Tuesday at work was just like any other day. Didn't feel great but I'd definitely had days I felt worse. At around 1:30 pm I started up a trew where I had a young squirrel follow me all over the tree trying to chew on my safety lanyard. I took out my phone to snap a couple pics of him and he jumped onto my phone and then onto me. I played with him a little bit and went on about my work trimming the tree.
This was at 2:00 pm
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o744/19onpoint85/Mobile%20Uploads/20141007_134327_zpstgkwd5fr.jpg) (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/19onpoint85/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141007_134327_zpstgkwd5fr.jpg.html)
By 4 o'clock that evening I was so sick It was unimaginable. I couldn't see, couldn't focus on anything, gasping for air and not getting any. I'm the boss on my crew and always drive the work truck. I remember telling somebody else they was going to have to drive when it came time to go home. We got back to the parking lot and I didn't want to hold anybody up from getting home so I told th e guys I was fine. I tried to drive but seen I couldn't so I never even left the parking lot. I called my wife and she made the 1 hour drive in about 40 minutes and took me straight to the ER. They had to put me on oxygen shirtly after being there and then They admitted me with what they thought was pneumonia in both lungs. This was how my Tuesday went.
Wednesday
Woke up and still felt terrible. Didn't eat a bite. Just Laure around all day. My wife had to go to work so my mom came to be with me. She had to go to work and my dad showed up. For some reason my oxygen dropped off even while I was on oxygen and I couldn't breath at all. They done another scan and realized the infection had doubled in 16 hours. This was a good hospital and they said they had to transfer me to a hospital with a specialist. They said they would be taking me by amabulance. About 10 minutes later they say chsnge of plans that I needed to go by helicopter in order to get there in time. So by this point I'm scared to death. I really thought Wednesday was the last day i was going to be alive. I arrived at the hospital with the specialist where they put me in the ICU. I met the doctor and she told me she thought she could save me but I would more than likely end up on the ventilator before she got everything fought off.
Thursday
Things started turning around, still felt awful but they was able to take the oxygen mask off me and put the oxygen back in my nose.
Friday
Even more improvent.
Saturday
I feel a lot like my old self with the exception of being so weak I can't even get out of bed on my own. I'm even out of the ICU and in my own room. The doctor is going to try to get me to where I can go home Monday.
I' never go to the doctor. A couple months ago everybody on my family had an upper respitory infection. I just toughed my way through it with Alka seltzer. Evidently this lead to pneumonia in both lungs. Then she said I had chemical problems from all the high pressure gun blasters I use without proper ventilation. (I shoot my pistols at least 4 days a week and often more, break them down and clean after every time I shoot them). The specialist thinking is that added inflammation to the infection.
She said that the cat scan of my lungs was the worst that she's seen in years and still one of the worst ever. She can't understand how I made the progress I did. But once again the man upstairs has looked out for me again. This time has definitely been my closest call. There's been several times when I looked back and thought "I should be definitely be dead". This is the only time in my life I actually thought "I'm gonna die" it was a terrible feeling. Especially being 29 years old.
This has finally give me the incentive to stop smoking. My mom said she is going to stop to.
My wife has been here with me the entire time. She left Wednesday to go to work and all that happened. She rushed back and haven't left my side since. I'm so fortunate to have such a great family to support me through this. I don't know if I could have done it without them. Just wanted to share.
Justin
Scary! Glad your getting better.
Sounds like a close call Justin. Glad you are doing so much better.
Glad your better.
Glad to hear you're doing better! Here's some more incentive to quit smoking.....think about how much of that money goes to Uncle Sam. I chewed for over 20 years but gave it up several years ago with that very thought in my head and I've never looked back.
Man, you sure had a rough time, so glad your doing better.
Holy crap Justin!
Glad you are ok, and are on the mend! Pneumonia is a very scary thing!
Glad your ok and out of the woods(figuratively)
Good to hear you are doing better.
