Printable View
Sharlene,
I have had pneumonia before. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just make sure your hubby gets plenty of rest and takes all of the antibiotics until they're gone. In other words baby him like you always do. ;) such a lucky guy he is. Don't worry, he will be fine.;)
I am glad you are doing okay. Don't want to have to worry about you too. Check out Tracy/Woody's thread. My post was meant to bring a smile to your face. Xxxxx
I've had it too Sharlene, the antibiotics will get rid of it.
He might feel worse at first until they're fully in his system but that is normal.
Sharlene,
Sending get well wishes to your husband and to you too!! Hope the meds do their thing and that he starts to feel better. ;)
Barbara
Feel better soon, sweetie!
Hugs,
Susan
Sharlene:
Sending some healing to all of you from the powers that be. I am so sorry you are all sick at the same time. Blessings
Patti
How are you all today? I hope you and your hubby and off course the gorgeous Molly got some sleep. Once the ABs kick in he will feel much better.;)
He slept for about 2 1/2 hours last night, so that is progress. :) I got about maybe 3 hours sleep straight.
With all the coughing and up and down all night, molly isn't getting good sleep either. Not something that you'd think would make a difference so much for a dog, but molly doesn't like her sleep disturbed and gets super grumpy about it. Poor thing.
I should add that I've switch molly over to a evo herring formula for her glucosomine treats and she seems to be doing very well on them. I've noticed an increase in energy, playfulness and jumping height.
One might think this is something that our normal playful diva molly needs to be concerned with, but actually it is.
Some days she wouldn't want to play, just sleep, you could tell that she felt ick, not really herself. Sure sometimes she was herself and we love that, but some weeks she would be off. She seems to be more on than off since I started these.
Since Evo is a high protein, low carb, grain free diet (food and treats), I can't feed it exclusively, as any time there is even a suspicion of cushings, one needs to be aware that there is also a potential for pancreatic issues to arise, so a careful balance there. I think that the SO though, doesn't give enough protein.
I'm adding a bit of blue kibble in with her SO in the evening. It's hard sometimes, trying to find the best balance of type of food, nutrition and what is needed because of health issues too.
Anyway, something to try and work on and see how it goes.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Sharlene,
Glad you two had at least a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Hopefully things will start to turn around. I just read online (as my husband has had a cough) that the average for a cough to hang on is 18 days. Of course my husband only had a mild cold/cough, nothing so bad like you are dealing with, but the cough took so long to go away.
Does your husband still have a fever? When you are an adult having a fever is really debilitating. The last time I had one (a few years ago) and it was not even that high..maybe 101?? I was so miserable, I could not believe how really awful I felt. Kids handle it better..it feels much worse for an adult!
Hoping you all get well soon, goodness Molly needs her beauty sleep!! haha just kidding! ;)
Barbara
My nephews wife who is an RN, sent a message this morning saying that they are seeing the cough last sometimes a whole month!
We're hanging in there :) He's very sick, I'm keeping an eye on his breathing and if need be will head to emergency again. His fever broke this morning and he didn't have one all day till 6pm this evening. Then it went up and I gave him some Tylenol and it's down again, so hopefully will stay down as the antibiotics have time to work and that was only just begun so I'm being hopeful. The cough is the worst and not being able to lay down at all to sleep. (kathy can relate to that one)
Hope your hubby's cough goes away soon. Even the colds feel worse this year.
Have you seen a molly that misses her beauty sleep??!!! Much better for all of us if she gets it! LOL
hahha
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Yes, I can picture Miss Molly without her 40 winks. Not a pretty sight. :D
Yes, the propping up to sleep SUCKS!!! I am still doing it and NOT WELL!!! :eek::eek:
You are such a loving nursemaid Sharlene. I should have called you to fly over when I got so sick! What's a few thousand miles between friends!:D
I hope you both recover quickly. Sending love and healing energy you way. Xxxxx
Why not a thing at all Kathy! :) :) I made an excellent chicken soup too. :) roflQuote:
Originally Posted by Budster's Mom
Thanks. We'll make it. I'm just coughing still and am determined to survive it. If he could get some sleep( and drat I was counting on you for pointers on positioning pillows), I think he would get better faster. Hope anyway.
Nope it is Not pretty. Molly needs every one of those 40 winks. :)
Hope you feel better soon too Kathy!
Immediate goal this year is to sleep laying down, for the Entire night!!!! Aim high baby, aim high!
