Aren't You Better Yet?

And...COVID finally got me. I was so smug because I had gone so long without getting it. I am a well-known germaphobe, so that kept me healthy for a long time.

COVID was as bad as I thought it was going to be. Usually, when I or one of my kids gets pneumonia, we are sick for at least a month. That is normal for us; every respiratory infection is always worse for us than for friends who don't have asthma. Sigh.

Managing all my symptoms

Luckily, I qualified for an anti-viral and an oral steroid. I take a daily controller inhaler and have a big box of albuterol vials for my nebulizer. I always panic if I start to run low, so I make sure I have a full box at all times. You never know when you’re going to get sick and need a LOT of breathing treatments. I also keep a nebulizer on each floor of the house so I don’t have to walk as far if I am struggling to breathe.

Even with all of the medicine for my lungs, they were still REALLY tight. In fact, my voice sounded like I had sucked in helium! Every time I would try to say something to my husband, I could see him trying to keep a straight face. I mean, I did sound a little like Alvin and the Chipmunks!

The coughing was another story. I was coughing so hard that I was gagging and trying not to throw up (even after just doing a breathing treatment). Normally, a treatment will calm my cough for a few hours. Not this time! I was coughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face.

That made it hard for me to eat. I had to be careful because I would start coughing and then choke on food. So...I relived my childhood and ate mac n’ cheese and fruit snacks. I also had to eat very slowly because it was hard to breathe between each bite. And I would take tiny bites of food just in case I started coughing. That way I could quickly spit the food out so I didn’t choke. I was hoping to lose weight during COVID, but no such luck!

I also took a lot of naps (isn't that what cats do – sleep 24 hours a day?!) I didn’t sleep well at night, only an hour here or there, because coughing would wake me up. And prednisone would keep my mind racing.

Am I better yet?

I had wonderful friends who dropped off frozen treats, flowers, fruit, bread, and chicken noodle soup. I could not eat a lot of it, but my husband could. I felt truly loved!

The funny thing was when people would stand 10 feet back from the door after dropping something off, they would say “Are you feeling better yet?”

Me:

Them:

Me:

At that point, it had only been a week. I would tell them it’s going to be at least a month until my lungs calm down. Stupid drama queens!

Recovering from COVID with asthma

With asthma, our lungs are "oversensitive" and "overreact." Which is why I call my lungs drama queens. If you have toddlers or teenagers, you might know what I am talking about when it comes to being oversensitive and overreacting!

People seemed surprised that asthma makes us sick for such a long period of time. But that’s been our experience over the last 22 years.

Who else has experienced being sick for a LONG time with pneumonia or COVID?