I have a chest infection ... probably

[redcard]

I clicked thinking we were all going to be mocking Sir Bradley!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

going through something very similar at the moment and cursing it as well. so very painfull and barely been out of bed since the beginning of the month, except Dr's & hospital.
my symptoms were that my (already severe) asthma was playing up very badly & stabbing pains in my lower left lung plus coughing til I threw up. 1st dr's appt, steriods (30mg prednisilone), antibiotics = no difference except they could hear chest infection & asthma plus peak flow down by 2/3rds of 1 lung. 2nd dr's appointment now got pains in right lung as well +throat infection - more steriods (higher dose 40mg prednisilone asthma had failed to respond), stronger antibiotics, painkillers and x-ray. 3rd appointment, steriods (40mg prednisilone), another course of different antibiotics, more painkillers & antifungal tablets & referral to respiratory specialist in Manchester. 4th appointment is next week. I am now able to walk 300m to the local bench and back once a day. managed it for the 3rd time today. Still can't get more than 2 hours sleep without an asthma attack at any time of day or night, but I am beggining to feel human for a couple of hours a day.

For me the assumption is that the rib cage injury I took back at the beginning of March when I came off my mountain bike has 'caused issues' - I never went to A&E after the accident instead getting back on my bike and carrying on that day. Between the beggining of March and the end of April I covered 1,000 miles on my bike... and all pain had gone for a couple of weeks, so who knows, but I have also come to the conclusion I would have been better off visiting A&E for a check up afterwards.

Best wishes and hope you begin to feel better soon.

 

[gbb]

going through something very similar at the moment and cursing it as well. so very painfull and barely been out of bed since the beginning of the month, except Dr's & hospital.
my symptoms were that my (already severe) asthma was playing up very badly & stabbing pains in my lower left lung plus coughing til I threw up. 1st dr's appt, steriods (30mg prednisilone), antibiotics = no difference except they could hear chest infection & asthma plus peak flow down by 2/3rds of 1 lung. 2nd dr's appointment now got pains in right lung as well +throat infection - more steriods (higher dose 40mg prednisilone asthma had failed to respond), stronger antibiotics, painkillers and x-ray. 3rd appointment, steriods (40mg prednisilone), another course of different antibiotics, more painkillers & antifungal tablets & referral to respiratory specialist in Manchester. 4th appointment is next week. I am now able to walk 300m to the local bench and back once a day. managed it for the 3rd time today. Still can't get more than 2 hours sleep without an asthma attack at any time of day or night, but I am beggining to feel human for a couple of hours a day.

For me the assumption is that the rib cage injury I took back at the beginning of March when I came off my mountain bike has 'caused issues' - I never went to A&E after the accident instead getting back on my bike and carrying on that day. Between the beggining of March and the end of April I covered 1,000 miles on my bike... and all pain had gone for a couple of weeks, so who knows, but I have also come to the conclusion I would have been better off visiting A&E for a check up afterwards.

Best wishes and hope you begin to feel better soon.

A 'like' doesn't seem appropriate, but best wishes on a smooth recovery....eventually. We don't always make the right decisions, I know I didn't looking back. But, there you go....

 

[gbb]

Well, a little story, sorry if its a bit long winded.
Got an unexpected text informing me I have an appointment today (Monday) at 3pm. I'm currently under the docs and have an appointment with them tomorrow.....eh.
Contacted the text sender, its the hospital and the consultant wants to see me. Ok, that's more important, off I go. Got there with the wife and there's four medics in the office and a really nasty looking xray on the screen
The wife didn't look happy, quite concerned. thankfully that was someone elses .

So after explaining my symptoms and history which include..
A really bad cough for 2 months.
Extreme excruciating pain inside the ribs.
Night sweats for a while, i'd wake up absolutely drenched in sweat...really awful.
For maybe 1 month I felt extremely tired and lethargic, the tiredness was overpowering occasionally.
And now, 4 months later, I can't fill my lungs properly and feel that area inside my ribcage, not painful, but its there.
Ultrasound scans and examination followed..

Doc explains...
You had pneumonia...nightsweats and lethargy are classic symptoms. That sat there, probably at a low level because you were fit and able to carry it. The excruciating pain is where pleuritis has developed as a result. That's sat there untreated and now you have a thickening of the pleuritic wall (my interpretation), that's pressing on the lung, restricting their ability to expand. You also have fluid in the bottom of the lung and thin cavities filled with fluid at various points further up the lung cavity. You also have 'debris' in the cavity.
So, i'm going to express some of the fluid, send you for a CT scan, then perhaps express more effectively...or perhaps you will need some surgical intervention to repair the pleuritic wall. That may be necessary because if its too thickened, it will permanently impair the lungs ability to expand.

I explained, I feel better... but not right...I can only excercise for one hour...not the usual two or three (but the truth is, finding the mojo to do that hour is hard at the moment).

Last week I thought I was slowly slowly recovering (and I am)..I feel 80%, working is fine, exercise is ok although climbing stairs leaves me a bit breathless...today I find out i've had pneumonia and have pleuritis and may need surgery. Surprisingly, the needle into the chest cavity to express the fluid wasn't too bad.
What a day, glad I finally set the process going (eventually)..even though its given me unwelcome news.

