PNEUMONIA ... You don't want it!!

As I am still in recovery from it, I can't help but wonder if my Docs could have maybe given me a little more of a clue as to what was to be expected. Never having experienced anything quite as scary as this, my mind has been running away with its own thoughts as to what is happening to my body!

"Will I ever be the same? Will I ever recover? Will I relapse? How long should the cough last? What aren't the Doctors telling me? Do they know something? "

The trip hasn't been fun, but it has been an eye opener for me. I've cleaned up my act and discovered the fine art of eating well, sleeping well, and otherwise living as God intended his children to- well, at least I'm a lot closer than ever before. I have made many discoveries in the past 3 weeks, and gotten a serious look at >ME<

I began my ordeal by feeling very sorry for myself, being very afraid, and I remember thinking, " Is this an omen for the new year?" I spent New Year eve and day beyond depressed and in a dark place where feelings of exhaustion, fear, apprehension and self pity are the reality. There wasn't enough water in the world to get me hydrated.. dry mouth, dry lips... non stop drinking. Water is apparently not a great diet. I remember at one point feeling a closeness with people who have just gone off the deep end and been unable to come back. Then I learned the secrets of JUICE for raising blood sugar and keeping you leveled out a bit. .. So now we have water and all kinds of juice. For about five days this was all I could eat. Soon, I began researching on the internet the key words or pneumonia, lung healing, foods, etc. So I began to eat VEGETABLES which help the healing process, and foods to incorporate into your diet for regaining and keeping your healthy immune system and for replenishing your body with vital nutrients to help it heal and once again become strong.

Grape, orange, apple, cranberry, pink grapefruit and a mixed berry juice plus lots of water became my mainstays for 4 very long days. The grape juice (as a side note) is now my top juice- every day. After deciding I might live and realizing I was a bit hungry I began to eat canned vegetables. "Why canned?" Easy answer- too weak to do much cooking, and too tired to stay awake while anything cooked. Asparagus, peas, baked beans, green beans and beets were now added to the juice diet. After a week and a half I began to juice fresh carrots with apple and red and yellow peppers also. Adding other things makes for a better taste, but all in all, I have become a big fan of juicing. Yes, you do feel the kick when you juice. Besides the veggies you normally eat, this is a great way to get an extra 3 or 4 servings.

In a little over 2 weeks, I had lost 12 pounds, some bad habits, and had to go back to work. That first day was very hard. I was finally getting an appetite back, things seemed to be looking up, and then the Doc lays it out for you.... "scarring of the lungs, possibility of lung collapse, relapse- a distinct possibility, but its time to go back to work!!" OK, funny how my confidence was not riding high after that chat!! So back at work wondering if each breath is giving you enough air, if each rattle means your lung is filling up again or if that little pain means the other lung is collapsing.

It has been a little over 3 weeks now, and I still have some problems, my thoughts hit the dark places( but not as dark and not as often)

Sally