Pneumonia +

[AdeV]

I'd hoped, by now, to be working on some new project, after the marathon that was the sump.... but, as it happens, I ended up spending Christmas & New Year in hospital again, as my pneumonia came back with a vengeance. Essentially, I ended up with a ball of infection between my lung & chest wall (in the "pleural sac" as it's called) approximately the size of my heart. To clear this, I had to have a chest drain fitted, and it had to go through my back - which meant spending 2 weeks sleeping in one position & I couldn't sit back against anything. In all, they drained 750ml of infected material, and I ended up with a hole in my lung where the infection had burrowed through. That took another week to heal. I now glow in the dark thanks to the number of X-rays I had taken, and I went through 2 CT scans which were entertaining in their own unique way. No MRI, though, so I don't have the complete set yet.

I tell you all of this not because I'm looking for sympathy - I'm now 100% cured and once I've rebuilt my strength a bit I'll be back at the machines - but because there's a lesson to be learned here.... I was feeling pretty crook for over 2 weeks before I went to see my doctor. So for 2 weeks the infection had free reign to grow. However, here's the thing, I didn't feel _that_ bad, just lethargic, a bit weak, and no appetite.

So the lesson is, if you're feeling a "bit" unwell, and it persists for more than a few days, even if you're not sure what it is or you don't think the symptoms warrant it, for goodness sakes get to your doctor! Had I got down there early enough - instead of waiting for a couple of weeks - I'd have probably been put on a course of antibiotics & would not have had to spend Christmas day in a hospital bed...

On the other hand, between November (1st pneumonia) and now, I've shed over 4 stone of weight. According to all the BMI calculators, I used to be "obese", now I am merely "overweight". So that's an unexpected bonus...

The final irony is, I've been given an immunisation jab against Streptococcus pneumoniae aka pneumococcus - but the bug that caused my problems was Streptococcus Intermedius, which of course I wasn't immune to. Typical...

[andyf]

Sorry you have had such a rough time, Ade, but glad you are well on the way to full recovery.

I could do with losing a stone or two, but with less drama. Four stones is a lot of weight to lose in two months. For the benefit of our friends overseas, there are 14 pounds in a stone, so that's 56lbs or about 25kg.

Andy

[philf]

Ade,

I'm glad you have recovered and second your remarks about getting something looked at sooner rather than later.

In Dec 2008 I lost a cousin to pneumonia - he was only 36 and was mega fit. He had gone to a drop in surgery feeling quite unwell and they sent him home telling him to keep warm. A day later he was an emergency admission to hospital and another day later he died in a helicopter when they were trying to air lift him to Leicester where they had a specialist unit where they were going to try to get more oxygen into his blood.

It's not just the aged and infirm for whom pneumonia is dangerous.

Cheers.

Phil.

[DaveH]

Ade,

Glad you're well on your way to a full recovery, you just need to be carefull for the next few weeks or so.

Best wishes
 
DaveH

[PTsideshow]

Hope you have a speedy recovery!       

[Fergus OMore]

I'm sorry that you have had such a rough time but can I make plea to the rest of you? Or could I make two pleas?
First , the Christmas cards have come and gone- and been read and with many heart aches. Several of our friends have sent their last card.
Many are somewhere in that spot where prostate cancer has been diagnosed and at a point where things have been left until it is too late to do anything about it. I know that it means 'fingers up bums' and how unpleasant and emotional that is but it has to be done. One in four of us males will get clobbered but for many, it can be tackled if early enough.

Again, one of my mates is pushing hard for recognition  for bowel cancer and to warn those- at the first sign of blood to seek medical advice.

OK, fellas, but we do wear our cancer symbol on our Square and Compasses badge and we do chuck our coins into the pot so that some poor so and so is going to get- a longer quality of life. That is our choice but for the rest of you, please think of your families- and what can, we hope, be avoided.

Thank you for the opportunity to mention the grisly facts of getting middle aged- and for some of us, downright ancient.

Get Well, Ade- and let us think about the rest of the nasty things which are just around the corner.

[AdeV]

Fergus - absolutely agreed about the bowel cancer thing. A friend's brother - who is in his early 50s - had a lucky escape when he was in hospital with some other inconvenience, he was put onto Warfarin to reduce the chances of blood clots which caused his bowel to start bleeding - as a result, a scan discovered a polyp of cancer the size of a grapefruit...

He has since had it removed and has made a full recovery. I suspect he was also lucky that the cancer was entirely self-contained and hadn't metastasized.

Thanks to everyone for your good wishes - although, as I say, I am now totally cured, I just need to overcome the effects of spending 3 weeks in bed.... i.e. severe laziness 

[Stilldrillin]

Talking of bowel blood test wotsit.
My Crumblie's test kit arrived two days before Christmas. Now the postal rush is over, I'd better get it done, and on it's way. 

There's not enough of me, to lose 4 stone from! 

Seriously, Ade...... Sorry to hear of your adventure. But, very pleased to hear you'll soon be back to your old, (but slimmer) self. 

David D

[DMIOM]

.....
Thanks to everyone for your good wishes - although, as I say, I am now totally cured, I just need to overcome the effects of spending 3 weeks in bed.... i.e. severe laziness 

Delighted you're back in working order again.

Now - about that laziness.  If you want an activity that won't demand you're on your feet too much : take, at least once/day (can be taken sitting down) 1 x recently machined sump + 1 x die grinder or dremel + 1 box 15 mm(max) cotton polishing mops + 1 bar black polish + 1 bar jeweller's rouge !

Cheers / Dave 

[AdeV]

Now - about that laziness.  If you want an activity that won't demand you're on your feet too much : take, at least once/day (can be taken sitting down) 1 x recently machined sump + 1 x die grinder or dremel + 1 box 15 mm(max) cotton polishing mops + 1 bar black polish + 1 bar jeweller's rouge !

LOL!

Unfortunately, there are a few small drawbacks with that plan.... 1st, the sump is now 1hr drive away. 2nd, it's attached to the bottom of the engine which, in turn, is attached - sump side down - to the car... so polishing would involve lying on my back under the race car. Not quite the cure for laziness that I'd planned on 

I will report on how the sump testing went in due course, on the sump thread... not just yet as I've got some work to catch up on first 

[saw]

Sorry for your illness I hope that you soon will be well 

[awemawson]

AdeV,

Sorry to hear of your misfortunes over Christmas and the New Year, I thought you'd been a bit quiet! Very glad though to hear that you are on the mend - keep going in that direction!

I came across your 'sump thread' a couple of weeks ago, and it so inspired me I've set myself up to start making machinable wax. 25Kgs of wax have already arrived, along with 3kgs of stearin, and a quantity of blue die. Plastic milk bottles are being saved (HDPE not LDPE but apparently ok with about 10 degrees higher melting point but making a harder wax with more tensile strength) and I have a 6 litre thermostatic melter on order. And it's all your fault!!!!!

Keep up the progress and make sure you are fully fit before you get back in the saddle.

[Dean W]

Gee, Ade, you were really a sick pup.  I'm glad to hear you are doing better.  I can't imagine being sick enough to loose
that much weight in such a short time.  Must have been miserable.
Welcome back to the land of swarf and carbide!