Not Again

I guess once you've been lucky enough to have Pneumonia, you're totally susceptible to having it again.
I was precisely so lucky to come down with Pneumonia right after my wedding shower.

I was also lucky enough to trudge around in my wedding gown having my bridals taken while:
A) I was hot and then cold, hot and then cold, back and forth, on and on
B) I was breaking into either a hot sweat or a cold sweat based on my temperature
C) I ached all over like someone had literally hit me with a bus and then reversed over my limp, lifeless body
D) I was wheezing like an 80 year old chain smoker, unable to catch my breath as I walked up and down the hills of Thanksgiving point in my heavy ass dress and wedding shoes, trying to get good shots.

Michelle, you got married in 2007, why are you bringing this up now?

Because I have a doctor's appointment today at 4:15 to hear that I'm on the verge of Pneumonia again.

Last time I didn't notice the signs. I just thought I was really tired at first. Then I thought that I was way out of shape because I couldn't go up 14 stairs without being completely winded and feeling like I was going to faint.

It wasn't until my chest felt like an elephant was sleeping on it that I realized I might want to go to the doctor. I seriously just thought I had a really bad cold with chest congestion. But no, the doctor listened to me breathe in, decided to take some x-rays and came back in the room and said "I can't believe you are even up walking. You're left lung is completely full and you only have 40% breathing capacity in your right lung."

I walked out of there with a prescription to some serious steroids and an inhaler. But the worst part? I started feeling crappy at my wedding shower (April 21st). I didn't go to the doctor until the middle of May. Yup, I walked around with my "cold" for almost a month before getting help.

Now that I can recognize the symptoms and warning signs (and now that I'm susceptible to Pneumonia again) I decided to not waste any time and go to the doctor. It started this weekend when I couldn't get warm. I literally had to take a scalding hot shower to warm up on one night because I couldn't get warm. Even cuddling up to my hubby, the human furnace, I couldn't get warm.

Then the lack of air started. My lungs feel weak. I'm wheezing (not coughing but wheezing, and yes, there's a difference). I don't feel like I can take a good solid deep breath, I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm tired... I started to contribute my lung issue to this crappy Salt Lake inversion (for those of you not in Utah, look it up, it's something awful and us lucky Utahns get to live with it every winter). But rather than make excuses, I decided I was going to be ahead of the game on this one.

I know I don't have all the symptoms, but I have enough of them. And I am NOT going to go through what I did last time round. Pneumonia knocked me flat on my ass and I was lucky that I got better in time for my wedding in June.

I KNOW! JUNE! Who gets pneumonia in the summer?

Anyway, I'm hoping for some good news at the doctor's visit today. I'm also hoping for something to help me breathe!