Prayers for healing and comfort.
Do you sleep with a wedge pillow?
I found it much easier to breathe with one.
I have to say it-I so envy you being in the V.I's!
Always wanted to spend time there. My husband and i were blessed to have friends who sailed a 42 foot Panda. Lot's o' fun for us. :o)
None of the work or $$$ :o)
Take care and get back to the wind soon.
Consider going to the hospital, if you don't improve real quick.
Linda In CA

Don't you dare be embarrassed! I never thought a shower could be such an ordeal! This part of the disease sucks. What part doesn't for that matter. Anyhow, just wanted to say that you are in my prayers for a speedy recovery. Health and Blessings to ALL.

I hate that for you, hope you are feeling better. There is no right or wrong way when you have COPD it just 'sucks'. Feel better dear.

I used to love long hot showers..now sitting on a plastic stool n using bucket after bucket of cold water, that dribbles out of a tap is plain torture.....might sit there 5mins after just to catch my breath to have the energy to dry off lol.....

Jarca, glad you got a giggle out of my mis-written sentence about baby wipes. Anyhow, they are a lifesaver, or should we say, dignity saver...something! :) Remember Psssssst...the dry spray shampoo?
Bet that was great for the lungs :( Or baby powder and you'd never get it all out? More good stuff :( The list grows....

However, I have used a similar product to this in another lifetime when I was NOT the patient....
http://www.amazon.com/Bodywash-Rinse-Free-Shampoo-Body-Cleaner/dp/B0007QMONS

Oh Peter, that sounds like torture! :(

Hey Cap, now that we're all gross ;)...hope you are feeling better today :) How to hijack a thread!

I'm sorry you are feeling so ill. You got a lot of good f/b hear from your peers and your doctor. They only thing I might comment on is I too always like to get a culture when something is going on. My pulmonary doctor prescribed me a z-pack for my last infection but also ordered a culture. A week later the culture came back and I was totally on the wrong antibiotic. Of course viral is different. No doctor here.

Anyway, another thing is I too struggled with bathing when I got out of the hospital with my lung/heart thing. I found body washes that are bigger than a wash rag. They are called Action Wipes (large) and I bought them from Amazon. They weren't all that expensive. They have tea tree oil among other things in them. I really don't like the smell of them that much (not girly) but at least I know I'm clean when I have to use them.

Capt....I was trying to find my treatment schedule when I just got treated for double pneumonia...just wanted to compare our treatments..still looking for it lol.....but bedrest is very important....they emphasized that part..

Take care mate...

You need a lot of bed rest, and easy food, like soup, yougert,juices, water, lot of liquids. Use your nebs or inhalers as you are suppose to, use mucinex to thin out the sputum so you can get it up and out of there. I understand about the shower, you may be to weak to stand that long, so settle for a bed side bath. Hope you get better real soon
Hugs
Brenda

Update: This is Day 5 of my first bout with pneumonia. I hardly have any congestion or mucus in my chest, although I do go through a coughing spell for a few minutes and then it settles down. I hardly slept last night, although the night before I did get some good sound sleep, but not knowing how many hours I did sleep. I still have an elevated SOB which is driving me nuts and can't understand since I hardly have any chest congestion or coughing up of sputum.

This day 5 of my 40mg per day prednisone and once a day levoflaxin. I have a 10 day script for the Levoflaxin and will stop the pred on Sunday.

Any info or advice is more than welcome as always. I float back and forth about going to the ER.

Thank you all...

Here's a question gang?

Whether you have viral or bacterial pneumonia, shouldn't it be accompanied by a very congested chest with a large amount of mucus? Although my chest is a bit tight, I don't have any serious congestion or mucus. I have an occasional coughing spell for a few minutes after I nebulize sometimes. But I'm still very SOB, more so here in St Thomas than I was in Florida with my family. I don't have air conditioning at my place in St Thomas, no need for it, but was living in an AC environment 17 hours a day in Florida for 3 weeks and having the AC blasting in the car every time we went out.

Any comments?

Thank you one and all for your great input, advice, love, hugs and concerns. God bless all of you...

Yes, I'm thinking the air conditioner blasting didn't do you any good.
Pneumonia is a broad term for an inflammatory condition of the lungaffecting primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. It is usually caused by infection with viruses or bacteria and less commonly other microorganisms, certain drugs and other conditions such as autoimmune diseases.
Lower lobar pneumonia..I had it once...didn't even make me cough. I didn't know I had it, except I felt really run down and sick. So, like the causes, the symptoms won't necessarily match person to person.
Did you Dr do a chest x ray?
Back to the A/C....blasting in your face you may have picked up something from the filter in it..I am just guessing at this one. Our meds make us more prone to catching things as you know and also the change in environments.
All I can offer besides hugs and wishes for a recovery.

Captstt, I have had pneumonia several times over the last few years and the treatment plan is similar to yours, but changes with each bout as the body becomes familiar with the drugs used to combat the illness. Hang in there follow the instructions you have been given. Take care of yourself -- Bill

just wondering how you are doing?
you sound like i was this last time when i couldn't cough anything up & the nebulizer helped me (or it was coincidence and i just started getting better with it---god knows with this disease) and i also had to do 2 rounds of antibiotics, which i think is getting to be the "norm" with me as bill said we (or the bugs we get) start getting a tolerance to the antibiotics.
it is so miserable (and scary) not to be able to breath.
i don't have any answers, and the only "tip" i can think of is to get a second opinion if you don't feel good with the one you got... mainly i just wanted to check in & let you know that my thoughts & prayers are still with you.

Columbus Day Update: I finally ventured out of my home on my scooter and went to K Mart where everyone on island does there shopping. Did I mention that St Thomas has the highest grossing K Mart in the world! I own a scooter since the price of a gallon of gas is $4.80 a gallon and over $5.00 for premium and the weather here is conducive for a scooter. Its amazing how much I save in just fuel expenses per month.

I finally felt strong enough to hop on the scooter and go shopping since I was getting low in certain areas and not to mention getting bloody bored out of mind. So much cable tv, good books and napping can do for you. Riding my scooter was fantastic, to feel the wind and the freedom all about you. Yes, we have a helmet law here. The walking around K Mart was the part that go to me. I took my time and did accomplish my K Mart list but felt too weak to go to the food market.

Today, I went and did my laundry. Which happens to be right next to K Mart. This was tuff today! Suffering from a much more intense SOB than the other day. Cancelled food shopping and came right home. Made my bed and just woke up from a nice nap. I spoke to the Dr and she said to go back on the 40mg per day prednisone for 2 days and then taper off. The pred I took a couple of hours ago has surely helped my SOB.

I want to thank you all again for everything! You guys are the best crew this captain could ever have. Have a blessed day all.

I

Good to hear that you got out and about and could feel the freedom of your scooter after this past week Capt. Glad your clothes are clean, and your KMart supplies picked up.
Hopefully you got stocked up on some food by now as I type and you are enjoying the feeling of having gotten the worst of this behind you?
Hoping! :)