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Original poster

DP has Pneumonia and is really ill

56 replies

whooosh · 08/11/2008 10:44

Any top tips?

She has had a very bad chesty cold thingy for three weeks but yesterday just kind of keeled over,couldn't breathe,numb fingers,sweats etc and was very frightened.

Went to GP who prescribed pennicillin and she has had 3000mg since yesterday early evening.She is no better at all and whilst I am not expecting miracles i did thinks she may be a little better this morning.

Anybody got any tips/advice?

She is bedridden as so short of breath and is achy-I am making her drink,administering Ibuprofen but not sure what eles I can do?

OP posts:
Original poster
whooosh · 09/11/2008 14:43

I am such an ignoramus-I had no idea pneumonia can be so bad-especially in fit,healthy adults.
You lot really have been through the mill-will update here at 4pm.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBANG · 09/11/2008 14:50

forget the potatoes- have something easy!
Hope she is better soon
Does your housephone make ineternal calls to anothr handset, for during the night? If not, you could always give her a bell to ring

Original poster
whooosh · 09/11/2008 14:55

I left her with her mobile and I took mine to bed with me but I think she had such a high fever that she was very confused

Have ditched the Sunday roast idea regardless of what happens-DD will have to have a sarnie!

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 09/11/2008 15:01

oh, whoosh.

i hope she either improves or she gets her blues and twos to hospital.

pneumonia is nasty!

Aitch · 09/11/2008 15:07

really don't take chances, whoosh. be careful of leaving it too long to call, pneumo's serious.

Original poster
whooosh · 09/11/2008 15:13

I just want to give the migraine meds (she took a double dose as single didn't work)a chance to kick in.
She looks and feels terrible but it is very hard to assess what is migraine and what is pneumonia.

I don't want to go and wake her too soon and trigger the migraine again.

3.45 then is my deadline....

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 09/11/2008 15:22

her high fever won't help, though, whoosh.

if he ABs haven't kicked in that well she may need IV ABs.

plus, it dehydrates a person.

a drip might be in order.

eandh · 09/11/2008 15:23

Please get her seen again, dh nan has had pnemonia since early October, she had ab's and was in hospital for a week they discharged her with no ab's and 2days later mil had to call ambulance at 11pm (she lives with pil's) ambulance people said if she hadnt called she would have died. She has now been in hospital a further 3 weeks and regulary having her chest drained

eandh · 09/11/2008 15:24

plus she has had 3 uti's in last 3 weeks form dehydration

TattyCatty · 09/11/2008 15:27

Just to reiterate what everybody is saying - please, please take her to A&E as soon as you can. DH went from being seemingly fully well to hospitalised within 24 hours, so the condition can get worse very quickly.

expatinscotland · 09/11/2008 15:27

that's just it, eandh. my dad had a very similar experience. i didn't realise about the UTI's, i was lucky to escape that. he wasn't.

but he fell ill in august and only cleared the infection in october!

like your nan, he was hospitalised, discharged and then re-admitted.

Original poster
whooosh · 09/11/2008 16:30

OK-so latest update....

Migraine better but not gone,breathing OK but coughing painful and exhausting.

Darling DP who doesn't want to "bother anyone or make a fuss" insisted on calling NHS Direct before I called an ambulance.

Needless to say-they think she is fine,told her off for taking to many migraine meds and to ring her GP in the morning if no better.

DP now of course thinks she is making a fuss about nothing and is even more miserable.

God this is exhausting me-let alone you lot!

So the vigil continues and if she gets an iota worse am calling an ambulance.

Thank you again for all your wise words and can I suggest you all get a job with NHS direct as their nurses are sh*t

OP posts:
StealthPolarBANG · 09/11/2008 16:55

Can you drive her to A&E if she really doesn't want you to call an ambulance?
Is there anyone to look after your DD?

Original poster
whooosh · 09/11/2008 17:02

Two local friends who would have DD are not answering their phones and sister tells me she had a boozy lunch so cannot come up.

I think just walking from car to A&E in this cold would be hell for her too.Even if I managed to grab a wheelchair the cold air would be awful wouldn't it?

Oh God I really don't know what to do.....

OP posts:
Katisha · 09/11/2008 17:05

Get an ambulance. They don't tell you off. I always used to feel over-dramatic getting one for the DSs when they had asthma attacks, but was always told that is what they are there for. And if it's like our system here, a paramedic in a car comes first and assesses the situation, so maybe that'd tell you whether she needed to go actually go in.

StealthPolarBANG · 09/11/2008 17:08

Yes, agree, ambulance
The fact you are so worried makes me think that it's worth it
you're right about the cold air

TattyCatty · 09/11/2008 17:11

Absolutely ambulance. They won't mind at all and far better to err on the side of caution.

zazen · 09/11/2008 17:18

Get an ambulance - they will have a nebuliser in it. You can bring a scarf for her. Has she got ventolin at home? Is she on steroids to help her breath? A course of steroids saved my life..
I had pneumonia for three months in the summer - I was delirius like your Dp and re-wrote my will at one point I was so bad.

I had to go on 4 different types of antibods as some of them didn't clear it up.
We were worried it was MRSA, as there was a persistent Staph aureus bacteria there, as well as all kinds of other ones.

BTW I think your Dp is a lucky girl to have such a caring partner.

Now try and relax!

pofaced · 09/11/2008 17:19

If you are in any doubt, ambulance to A&E. Despite its prevalence, pneumonia is still a serious illness. Don't faff about because she doesn't want to make a fuss & NHS Direct have told her off (?!). Take her to A&E & don'ttake her home unless you are sure she is well enough for you not to be properly worried.

I don't want to alarm you but young-ish people do still die from pneumonia, not just the elderly.

ilove · 09/11/2008 17:20

She needs an ambulance. Now. The fact she was so ill in the night and couldn't get hold of you says that. I've had to call an ambulance for my husband against his wishes and he was in hospital for a week. Seriously, you're not a doc and neither is she...get her under their care asap.

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 09/11/2008 17:23

Please go to A&E.

Dh had pneumonia about 2 months ago. We thought it was just a chest infection which was wore because of his asthma. By the time we went to a&e his oxygen levels were dangerously low.

He was kept in for a few days and He's taken ages to fully recover.

Really hope she's ok.

Winetimeisfinetime · 09/11/2008 17:34

As everyone else is saying, if in doubt get her checked out. Like expat I had pneumonia as a complication of flu a few years ago and it scared the hell out of me. I do remember that it did take 48 hours or so before the abs kicked in but my gp said if it had been any longer I would need to be in hospital.

Just another point - after going through it there was no way I ever wanted to get it again so had a pneumonia vaccination, which is worth considering for those that might be prone to it.

Hope your dp feels better soon whoosh.

expatinscotland · 09/11/2008 17:38

she isn't MAKING A FUSS!

they are being tits.

she is ill and needs seen again.

please get her to A&E.

it's sunday night, not exactly a wild night.

ilovemydogandPresidentObama · 09/11/2008 17:45

Oh my god - thought she was going to A & E yesterday!

The absolute worst that can happen is that she gets checked out and they send you home.

Just tell your DP, 'humor me, please...' if she resists, but bet you dollar to donut she won't because she doesn't have the energy...

WingsofaAngel · 09/11/2008 18:40

Please take her to A & E.

Just because she doesn't want to bother anyone doesn't mean she is right.

She maybe confused anyway.

Good luck.