I'm in hospital with pneumonia. I'm so lonely.

[easythere]

I just want to go home to my babies.

Has anyone else been in hospital with pneumonia? How long were you in? They suspect I had the worst last week (I was sent home with antibiotics for a chest infection) but wanted me to stay in hospital because my breathing was very fast. Where they said it's pneumonia.

God I feel so sad and teary. I've never been away from home before.
I had home births so I didn't have to be in hospital.

I've got wires everywhere and I can't sleep

It's gonna take a few weeks to build your energy back up. Sleep this off. Take it easy.

Ooh, I hope you get to go home today.

The nurses on this particular ward have been quite horrible, they stand around bitching and gossiping about each other a lot and openly say they don't like doing certain jobs.

One of the nurses that transported me this morning openly was talking about how she didn't want to transport me l, how it should have been someone else's job and how she wanted to go home, the other person transporting me with her just laughed.

I've felt really uncomfortable on this ward.

The other ward yesterday was lovely! The nurses were kind and really compassionate. The atmosphere was light and cheery. Made me feel a lot better.

The particular hospital I'm in has quite a bad reputation unfortunately.

I hope I never have to come into hospital again!
They have just taken all the wires and tubes off and out of me!

It's horrible being away from the children. I've had a lot of stays in hospital for up to a couple of weeks at a time and spent pretty much my entire 2nd pregnancy in hospital which was very hard because I missed my 1st DC so much. Are your little ones allowed to visit ? It's not ideal bringing young children onto a respiratory ward I suppose as you don't want them to pick up anything but could u go to a family room or the cafe or something in the hospital to see them for a little while. It always helps me to know I'm going to get to see the kids even just for a little while.
Also trying to read or watch something that doesn't require too much concentration I find it very hard to focus when I'm Ill and in hospital so prefer stuff I can just dip in and out of and most importantly try to sleep when you can it's hard but I always found it was sometimes easier in the afternoon to get a sleep the ward was generally a bit quieter then that what it was the rest of the time and I could just get my head down and doze on and off.
DC was in hospital with pneumonia before Christmas they were in for 3 nights as soon as they were able to maintain oxygen saturations without needing oxygen they were able to go home on oral antibiotics so hopefully your stay won't be too long . Feel better soon OP

I'm home in bed, DH has to go back to the hospital later to get my antibiotics. But lots of rest for me now!

Thank you everyone for your support! I'm so happy to be home I could burst

So pleased you are home safe OP

Sorry to hear you're not well. I was in hospital for 8 days with pneumonia , after Christmas....on iv antibiotics, steroids and nebulizer. I am home now but still feeling weak so please rest up and try not to over do things. I have 4 children ( older than yours) and like you hated being away from them but they survived! Like you I was v emotional at times, even though I have been in hospital a lot over last few years with various surgeries. It is so hard but I try and look on it as an enforced rest, but like you did not have concentration for reading or much else! I'm sorry that a nurse was so inconsiderate towards your distress. I normally find that most nurses are v understanding and considerate but there is always one! I experienced the long sleepless nights and felt wired , then crashing, most of time from steroids. My way of coping is to try and relax and imagine my body trying to heal itself...making myself agitated only put my blood pressure up! The more you rest the quicker you will be back to yourself. Take care and let everyone look after you 💐🙂

When you're feeling up to it, it seems to me a letter or phone call to PALS wouldn't go amiss, OP.

You've said the hospital doesn't have a particularly good reputation, but all it would take to improve patient experience on the respiratory ward would be for the nursing staff to adopt the same attitude to their work as their colleagues on the other ward you stayed on.

Glad to hear you're home. I had a feeling you would be as Friday is the day they kick as many patients out as possible in order to lighten the load at weekends free up beds for new admissions.

Take it easy and share a medicinal with your dh this evening.

Wishing you a speedy recovery OP ! So glad you are home.

Also ask if DH brings the kids if you can go to the play area to meet them (there should be one in the kids ward) - makes a massive difference rather than having them visit you in your ward.

This wouldn't be allowed.

@val4 I love the idea of imagining my body healing that's great!

@DonKeyshot I'm not sure I've heard of PALS before but I'll look it up thank you.

Home in bed, DH has made me a lovely dinner which I actually had a good go at and I'm trying to drink more because I'm really rubbish at drinking enough.

I know I need to help my body out now though by putting stuff into it which, to be honest I haven't being so poorly last week. I have an appetite now though so I'm counting that as progress.

I've lost a stone in weight since the start of being poorly I'm now 8stone 11 (I am a tiny 5 foot 2 though) which would have sounded great to me before, but I just would rather feel healthy right now. For my girls.

I don't suppose anyone knows anything particularly good to eat/drink to help with pneumonia, I'm obviously on complete rest so I know there's not much else I can do apart from take my pills. google says tea and soup.
I really want to help myself and stay out of hospital. I feel so powerless and I hate it.

