit through the hour traffic and all the waiting at the doctor’s clinic.

Aug 21, 2015 Friday
I had a routine chest x-ray. I encountered a small difficulty. Every time the x-ray technician told me to hold my breath, I started coughing. I just couldn’t. My throat would react and I would burst out coughing. He managed to get a good shot.

Last night, at 8 pm, my left chest started throbbing. Stabbing pains that intensified to very painful throbs right inside my left breast. It didn’t subside. At 2 am, I thought I was having a heart attack. Edmund was snoring, the light in my daughter’s room was off. I didn’t want to wake them up. I called my son, he was playing chess online. He got so worried and wanted to bring me to the emergency room. He massaged my back, my left shoulder blade. He wanted to wake up his dad but I stopped him. I took Ponstan SF. Maybe the pain would subside.

I started calling my sister in the US but she couldn’t answer, she was in a meeting. I emailed my doctor kuya who’s in Sacramento and told him I have this severe chest pains which could be a heart attack. He replied if the pain is localized it could be chest wall pain (muscular). But if the pain radiates to my left arm, better to go to the ER to rule out a heart attack. It didn’t radiate naman and I was breathing right.
At this point, Edmund was awakened. He was so certain that it was only a muscular pain from my coughing. He started putting hot towel compress on my left breast. He alleged that after a few minutes, I started snoring. The throbbing pain was instantly reduced after the hot compress.

He told me to inform my kuya Junior and Len, and Doc Palafox that I was not having a heart attack, that I am okay na kasi daw para hindi mag-alala.

I must have felt relaxed because when I woke up, it was already 12:14 noon.

After a few minutes, my husband arrived. He was surprised to see that I have already taken a bath. I told him I am going to the doctor and get my x-ray results. He would accompany me daw. He assured me that the chest pain was only related to my coughing. Gusto ko lang daw pahawakan yung dede ko sa kanya kaya nagpalagay ako ng hot compress. Nakakahiya. May pagka exhibitionist naman talaga ako.

We got the X-ray results today and it showed I have pneumonia. Hmmm, this couldn’t be happening to me. This week has been very challenging, health wise. I had a bad week, dealing with my coughing, aches and pains, lack of sleep. I thought I was dying last night, ngayon naman I have pneumonia.

Doctor was not very convinced that I have pneumonia bec the x-ray only showed the front and didn’t take lateral view of my lungs. Just the same he gave me antibiotics and a new cough medicine. I should get well na because our doctor is traveling to London next weekend. Mahirap pag wala ang doctor.

This is my second bout with pneumonia. I was crying while waiting at the doctor’s clinic kasi nanenerbyos ako. My BP rose to 140/90. I tried to relax, then it went down to 130/80. Natatakot kasi ako.
Edmund’s acquaintance died a week ago of pneumonia, he was in his mid 50s. Athletic pa yun.

I don’t want to die yet. I still haven’t decided yet where I would be buried. I haven’t bought a memorial plan. I haven’t finished my tiny cottage house. I still want to buy ducks for our lot in Mahabang Parang, etc. Dami ko pang unfinished business.

*** Pneumonia is highly contagious. Stay away from me.  Keep distance.