Public Service Announcement

[Wm.Traynor]

For the last 7 days I have been treated in hospital for pneumonia. I still don't know for sure how I got it but shoveling grass clippings into the wheelie bin is my main suspect. It is hard for me to believe how badly it weakened me, physically. Somehow, I found myself on the floor and I was completely unable to get up. Imagine that! My wife could not help and rang the ambulance and they discovered that I had a temperature Who knew that?

All this is by way of saying, "Be Damn Careful Out There!"

[Die Judicii]

There is a vaccine available (very effective) called "Pneumovax"
I've had two shots of it,, the first one was quite some years ago now, after I very nearly died from pneumonia in FNQ.
And I've never been struck down by it since.
If you haven't already had a dose or two by now it would be worth your while asking your Quack about it.

[bladeracer]

For the last 7 days I have been treated in hospital for pneumonia. I still don't know for sure how I got it but shoveling grass clippings into the wheelie bin is my main suspect. It is hard for me to believe how badly it weakened me, physically. Somehow, I found myself on the floor and I was completely unable to get up. Imagine that! My wife could not help and rang the ambulance and they discovered that I had a temperature Who knew that?

All this is by way of saying, "Be Damn Careful Out There!"

It's good that you got through it okay, a lot don't.

I had it in 2015, nearly killed me. Was in hospital for 15 days while this thing was turning my left lung into pus and pumping it through my body. I was in a palliative ward, though nobody told myself or Rose at the time that they didn't see me getting through it. It took an awesome doctor to go into my lung with a camera and take samples before they worked out how they could kill it. My blood pressure when I got to hospital was 40/60 or something stupid, which was the last thing I remember before I collapsed. The doctor calls me Lazarus

No idea what caused it, just really s**ty weather for a few weeks and something got in and took hold. No significant lasting issues but I'm very careful with my lungs. I had a minor cold five weeks ago, it went away after a week but it's still hanging on my lungs. Not really an issue except when trying to walk uphill
Saw the doc today, having bloods tomorrow, CT next week.

Stay safe, people!

[on_one_wheel]

Probably the vaccine

Similar thing happened to my ex, it hit her like a ton of bricks. It was pretty bad at the time.
In hindsight, that and all her other ailments couldn't have happened to a better person.

[Wm.Traynor]

There is a vaccine available (very effective) called "Pneumovax"
I've had two shots of it,, the first one was quite some years ago now, after I very nearly died from pneumonia in FNQ.
And I've never been struck down by it since.
If you haven't already had a dose or two by now it would be worth your while asking your Quack about it.

As it happens, I have had the vax. Thought it was a bit of a joke at the time, since the last time I had the disease was when I was F O U R That's in 1950. Thought I was immune, I think but the joke is on me.
Jabs are 5 yearly, I think.

[Blr243]

I was chasing pigs with dogs one night in Cunnamulla about 1am when all the boring normal people should be home in bed ....mid stride I felt a huge bang in my chest as if a bullet ripped thru me .....it floored me , and ambo come get me. Very painful to move with pneumonia

[Blr243]

And to make matters worse I never caught any pigs that night. Tragic.

[bladeracer]

I was chasing pigs with dogs one night in Cunnamulla about 1am when all the boring normal people should be home in bed ....mid stride I felt a huge bang in my chest as if a bullet ripped thru me .....it floored me , and ambo come get me. Very painful to move with pneumonia

Out of the blue? You were perfectly fine beforehand?
When I dropped I'd been very crook for three days when I told Rose I thought I should go to hospital

[Blr243]

No blade I was feeling a bit tired and weathered for 2-3 day’s beforehand , a touch more knocked up than usual when hunting hard for a while ....it was sort of coming and going but I was feeling sort of ok like I could run again so I let the dogs off when I heard a mob of pigs bust thru a fence in the dark beside me , then I jumped off the quad and started running , then about 150 m away I got the Big Bang in my chest. Doctor told me later inflamed lung tissue from my mild case of pneumonia hurts like hell when the lung rubs up against your ribs , and when your running trying to catch up to the dogs there’s lots of that rubbing goin on. Later at the hospital trying to move from one bed to another I was slow like a 90 yr old man. And moving just one millimetre was awful painful

[Blr243]

I remember once that night I was feeling buggered so I walked up to a concrete cattle trough so I could sit down on the edge of it. As I did so there in the middle of the night trying to catch my breath I started to realise there was something wrong with me and later back at the quarters I was sitting on the floor sort of incoherrant struggling with the phone book and the telephone and I struggled to find the energy to even ring the ambulance

[NTSOG]

G'day All,

Because I am now considered 'elderly', i.e. over 70, and my immune system is dodgy due to Leukaemia I front up for the free 'flu and pneumonia inoculations each year in April. I would also like to get the shingles vaccination, but the shingles vaccines available are not safe for me due them containing live[?] virus in some form or other. It's better to be safe than sorry. Anyway there are more than enough ways around the farm for me to do myself an injury without me catching some bug.

