Okay, you’re going to think that I’m always sick. And, to be frank, during the past few months, it’s been challenging. However, normally, I am in good health and active.
The Pneumonia Shot
In March of 2020, right in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I went to CVS and asked for a pneumonia shot. I thought, if I get covid, at least I’ll be protected from pneumonia. I never did any research. I just got the shot.
I have asthma and although I’m not immunocompromised, I do get sick easily. I tend to catch colds faster than the person can say the word – C O L D. My mother was immunocompromised. She had to get gammaglobulin treatments once every month to stay free of disease and sickness.
So, I got pneumonia shot thinking I would be good to go.
Pneumonia
Right after I had two rounds of Covid — Covid and rebound Covid from the Plaxlovid, I went to Israel with my brother, sister-in-law, cousin, and husband. When we got there, my brother was coughing badly.
“Oh, he has allergies,” my sister-in-law told me. “Don’t worry.”
I was worried but not worried enough. I assumed she was right. But his cough got worse and within days, she was coughing and sneezing. I thought they both had Covid, which they may have had. But they were for sure sick.
Unfortunately, I didn’t think to wear a mask. “They are family,” I thought. “I’m good. I just had Covid, I’m not going to get it again.”
Before we left
My cousin got sick on the plane and who else got sick? ME!
My cousin went to the hospital immediately upon her arrival home. I went to urgent care. At the hospital, they told Mindy, my cousin, that she had pneumonia. They fed her IV antibiotics and sent her home with instructions.
I was told I may have something brewing and was given a Z-pack and prednisone. “Just the prednisone if you’re wheezing,” the urgent care doc said.
I took all the meds but wasn’t getting any better. I kept calling my pulmonologist. I was getting nowhere with anyone.
I can’t get pneumonia if I had the pneumonia shot right?
After about 10 days, I was still coughing and my lungs were hurting me. I spoke with the pulmonologist who told me I had pneumonia according to a cat scan that was taken several days earlier after I contracted it. Urgent Care did not say anything.
It took two rounds of antibiotics and two rounds of prednisone, feeling bloated, and thankfully, the pneumonia is behind me and I’m moving forward. But that was truly frustrating.
Have you ever experienced illness after illness in your life? Share in the comments below how it was resolved.