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Seriously Sharlene, did the doctor give your hubby any pills for his cough? Regular cough preparations do not work for whooping cough. The doctor gave me pills that work on nerve center of the brain, telling it not to cough. They work, but feel really weird. I feel like I have to cough in my chest, but my brain says no. Your hubby would be able get more rest on these pills. They are Benzonatate 100mg. Dosage 3X a day, as needed for cough. I realize that he doesn't have whooping cough, but they could still help. Just thought.... Xxxxx
Hi Kathy, no just antibiotics and the bronchial inhalers.
You don't really want to suppress cough from what I understand with pneumonia, you want to get as much of the junk out as possible. Hydrate enough to loosen up the mucus but don't over hydrate. It's a pretty fine balance from what I can see.
I've taken Benzonatate before for a cough, helped alot.
Thanks for taking care of us though, not a bad nurse yourself. :) :) :)
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly muffin
No, Benzonatate is for a dry cough, as in Whooping Cough. If he's got the gunk in his chest, you don't want to suppress the cough. It needs to come out. Poor guy. :o
How about you? Is your cough dry or do you need antibiotics too? We don't want more pneumonia girl, then whose going to take care of you. Certainly not your sleep deprived diva!:D xxxx
My cough is gunky too so trying to cough it all out. No fever for me now and xray was told is okay. cross fingers all will be wrll. miss muffin would be way too distracted by random toy for nursing. hahaha
going to try to get some sleep wish us luck!!hugs
sharlene and molly muffin
Your onto it Sharlene!! Sounds like the fever has settled somewhat, pleased to hear those antibiotics must be kicking in. Poor hubs and poor you taking care of him when your not feeling that flash yourself! Hope you get more sleep tonight, be tempting to shift into another room at least you would be getting a decent sleep and can face the day a bit better. Are you working through all this? Your employers sound good though letting you work at home on occasion.
I agree so hard with the food, so many different things to take into consideration with our seniors! Those treats sound like they are giving Molly a spring in her step so that sounds good in my book :) This weather you are all having must be playing havoc on any arthriticy dogs. xx
Sharlene:
The weather is a tad better here today. I have to leave here by 4am to be at the Dr. in Pittsburgh as I have an early appointment with him. I have someone lined up for Tipper. I hope all of you have turned the corner and start feeling better, this is so unfortunate that you are all down at once. Blessings
Patti
Good to hear hubs fever seems to be under control, I hope both yous and his cough is getting better. Must be terrible watching him at the moment, but your doing a brilliant job of looking after him Nurse Sharlene :D
I can only image poor Molly not getting her 40 winks and how grumpy she can be, but that image did make me laugh :)
We're hanging in here. Molly had a good long walk today, now that enough ice has melted to do so. (that won't last long)
Yes, I'm very lucky to be able to work from home when I need to.
Hubs is holding his own and doing okay. Expect I need to figure out some good energy food for him. Pneumonia just zaps your energy levels.
Hope everyone is having a good day.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
That's good news, maybe tonight you will all get some sleep tonight. I,m sure you can figure out the food, is it not foods high in protein, low in carbs that give energy or is that in dogs it all jumbles together ;)
Hey Sharlene
What a nightmare, must have been all that blinking cold and ice!
Just did a quick search for you and found this site which says what you can do to help recover from pneumonia.
http://www.naturalhomecures.com/memb...treatment.html
Avoid all sugar caffeine and drink lots of hot broth like miso vegetable, also cut out dairy as it contributes to mucous.
Wishing You, Hubby and Molly a peaceful restful night which consists of more than 4 hours kip
Mel
Xxxxx
Good site, thanks.
I didn't think of miso soup, I've been doing beef, chicken, vegetable broths, but really needed something different to add to the mix.
No coffee or milk products for him. Eggs, and toast, tried some smoked salmon, but that didn't go over. Taste buds are all over the place right now.
I think that he'll be better by next week. He's taken the week off from the office and I'm working at home as long as he is sick.
Molly seems to be loving it and is intrigued I think by how often he seems to get to try smell good stuff to eat. LOL
I think it is the same Tracy, high protein, low carb, stay away from milk products (mucus bad).
hugs
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
I eat hot, spicy Mexican food when I have a cold. I can usually taste it and it clears the sinuses.
hmmm, spicy. Not much in the way of mexican around here, but I bet a spicy curry might be of interest.
Thanks!
Sharlene and molly muffin
End cut of prime rib with horse radish... that will clear up the sinuses! :D
Hoping that the antibiotics are finally kicking in and that you're all sleeping Sharlene.
