Pneumonia

So after the camp I think I really exhausted myself from the workload. It was super enjoyable and rewarding to be in the committee but I was pooped! It's quite interesting how I willed myself to keep working through the camp. When I reflect back, I think I was feeling sick on the second day, but I was so determined to keep going that I just told myself I'll be right... and tbh I was fine. But everyone played so hard during the group games that I vividly remember my head pounding and ears almost ringing from having to yell and coordinate games. 

I remember power napping for about 15 mins between group game time and taking the kids to archery. I was dead to the world and then was magically refreshed. 

After the camp I tried going to work the next day, however I knew I was sick in the morning and went home in the arvo. Then...let's just say that I've never been so sick in my life.
In summary:

Mon - went home sick. Fever, chills, bedridden

Tues - went to GP but my fever broke so I was told I have a normal cold. Checked my lungs. No medicine. No appetite.

Wed - fever and chills back, coughing lots. No appetite.

Thurs - went back to GP. I seriously felt like I was going to pass out in the waiting room, it was terrible. Scared the doctor and she gave me doxycycline (antibiotics). I was about to tell her that I take that for my skin acne...but I was dying and thought I should just listen to her. I had trouble walking out of the clinic that day. No appetite. Very tortured night time. My mum was the best, she actually stayed in my room the entire night to take care of me.

Fri - I seemed to be getting worse and worse. My coughing was really bad and all this phlegm kept coming up. I wanted to go to YF because it was Bear Fruit Project: Thailand part 2!! And I was so excited to do our English/Thai bible story book, but I asked Cara to pick it up and bring it to YF. Sleeping at night was like torture. Sometimes there were bouts of feeling so ill and I couldn't do anything about it. No matter what position I lay or if I sat up, I couldn't get rid of feeling "ill". No appetite. I was literally crying my way through the night.

Sat - Still super sick. Uncle Stephen a GP and elder from my church came to visit and check on me. I told him the doxy wasn't working and asked him to change it. He thought it was a weird request but changed to roxithromycin. Lung check seemed okay as well, but I remember him saying that he's never seen me so sick. No appetite.

Sun - finally felt somewhat better with new antibiotics. My brother bought me some McNuggets and I managed to eat one, yessss! I couldn't go to church and mum stayed back with me. I missed the YAF welcome day which was sad...I was still very exhausted and during this whole period I couldn't do anything but lay in bed. I couldn't even watch things on TV or my laptop because I was so tired.

Mon - Still sick. Appetite starting to return a bit. Able to rest much better now and get through the night.

Tues - still sick. I tried going to work because compared to last week I really did feel much better. I got dropped off at work, stayed for about half an hour before laying on the CT table. Receptionist finds me and yup...sends me home.

Wed - still sick. Uncle Stephen visits again and checks my lungs. He gets real concerned that I am not getting better. Checks my lungs again, but they seem fine. Writes me a request for a chest xray and blood test. I was like, pfft I don't need one. But I made an appointment at work anyway.

Thurs - I took my blood test and then went to work to get a chest xray. I was walking and laughing my way to the xray room while talking to my colleague. Then another tech came in and we chatted. I took my first PA projection xray and the moment they processed it they both fell silent. I hadn't look at it yet, and they came to do the lateral projection so I obliged obediently. Then I sat down and saw my PA projection from literally 3-4 meters away and I was like...ah shit you gotta be joking. My whole right middle lobe had collapsed. I had pneumonia. I knew immediately what had happened and I couldn't believe it. Check out my xray, it's like textbook perfect for pneumonia lung collapse. The one on the left is my first xray, the right is a week later.

I've circled it for those who can't find the lung collapse.

My chief came in and all three of them tried to walk me to the trolley bay because they were like...you aren't leaving until we send you to emergency. I was fine to walk back...just like I had walked into the department >.> but they were so worried after seeing my xray. 

My dad was brought in and I spent the next 45 mins being worried over which was really nice but a tad unnecessary. I have the best work colleagues who genuinely care for people, much love for them! The radiologist came and then they arranged the respiratory specialist from the ward to check on me. They deduced that my mucous must have plugged my right lobe, causing the collapse. The respiratory physician offered to put a scope down my throat to unplug it, but I didn't want to do it. So I sent myself to MMC's emergency department.
I remember the radiologist telling me to just drink soup, but I was like...nah I'm fine...I really want a banh mi HAHAHA! So my dad got me my banh mi on the way to emergency :D yay!

When I arrived to ED with my xrays and report, they checked my temperature and oxygen, and I still had >95% O2 sats with a collapsed lung. Unbelievableee hahahahaha. I think all the years of choir might have helped?? Anyway I spent a lot of time waiting in ED...as you do...and when I finally entered to see the doctor, he spent forever sorting things out. I was exhausted by then and he prescribed me strong oral antibiotics, told me to "google physio breathing exercises" and go home. I was not impressed, but it was better than being admitted to hospital.

That night I took the drug moxifloxacin after dinner and MAN THIS ANTIBIOTIC IS STRONG. I hated it so much. My body reacted really badly to it.  I had a severe tension headache and my eyes became so strained and dry. I felt nauseous and that same feeling of being very ill no matter which position you are in came back. It was almost as bad as the tortuous nights from the first week.

I had to take this drug for quite a few days, but it worked. I was getting better and finally on the road to full recovery. I managed to go to church and the next week Eddy, Heiman, Choo and Joey came to visit :) 

So it was quite an experience having pneumonia. I think  I definitely overworked myself from camp and to be honest in the lead up to camp I was already incredibly busy with ministry and discipleship. I knew that nobody was going to stop me and only God could make me rest. And so He did it by knocking me out for 3 weeks hahahaha. I'm really thankful for my family, friends and church who supported and prayed for me. I apparently freaked my dad with this illness (though he didn't show it) and he went to prayer meeting looking like he was going to cry. Sometimes I felt so sick my mum would just hold me while I cried and I was thankful that my parents prayed for me during that time. The power of prayer is something we must not diminish, God hears every prayer and everything is in His control. I am not bitter but thankful for this time of sickness. I know God was telling me to rest from all my work and tbh it was tough to lay around doing nothing for 3 weeks.

But now that I have suffered, I definitely feel more compassion for my patients :P Chest x-rays are bread and butter for radiographers. And every time I see somebody with ?pneumonia, I'm like..pfft no way they have it. However now that I've had it, I take everything more seriously.