Sure glad you are doing better Justin. My wife has also had pneumonia since Tuesday but is doing OK now.
Scary stuff, glad you're on the mend.
Too close for comfort! Glad you're better and glad to see you took the positive from it. Hang in there, you go through this you can quit smoking too!
Glad you're better!
Sure glad you're doing better Justin!!
Dang glad your ok Justin!
Wow. That sounds down right scary. I have pneumonia a couple weeks ago but it was my own fault for not using proper respirators when sanding in a closed garage on a bunch of exotic type woods. I'm glad something beneficial came of it and you were able to quit smoking. God is looking after you no doubt about it!!
Hey Justin,
Like all the others, I'm so glad to hear that you're on the road to recovery. I was very concerned that you'd contracted some terrible infection or disease from that squirrel. Pneumonia is a terrible disease and many folks don't realize how serious it can be or that it can be caused by exposure to chemicals, as apparently yours was, or at least aggravated by it.
I wish you well in quitting smoking. I know it's a difficult thing to do, even when you know how bad it is for you. I've lost 2 brothers and 1 sister to smoking, so I know how bad it can be. I wish your Mother well too.
I hope you have a full and complete recovery and feel better than you've ever felt.
Thanks,
Clark
Yeah, that would have been enough to freak me out too! Glad to hear you're doing better! God is certainly good!!
Very glad you whooped it and are feeling better.don't ever forget the love of your good woman.
Thanks everyone.
I got to come home yesterday evening. I don't think I've ever been so happy to sleep in my own bed. I'm feeling a lot better. Just gotta got my strength get built back up and I'll be good to go. Told my boss I' was going to try to be back to work by Monday. He said not to come back until I was for sure ready. Don't want me getting up in a tree and getting light headed or out of breath. Told me my FILA kicks in Tuesday and that if it was him he'd take a couple weeks and go deer hunting. He's a cool boss. There's no way they'll beat the circuit without me there though. They had to shut the manual truck down. There hasn't been one tree climbed since I've been gone, all bucket work and cutting brush.
As much as I hate going to work I'm ready to get back
Glad you're better! I had pneumonia a few years back and it kicked my butt. Get your strength back and get in the woods.
Glad your getting better and good luck to both you and your mom on quit in smoking.
Glad your better Justin, someone was looking out for you.
A friend of mine had a similar issue just a few months ago. Sadly he is no longer with us.
It's amazing how life can change in a moment.
Count your blessings fellows...
Glad your o.k.! Going thru some respiratory issues myself right now so I know how scary that was for you. I'm going thru quitting smoking myself and it's HARD! but you can do it! I just think about how much my family needs me and how selfish it is for me to ruin everything by not stopping one little unnecessary thing. Good luck and hang in there!!
Quitting smoking is definitely gonna be rough. This is my 10th straight day without a cigarette and what I wouldn't give for a Marlboro light right now. I bought several different kinds of dip and so far thsts really helping a lot. I know it's bad for ya too, but it's bound to be Better than smoking. I've found that I like the mint flavor, now just gotta find the brand I like. I like the taste of skoal but the punch of grizzly. Whatever I do though I sure hope to god I don't end up smoking again.
Got out a little for the first time today. Went to the farms and checked some cameras. Came home and shot one of my 9 mm and my beloved 45. It's wore me down some but it helped me get some more of that stuff up. It's hard to believe how much gettin sick like that takes out of ya.
To everybody else sick I'll be praying for you. And for those trying to quit smoking, good luck is about all I got cuz I don't have any advice on that one
Damn it man! Pneumonia is tough stuff. I had it once and it was no fun. Glad you are doing better.
Glad to hear you are recovering. You never know when a real problem can creep up. I had a massive heart attack a couple of years ago. came out of nowhere. I had never been sick with much of anything.
I was back in the woods ten days later calling turkeys for my neighbor. Hey, priorities you know.
Glad you are doing better
Justin, Glad to see you are better, good luck on stopping smoking