 

[fossyant]

Blimey

 

[ColinJ]

Nasty - good luck with your recovery.

(I thought I had a permanent claim to the 'CycleChatter showing most reckless avoidance of medical advice when suffering life-threatening chest complaint' title, but I think I now have to defer to a new champion! )

 

[gbb]

Sorry for the second post (now deleted) . The first appeared to disappear when I posted it, I rewrote the whole bloomin thing...posted it, only to see my original one

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

hey, crap and other untypeable words - best wishes and get well soon. Time to take it easy and build up that lung strength slowly.
I used to have one of these which I have used over the years to help with lung strength. It could be worth considering, it certainly has helped me

PS - you have now really made me very grateful for my moderately severe asthma. I had to go to the dr's and do something about it, albeit not as soon as I coud have done.

 

[ColinJ]

hey, crap and other untypeable words - best wishes and get well soon. Time to take it easy and build up that lung strength slowly.
I used to have one of these which I have used over the years to help with lung strength. It could be worth considering, it certainly has helped me

PS - you have now really made me very grateful for my moderately severe asthma. I had to go to the dr's and do something about it, albeit not as soon as I coud have done.

I was thinking along similar lines about what I had. It was a very serious and nasty condition in itself, but the treatment was simply a nightly dose of Warfarin tablets.

 

[gbb]

Well, having just had a phone chat with a colleague/friend who's been missing from work for a few weeks...i now feel VERY lucky. My woes pale into insignificance.
He's got pneumonia and pleurisy as well (confirms what i heard the other day at work) plus he suffers from asthma...BUT after 5 weeks off, he couldnt stop coughing while we were on the phone. He's on gawld knows what tablets, steroids, painkillers etc etc and he doesn't sound any better than i did at my very worst. Makes me feel very fortunate.

I feel 90% now, and yet does the docs diagnosis make you hyper aware, or even over aware of symptoms ? I feel now i can feel bubbling in my chest as i reach the end of an exhalation. Nothing bad, just a light bubbling sensation where i have fluid.

We agreed on one thing....work. The packhouse is brimming with people when its busy. This last winter, all you could hear was constant coughing from people, all the time. It was an extraordinarily bad year for chest infections at work, it seemed like everyone struggled.

Just waiting now for my call up for a breath test (or whatever its called to check oxygen levels etc) and a CT scan...but i do feel ok considering.

 

[gbb]

Well, as I progress through the ailment, I've had the results of my CT scan and coupled with my breathing test, they're happy with my progress, the fluid on my lungs has nearly gone, I feel ok barring discomfort when I take a deep breath and occasionally feel short of breath, just a tad.
So now they want me to have a bronchioscopy (sp)...can't say I'm overjoyed about that, trying not to think about it too much....and the reason...they want to analyse what bacteria or virus is actually present.
They keep raising tuberculosis as a possibility, non infectious they suspect IF that's what's wrong, because of the way I'm displaying symptoms, no cough, no phlegm, general good health other than the chest problems, but it keeps coming up in the conversation.
Christ, the good news was I almost certainly don't need the surgery that was mooted earlier, now they're talking TB...possibly.

 

[fossyant]

Good news on getting better, and despite the possible procedure, think about the positive in that they will get to the bottom of your problems.

 

[gbb]

Forgive me Lulubel for highjacking your post again...
An update on my previous...for the sake of those with long term coughs..get to the docs and get it checked out.
Dec 2012, cold and cough. The cold subsided but the cough remained, although everyone at that time at work seemed to be struggling. My last post was in June 2013 when I was being tested for TB etc. That came back negative but in the end, I had pneumonia, pleurisy and a partially collapsed lung and ended up with long term, perhaps permanent damage to my lungs. Ironically, in the last month, I have started to feel better able to expand my lungs without discomfort..not as exptended as I used to, but at least theres no discomfort. My fitness is shattered but im trying to get it back, bit by bit.
I consider myself slowly recovering, albeit with the probability id never get back where I was.
Ironically, I can cycle reasonably ok, but a quick sprint up the stairs leaves me gasping.
At work, weve had two cases of TB since 2012 and two cases of pneumonia and pleurisy. Now it transpires theres been 17 cases of TB locally and Public Health England have become involved and along with my employer, who is doing his level best to make sure his staff are ok, had a team of xray and blood tests on all the staff.
That was Thursday. My xray didnt look very good, even to my eye and the radiographer picked up on it immediately. Friday, I get a phone call...hospital on Monday .
Trying to remember the terminology?.pleural thickening..but I think it was pleural fibrosis. I guess i will find out more on Monday. Im hoping the fact has just jumped out at them on the xray so they want a look..and it hasnt got any worse.
All from a cold..or chest infection . Be warned boys and girls, if it doesnt clear up..doctors.

 

[summerdays]

. My fitness is shattered but im trying to Trying to remember the terminology?.pleural thickening..but I think it was pleural fibrosis. I guess i will find out more on Monday. Im hoping the fact has just jumped out at them on the xray so they want a look..and it hasnt got any worse.
All from a cold..or chest infection . Be warned boys and girls, if it doesnt clear up..doctors.

Good luck for Monday

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Thinking of you, all the best for Monday.