In Focus

It’s been just another week of something in my body rebelling. Thanks to my bone spurs, I have ongoing issues with my upper back. When they flare up, my muscles take weeks to relax, even with professional help.

After an intense but much-needed massage, my ears started bugging me the next day. I figured it was just the aftermath of angry neck muscles. I took some meds to clear up the pain and inflammation in my back, but my ears were so plugged it was driving me nuts.

I started taking Sudafed. I was so tired my legs turned to jello by midday. I felt like absolute crap without any clear reason why. After days of this weird malaise, I finally went in to see a doctor.

Trying to explain my symptoms was interesting since nothing actually hurt—I was just exhausted, wobbly, and had plugged ears. After some poking around, the doctor told me I had the start of pneumonia—or rather “walking pneumonia.” I was told to breathe deeply, stay hydrated, rest, and take antibiotics. I didn’t think it was a big deal.

Of course, spring had to hit me with something I’ve never had before, and soon I would be taking a turn for the worse.

By the time I got home that day, I could barely function. I took the meds, drank some water, and crawled into bed—my body felt sooo heavy I couldn’t even move. It is just weird how it affects a person.

That night, I seemed to feel fine. The next morning, I ran around doing errands and was about to head to the office when I crashed—and I crashed hard. I suddenly couldn’t catch my breath and turned into a human ice cube. This was very different symptoms. I went back to bed and passed out cold for three hours. When I woke up, I was still barely able to move.

Seriously—I thought—what is this crap? I had never experienced these symptoms with the cold or flu. At least I usually know what to expect with those illnesses. But pneumonia? I have zero experience with that. So far, it’s been: extreme exhaustion, jello body, no appetite, some coughing, overheating one minute and freezing the next, and the total inability to think.

I became best friends with my humidifier, bed, and TV for five days. Even trying to read a text message was difficult.

In some ways, I feel better now, but I can’t shake the exhaustion and wobbly feeling. Then I was told this takes weeks to get over. Weeks?! Seriously, I already deal with chronic fatigue from Crohn’s disease, and now I might feel even worse for weeks after the pneumonia is gone?

I’d much rather deal with the cold or flu—at least that’s usually over in a few days.

To make things even worse, I just learned that now that I’ve had pneumonia once, I’m more likely to get it again. Oh great!

I’m just starting to function again, and my ears are finally getting better. But it’s not even noon yet today, and I’m already spent. This is going to be a long week!