I hope they are kicking in, but not sure, he can only sit up, sort of leaning forward, otherwise he coughs so much. It is pretty painful and so he can't sleep, if he is coughing and not sleeping, then hard for the rest of us too. :(
I would go to a different room but that wouldn't go over well at all. He can't sleep at all really if he isn't able to at least touch my foot.
John, that is his Favorite meal, prime rib, horseradish. :)
I do appreciate all the input and help from everyone. I'm surrounded by his family who really are in a panic mode. I'm more the, no time to do scared, someone needs to be logical and cool headed. It makes it difficult though because if I say I'm concerned about anything at all, they really do freak out on me and I end up with women in tears.
hugs,
Sharlene
Ahhhhhh! How sweet is that! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by molly muffin
He is going to be just fine Sharlene! His well meaning relatives are not helping!!!!! I know they care, but get a grip people! I know how worried you are and you aren't well either. Just let me know and I'll fly out and toss out all of the family members claiming that your hubby has been quarantined. :eek::eek::eek: I'll even wear a nurse's outfit and look official! :D Anything to help my dear! ;) xxxxx
Sharlene,
he shouldn't be laying flat when he sleeps. He should be at a 45 degree angle if possible. If he can manage it, sleeping in a recliner would be great.
It prevents the junk in his lungs from settling and staying in there.
Any time my parents had pneumonia, their doctors told them not to sleep flat.
Hot showers or soaking in a very steamy bath will help to loosen up the mucus too. Sometimes it gets thick which is even harder to cough up. If he's too weak for either, he can sit at the kitchen table in front of a steaming pot of hot water that he can lean over. Place a towel over him and the pot so that he gets the most benefit of the steam. If he starts to feel nauseous, he's getting over heated (this happens to me) and he should stop and resume later.
Keeping the mucus thin is really important. Especially if the person is weak and not active. Thick mucus can literally create a plug (happened to my father) which needs medical treatment to dissolve. Best to avoid that if possible.
I hope that this helps!
Oh my gosh! You've got to stop all this. This sounds really serious now. At least if you have to lie low it's during the cold weather, not the nice stuff. Is Molly any comfort at times like this or does she just go about doing her own thing? Does she think it's neat that hubby is home all these days or does she get annoyed that he's not playing?
Hugs and best wishes for speedy recoveries!!
Susan
A truly stinky poultice that may help -
Materials needed:
• One medium onion
• 2 Tbsps ground corn meal
• Apple Cider vinegar, 2 Tbsps
• Cheese cloth
• Flannel, wool scarf, or cloth
• Small amount of Olive oil
Instructions:
Peel the onion and place into a skillet that has been coated with the tsp of vegetable oil. Bring the skillet to a medium heat and sauté until they are clear. Do not brown.
Sprinkle in the cornmeal and vinegar. Stir well until the onions are mixed - you want a poultice that holds together and won’t fall apart once it is placed on afflicted area. Take the pan off the heat. Cut a piece of cheese cloth (or old cotton T-shirt) twice as big as the area to which the poultice is to be applied.
Drop some onion poultice onto the cloth and fold it in a neat package. Make sure that the poultice is at least 1/2 inch thick and not so hot as to burn the skin.
Place poultice over the area to be treated and cover with flannel or wool. Keep on at least 20 minutes or until the poultice is cool.
And a garlic soup -
Garlic Soup (bugs-be-gone)
You need:
about 4 whole bulbs of garlic, up to six if you wish
3 Tablespoons good olive oil or butter
about a quart of home-made, rich chicken or turkey stock
4 egg yolks
plus whole plain yogurt, chopped almonds and lots of parsley to top
All you do is:
Crush the cloves and slip off the skins, Toss the smushed cloves into a Dutch-Oven size saucepan (stainless steel, cast iron or enamel, please) with the oil and sauté oh-so-carefully, making sure not to brown (browned garlic is bitter tasting). When the garlic is soft, add the stock and simmer about half an hour, again very gently. Cool, and then squeeze the stock through cheesecloth or a sieve, into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick with a whisk and pour into the large pot. Start slowly beating in a Tbsp. or two at a time of the now cooled garlic broth. When you have about a half cup beaten in, you can add the rest of the broth in a steady drizzle. Heat to a boil, and remove. As soon as it's cooled but still nice and warm, serve in large bowls topped with a dollop of yogurt, chopped almonds and parsley.
If you like, you can add salt; other herbs to taste, of course, and adding home made chicken broth gives it a new taste as well as healthy punch.