Jim

[Wm.Traynor]

G'day All,

Because I am now considered 'elderly', i.e. over 70, and my immune system is dodgy due to Leukaemia I front up for the free 'flu and pneumonia inoculations each year in April. I would also like to get the shingles vaccination, but the shingles vaccines available are not safe for me due them containing live[?] virus in some form or other. It's better to be safe than sorry. Anyway there are more than enough ways around the farm for me to do myself an injury without me catching some bug.

Jim

I cannot take a live virus like shingles but my rheumatologist told me last year that a new shingles vac would eliminate those nconcerns.
Coming soon to a medical centre near you

[Wm.Traynor]

I remember once that night I was feeling buggered so I walked up to a concrete cattle trough so I could sit down on the edge of it. As I did so there in the middle of the night trying to catch my breath I started to realise there was something wrong with me and later back at the quarters I was sitting on the floor sort of incoherrant struggling with the phone book and the telephone and I struggled to find the energy to even ring the ambulance

I too, became kind of incoherent. Could not take anything in.

[NTSOG]

G'day WT,

I did check up on the new shingles vaccine and was told I still cannot have it due live virus concerns. The advice put out by the company which makes it also warns about it for those with damaged immune systems.

Jim

[cz515]

I'll say it as no one else did.

COVID

[NTSOG]

G'day WT,

re Shingles vacine - Shingrix

I did a bit more research and found this:

"This new vaccine is a recombinant form of the herpes zoster glycoprotein E antigen, also known as Hz/su. It does not contain live virus and therefore may be suitable for immunocompromised patients pending the results of further studies. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that the vaccine can be administered to people on low-dose immunosuppressive therapy."

On the other hand another article says don't use Shingrix:

"if you have been told by your doctor that you have a weakened immune system as a result of a disease, medications, (including high-dose corticosteroids or cancer medicines), or other treatment.

I need to speak to my oncologist about this in March to see if I can be vaccinated with this. It's all a bit confusing.

Jim

[northdude]

I'll say it as no one else did.

COVID

Was wondering when that c word would pop up

[bladeracer]

G'day All,

Because I am now considered 'elderly', i.e. over 70, and my immune system is dodgy due to Leukaemia I front up for the free 'flu and pneumonia inoculations each year in April. I would also like to get the shingles vaccination, but the shingles vaccines available are not safe for me due them containing live[?] virus in some form or other. It's better to be safe than sorry. Anyway there are more than enough ways around the farm for me to do myself an injury without me catching some bug.

Jim

A neighbour of ours got nailed by shingles about a year ago, spent months off work in pain. Recovered now but it was nasty.

[bladeracer]

No blade I was feeling a bit tired and weathered for 2-3 day’s beforehand , a touch more knocked up than usual when hunting hard for a while ....it was sort of coming and going but I was feeling sort of ok like I could run again so I let the dogs off when I heard a mob of pigs bust thru a fence in the dark beside me , then I jumped off the quad and started running , then about 150 m away I got the Big Bang in my chest. Doctor told me later inflamed lung tissue from my mild case of pneumonia hurts like hell when the lung rubs up against your ribs , and when your running trying to catch up to the dogs there’s lots of that rubbing goin on. Later at the hospital trying to move from one bed to another I was slow like a 90 yr old man. And moving just one millimetre was awful painful

That makes more sense
I was similar, hunting foxes in the rain for days on end. Developed a pretty bad headache and a cough deep in the lungs. I clearly wasn't thinking straight or I'd have had Rose take me to hospital earlier
The time in hospital is mostly a blur. The first time I came conscious was when they were doing the lumbar puncture. I got out and was back in three days later to have the pin removed from my shoulder, then we drove to Perth in the bus.

[NTSOG]

bladeracer: "A neighbour of ours got nailed by shingles about a year ago, spent months off work in pain. Recovered now but it was nasty."

I understand shingles is pretty bad. I have a faint memory from when I was ten years of my father being knocked flat in his fifties by the illness.

The oncologist who keeps an eye on me told me, that since vaccination was not possible with live virus vaccines, I should buy an over-the-counter medication from the chemist called Famciclovir Once and, at the first hint of a cold sore, take the dose of three tablets. Touch wood that I never have to. Time will tell.

Jim

[Wm.Traynor]

bladeracer: "A neighbour of ours got nailed by shingles about a year ago, spent months off work in pain. Recovered now but it was nasty."

I understand shingles is pretty bad. I have a faint memory from when I was ten years of my father being knocked flat in his fifties by the illness.

The oncologist who keeps an eye on me told me, that since vaccination was not possible with live virus vaccines, I should buy an over-the-counter medication from the chemist called Famciclovir Once and, at the first hint of a cold sore, take the dose of three tablets. Touch wood that I never have to. Time will tell.

Jim

Made a note of that thank you, NTSOG

[NTSOG]

G'day WT,

Here's another possible drug [Evusheld] to protect the likes of us with dodgy immune systems. I saw it being discussed on the news last night:

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australi ... ar-AAUh2nu

Jim

[Wm.Traynor]

Thank you NTSOG,
Another one to chat to my doc about in a couple of weeks