The Good and the Bad

I had the chest x ray and the weekend went by. Monday I got a call from the pulmonologist's office asking how I felt. I told them I was only a little better and they wanted me back on Tuesday. When I arrived on Tuesday I had my portable oxygen with me and they were glad that my moving 0 2 was up to 93 and resting 96. They said my lungs sounded better and I looked better. The xray showed that I have pneumonia in my right lung, in two lobes of it, the bottom and middle. That pesky right lung is usually the one that has it. He gave me more Avelox and told me if I don't feel better or start feeling worse to call.

I normally see my woman pulmonologist, Dr. Gilbert. She isn't there on Tuesdays so I have seen her associate. He honestly looks like an actor. What a nice looking guy and very caring. I want to stress that this is the FIRST pneumonia I have had since July 2009 that I was not hospitalized for. That makes me think that the heart surgery has helped get me in better condition and helped my lungs. I am excited about that. Pneumonia really knocks your socks off. I am drained. The antibiotic interferes with my sleep too. I was wide awake at 4 a.m. and finally slept until 8 a.m. I am a zombie right now. I am expecting my oxygen delivery between noon and two p.m. Once he leaves I hope to take a long nap. It's overcast and chilly so I will be wrapped up in a blanket.
Yesterday I could feel a change of improvement. I was so excited and I ran to the grocery store to pick up a head of cabbage and a quart of buttermilk for my St. Patrick's Day meal. I also needed bread and cat food or I wouldn't have made the trip. When I arrived, as I often do now, there were no handicapped spots to park in. I don't know if it's just my area but it seems that so many people have these placards. I fully recognized you cannot look and determine who is disabled and who is not but some of these people run so quickly across the lot I really wonder. I notice a lot of seniors have them. I wonder how many doctors give out. I wonder if doctors realize that there are people like me who cannot walk across a parking lot. I have attempted to go to the store about four times in the past six weeks and have had to turn around and drive home because there was no way I could walk that far. This may sound overly dramatic to someone who has never experienced shortness of breath or fatigue. Once I can get to a cart I can use it almost as a walker and it helps support me. If I have my oxygen tank (portable) with me, it's heavy for me to carry and I can sit it in the front seat of the cart which also makes it easier for me. I have asked one of my friends to try to help me draft a letter to local doctors asking them not to give handicapped parking placards to people who don't really need them. In New York they ask people to see their registration card for the placard. If they are NOT the person who it's assigned to, they are ticketed. I wish this was enforced here because I have had people tell me that they use a family members and I try to explain to them how important it is that they do NOT do that. I wish I could raise public awareness on this issue but I'm just tired and not up to it today.