Sunday, March 21, 2010

" Takes My Breath Away "

Breathing.............it's been a subject very dear to me in the last ten days....................



I've thought about some of the things that tend to take my breath away..............
This view from this cabin on top of Max Patch in Western North Carolina.......................
This winter view from the same mountain....................

This vacation home in Isle of Hope, Georgia just outside Savannah..............


This vacation home in Key West, Florida.................



However today..............it IS about the amount of breaths you take I want to discuss with you!
Ten days ago my 82 year old Dad who suffers with severe COPD ( chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and is on oxygen 24/7, suffered an attack which landed him in the hospital for 5 days. My husband Eric took him to the emergency room. While there Eric was exposed to
all the usual ailments found floating around emergency rooms, 48 hours later, it was Eric who couldn't breathe. I followed suit in another 24 hours. According to our Primary Care doctor who we both saw on Wednesday, there is a highly contagious and dangerous upper respiratory virus sweeping the nation. Left untreated by strong antibiotics, it can leave you with pneumonia..................
I have to admit that by the time we got to her office, I was sure I had pneumonia! I felt like my lungs had collapsed. We both have had a rough week of it. I just want all who read this to take precaution if you suddenly have an attack of coughing that comes from out of nowhere akin to getting strangled on something, that is how it starts. Get to your doctor for treatment! I think this cartoon sums up how I've felt the last few days..............one foot in the grave...............






We are on the mend but still very weak................
Take care everyone..................





23 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I am so sorry that you've been so ill! These are beautiful pictures, Carol...please take care of yourself and have only the *pictures* take your breath away and not the illness...

Elizabeth

Kat said...

My husband has this upper respitory infection and has been suffering. He was smart enought to go to the dr on the onset of it and even on the antibiotics for a week now, still is suffering. I did not know it was all over the place! Get well soon.

Pat in east TN said...

What a shocker to read what's been going on down your way! Take care, take it easy, and keep us updated when you can.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

This is the third mention of this upper respriatory infection I've heard mentioned this past week, and YES they have all developed into pneumonia.
I went to visit a sick relative in the hospital last week, and now I'm wondering was she sick when she first went in, or picked this up whilst she was there having routing tests done.
What a dilema ...
I hope your family is on the mend, and you get yourself better Ms. Carol !!
Missed you...
Hugs,
Jo

Rosaria Williams said...

What a cleverly connected post. Take care!

Vicki Lane said...

Thanks for the warning, Carol. You all take care and get well!

Anonymous said...

That's terrible (!) and sounds like what my daughter-in-law has. She's an Assistant Principal and probably got it at school.

So many scary germs out there. I read about this one just today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/health/21bug.html?scp=1&sq=Hospital%20infection&st=cse

(By the way, the pictures are AWESOME!!)

B. WHITTINGTON said...

Sorry to hear about the illness. I came down with something right after Christmas, hacking coughing breathing problems. Four or five antibiotics later and I'm still coughing. No fever now and breathing is fine. So frustrating.
Emergency rooms are the worst places to pick up germs.
Heal quickly.

Blessings, Barb
Love the beautiful photos.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I am so sorry you have been ill! Hope you are well on the mend now!!

Love that Isle of Hope house!!

Janet, said...

Take care of yourself and please get better. I love the breathtaking pictures.

Arkansas Patti said...

Wow, I am so sorry that the three of you have been so ill. I had not heard about this but will take heed.
Please take care till you are completely well.

Brenda said...

So sorry, Carol. Take care...

Debra said...

So sorry you've been ill. I had aspiration pneumonia a month or so ago and it can be a booger to deal with and to get over. It takes a while to recuperate. Get plenty of rest and take it easy.

Will keep all of you in my prayers.

Becca's Dirt said...

Get well soon. It sucks to be sick. Hope you both feel bettr and someone is making chicken soup for both of you.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Oh sweetie, take care of yourself the 'uck' sounds nasty to say the least! My prayers are with you any your hubby.

Your pictures DID take my breath away.

Rest up and God bless your recuperation. :o)

Deb Shucka said...

Thanks for the warning. Take care of yourself, and hubby. I hope you're both back on your feet soon, breathing freely.

Marguerite said...

I'm so sorry to hear about you and hubby being ill. Please take very good care of each other and increase your vitamin C intake. Just rest and drink lots of Spring water w/ lemon. Get well soon!
I would love to go to any or all of those lovely vacation homes!

Glynis Peters said...

I hope you all improve asap! How horrible for you all.
My mother has a lung disease, fibrosing alveolitis. I do not want her catching something like this as she has no immune system due to the drugs.

NitWit1 said...

Geez this virus is here, too. I had it most of last late summer into December. The cough was atrocious and unrelenting leading to exhaustion.

Rounds of antibiotics were failures. It abated but did not go away.

Finally in late October I had an annual appt. with my allergist/asthma COPD specialist. He put me on a dosage of amoxicillin I did not even know was safe 875 mg. It finally broke the cycle. If you normally have some respiratory compromise, it is hard to detect the difference between types of coughs, shortness of breath, etc.

My husband who smokes--I do not nor never have--got it and recovered in 3 weeks.

Tiffany Norris said...

So sorry! Hope you are all better soon! I have asthma, so I understand the appreciation of a breath. Because of that, too, I love the Bible passage, "The God who made the world and everything in it...gives everyone life and breath and everything else."

Thistle Cove Farm said...

That "stuff" is going around; sorry you've been hit with it and be careful.

Laura said...

I have had this!
Mine started with a cough from the depths of who knows where with no symptoms above the neck.
Weird.

I have had it for 3 weeks.

I even had a bout of vertigo.

Yesterday I had a chest x ray and everything was clear.
My doctor gave me an antibiotic-

I hope this isn't too much information.

Thank you for your information-

Laura

Sherry Austin said...

Hey, honey! Sorry to hear you and daddy have been ill!