By Joe Rector
The last six weeks have been a rough time at the Rector household. Amy fell ill with a terrible cough and a chest and head filled with congestion. She barked as her body tried to clear her lungs of the stuff, and for a while, she ran a temperature of 101. A trip to the doctor came too late as Amy was in the final stages of her illness, and except for an occasional cough, she’s back to herself.
On the Sunday after she began to feel better, I began to feel worse. By Monday morning, I was miserable. The same cough hit me, and I sometimes hacked so hard that I thought I would pass out. Amy demanded that we go to the doctor after a week, and as usual, she was right to do so. I was diagnosed with acute bacterial pneumonia. I’d taken vaccinations for pneumonia, but evidently, this stuff isn’t affected by such preventative care.
I’ve felt miserable several times in my life, but nothing has laid me any lower than this stuff. The constant coughing and wheezing, mixed with an overall achiness, knocked me flat. The doctor prescribed some “horse pill” antibiotics and cough medicine, and for a month, I slept in a recliner in the family room.
My sweet wife has hovered over me to make sure I have everything to feel comfortable. Our two dogs sensed I was sick, and they cuddled with me and slept with me. In fact, Sadie whines and paws at me when I won’t sit with them on the couch. Nothing is as loyal and loving as a dog that loves its owner.
The cough has ended for the most part, and I suspect I’m on the mend. However, this recovery period has its own problems. I sleep constantly. After being in bed for 10 hours at night, I rise, walk to the kitchen for my cup of coffee, and sit down in my spot. The dogs crawl up, and I immediately fall asleep again. It’s enough to make me wonder if I’ve been bitten by a tsetse fly.
The neighbors have commented to Amy about me. They wonder if I’m alright since I’ve not been outside getting the leaves out of the yard every day. I want to take care of things, but my “get up and go” has “got up and gone.” Fresh air feels good in my lungs, but I can’t stay outside long enough to enjoy it. The list of things to do is mounting, but I just can’t get to them. My twin brother saved me last week. He came and shoveled most of the three tons of gravel I’d ordered onto the pathway leading to the basement.
I have to get better because Amy and I have a trip to Key West planned. Each of us has picked out places we’d like to visit, and the weather predicts highs in the 70s and 80s. I want to have the strength and endurance to see the sights and enjoy the time.
I always thought pneumonia was an old person’s disease. What a shock it was to me to discover that I am, in fact, an oldster. I’m hoping to pull out of this extended illness so that the trip and the rest of the month will be enjoyable. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