Lots and lots of water, plain pure water, room temp is best. Keeping in an upright or slanted position like Valerie suggested will help. The steaming is a good idea as well and you can use some Rosemary (if you have access to some fresh) or something like Mentholatum to help open the airways with the steam. A gentle knocking on his back while coughing may help move some of the gunk. The times he's feeling up to it, getting up and moving around as much as possible helps break it up as well. An old wives tale that has worked at times for me is to put Vick's VapoRub or Mentholatum on the soles of the feet then cover with socks to help with coughing.
Sending healing energies to you both,
Leslie
Sharlene:
I have an even more stinky one, but my grandmother taught it to me and it works. Take 2 egg yolks and add 6 teaspoons of spirits of turpentine- yes I did say turpentine. Blend with a mixer of blender drop turpentine in a teaspoon at a time into the yolks. Spread on cotton poultice and put on your chest. I use this many times when sick. My grandmother even had her sister take one to the hospital for her one time and the Dr's were amazed at it. Blessings
Patti
Molly is no longer impressed that both of us are home with her. Seems that is only a good thing if the couch is going to be shared with her and right now it is solely hubs and the pillows to keep him in the upright position. So, not a happy molly. tsk tsk
He did okay last night, got some sleep, which is beneficial. No he isn't lying flat down. Drinking lots of water to keep things fluid in there.
I cancelled the hotel in Montreal for this weekend. No way hubs is going anywhere for awhile. Might end up canceling vacation in Feb too, since he is missing weeks of work right now. Just another we'll wait and see how things play out. The here and now is most important. :)
We'll do okay, thanks for the tips everyone. I'm excelling and throwing garlic in anything and everything right now. He is eating eggs every day and creamy style soups, but not made with milk. Tonight I'll make a shepherds pie and portion it up in the fridge for something easy for him to heat up.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Hi Sharlene,
awww, your poor husband still fighting this horrible cough, and you too-are you feeling better yourself? Molly's getting a little sick of you two being home?? It would probably suit her just fine, if you were both 100% and playing with her all day! :D
Hoping you both feel better soon
Barbara
How is everyone doing, I,m hoping that you and your hubs are better and that poor Molly gets her sofa back :D
Sharlene:
Wow all of you have really had a go at this illness. That is terrible your poor hubby got so bad. I am praying for you all to get healthy and recover soon. Blessings
Patti
Hello Sister Sharlene, how is the patient? Hope you are seeing signs of it easing. As you know pneumonia is not something to mess about with and I am sure your other family members are worried sick about him the poor things, he always sounds like such a rock and a good man in your posts and I really hope he has turned the corner and not required another trip back to the hospital. Sometimes IV antibiotics are needed so hope he has perked up and able to move on the couch to give Molly some room :)
Second party cancelled eh! Well that sucks and hubs is going to have to take you somewhere special to make up for this when he has recovered :D:D although I am sure you would settle for a healthy hubs at this point!
Hope your feeling better too and Molly is holding up while everyone else is down.. been thinking of you xxxxxx
:) Hubs IS doing better. I think we got it quickly, xray borderline thursday then 1/8 right side on Sat, antibiotics started.
He is coughing less today than other days, not coughing up as much gunk and his eyes are better. I have been to the hospital to pick up a copy of xrays, taken those to family doctor, consulted with the family doctor about him, have an order to get another xray done (prob early next week) so all in all I'm okay with the progress he is making and if the xray next week isn't clear, I'll ask for more anitibiotics or something to help clear it up.
Molly is, well she is molly. She's not happy that she isn't getting enough play time, so much barking at her toy box, etc for us to come play with her and then running around and huffing if we don't pay attention. All this just tells me she is feeling pretty good and is not happy that we aren't.
I'm on the mend too, just a bit of coughing now and then, but I didn't get the same thing he did obviously.
Yea, I'll take him at being a-okay and everything else we'll just work out.
I think next week will actually bring more improvement. At least I hope so.
Yes the family is worried, of course they are and doesn't help that they can't talk to him directly. Talking = major coughing. To adapt, I'm sending out email updates once a day on how he is doing.
hugs all
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Scary how quickly it can go from being a "virus" or "cold" to be full on pneumonia so good on you for taking him back. Phew good to see progress being made though, any steps in the right direction is good news!! Your family must be pleased to read those emails each day.
He needs a toy on a string he can throw for Miss Molly and then reel it back in so he doesn't need to get up or do anything to strenuous and keep our little Miss entertained!! xxx
Glad to hear that hubs is on the mend or at least heading in the right direction must have been a worry for you, and the family.
Hopefully next week brings more good health for you both and poor Molly can get her house back :p