So glad you're home .
Nothing like a stay in hospital to make you appreciate the simple things, like your own toilet, shower, bed etc.

@easythere I am in hospital too got brought in by ambulance yesterday morning - spent the day in resus having repeated seizures and generally out of it.
I got brought to the ward last night when I had recovered a bit and had a big cry because I don’t want to be here. The lovely nurse brought me some tissues and a cup of tea and chatted to me for half an hour.

Didn’t sleep at all last night because the porters came and took the three other people in the room to other wards and brought new people in - in half hour intervals throughout the night so this went on for six hours!

I am now sat with one elderly lady shouting ow constantly (there is nothing hurting her she has dementia and this is just the word she says) and the other that keeps taking my drinks off my table and drinking them - taking her nighty off and walking round naked and shouting at me and calling me a lazy cow because I am lying in bed (I’m not allowed to get up because everytime I do my blood pressure drops and my oxygen drops to 84 so I am lay in bed on oxygen and fluid drip. )
I just want to go home to my cosy bed and my family.

Just seen that you are home now
Give your family a big hug , enjoy being in your own hour and make sure you rest and let people look after you.

Easythere, delighted to hear you are at home and recovering. I am eating regular meals with fresh vegetables and fruit. I'm also making effort to eat full fat bio yoghurts, to replenish after all antibiotics. I find Im really thirsty so making sure I drink lots water and some orange juice. Unfortunately, I never lost weight ,as I was on steroids for month so my appetite soared , but energy levels very low so little exercise! I'm now slowly building up my walks with my dog.....before pneumonia I was walking 50mins daily but only just managing 15 mins before my legs feel weak! I'm trying to not do too much but it's so frustrating because any activity is making me feel weak. My doctor says that it will take some time to get back to normal, so I suppose I need to be patient with myself.

Glad you’re home, that’s splendid news!

My Nan has copd on top on pneumonia... she’s been in a week so far with not estimate for discharge

Hey OP, so glad you're home! I'm so sorry about the way the nurses on the respiratory ward treated you. I think it's on of those professions that attracts bullies who know they'll be able to throw their weight about, like teaching. I had a very mixed bunch when I was in this time last year. Some were absolutely salt of the earth, some were a bit unpleasant, one was utterly poisonous. I still think about it all this time on. I think when you're at your most vulnerable decent emotional support is as important as the drugs. Anyway, super glad you're home with your little munchkins and your OH now. Hope you come on in leaps and bounds!

Glad to hear you’re home and back in your own bed
I had pneumonia when DD was a baby , luckily I did t have to go to hospital , but I did have steroids , antibiotics and an inhaler ( and I’ve suffered from asthma since )
DD is now 23 and I still remember how ill I felt and how much I cried , the tears just fell out of my eyes , not from being unhappy , just exhaustion and generally unwell
Keep fluids up , soup , tea , fruit juice
Soft food ( I was too tired to chew ) scrambled eggs ?
I didn’t get completely better for a good 4 months , so don’t expect a miracle cure
If you need a nap , take one
Hope you’re starting to feel better 💐

Thank you again everyone!
And thank you for the food suggestions too.

We actually have a nebuliser at home as DH is asthmatic so the Nurse said to use that once a day if I need to.

Coughing lots at the moment, lots of phlegm but I think that's a good thing? It's coming off my chest?
Other than that my body feels normal. No aches or pains or anything. Just these lungs!

I think DH is struggling a little with everything, he's never taken a day of work before and never had to do FULL ON child care on his own, especially with 2. (Youngest dd is 9 months) so I think it's a bit of a shock for him too. But I guess a good thing in retrospect, he's bonded with the youngest more. He's deep cleaned the whole house today and I think maybe has realised that I don't just sit at home all day doing nothing while he's at work!

I'm very lucky to be home recovering.

@Pinkbutterfly79 I hope you feel better soon and get to go home aswell

@val4 I'll get DH to get me some of that yogurt tomorrow! That's a great idea thank you!

for you OP. It sucks being in hospital when you have kids. I have missed birthday parties on two consecutive years, been hospitalised for a week on a week long holiday.....and it never gets easier.

The good things that came out of it: my ex husband is now completely great at looking after DD by himself. I have no concerns when she is with him. And DD got used to staying with her grandma's when exH had to go to work. So it made the family closer and meant other people are able to look after DD as well as me. And that's a good thing!

So let other people help you. The kids will be fine as will you. Honestly xx

Also ask if DH brings the kids if you can go to the play area to meet them (there should be one in the kids ward) - makes a massive difference rather than having them visit you in your ward.

This wouldn't be allowed

I know! Could you imagine? Anyone that’s got children, just pop to the children’s ward to use the playroom? We’re not a fucking crèche!

Glad you’re home OP. Try and rest.

@SirChing thank you! Yes it's certainly a learning curve for me to force myself to step back a bit.
I've never really let anyone help me with the children before.
So I guess it's turning the negative into a positive!

My sister is taking my eldest today too so I've got even more help!