It started on a Sunday night with a sharp, gouging pain just under my left armpit. I shook my head in disgust. How did I pull a muscle under my left armpit? I am such a klutz!
The next morning, I leaped out of bed, pain forgotten. Showered, dressed and morning chores complete, I was ready for a great day at work. But two hours in, I was seized by bone-crushing exhaustion.
“Ridiculous.” I slept well. Fueled by stubbornness and an old-school work ethic, I downed a cup of black coffee, sucked up a 5-hour Energy drink and slogged through the day.
Actually, I slogged through the week. Lunch hour became a longed-for oasis. I slept. After work, I dropped into bed like a sack of overcooked potatoes. But ever optimistic, I just knew revitalization was right around the corner. But none came.
My co-workers were apparently watching my decline with some dismay. The Lord blessed me with enthusiasm for just about everything, but at that time my enthusiasm was limited to naps. Usually, I am happily buzzing about the place. Rarely do I sit. But now, chairs beckoned me. Gingerly, I would take a seat in each one I passed and hope no one would catch me nodding off. But they did.
My boss’s concern scared me into visiting urgent care. The tests for COVID-19 and flu, along with the EKG, showed a perfectly healthy woman. But the lung X-ray? It seemed that the pesky pain under my armpit was caused by my left lung filling with infection.
You could have dropped me with a feather when I was told I had pneumonia! I had none of the symptoms one associates with a lung condition. No cold, no cough, no real shortness of breath. If I had a fever, I didn’t recognize it. I was only starting to get a tad winded by the time I got to urgent care.
Treated with a heavy round of antibiotics, I quickly rallied. But not everyone does.
As a practitioner of the “know your enemy” philosophy, I immediately started researching pneumonia. Here’s what I learned: In general, pneumonia is a leading cause of death from infectious disease for people over 60. Atypical pneumonia, the kind I seem to have had, is often less severe than other types but can lead to serious complications, particularly among immunocompromised seniors.
It may present an array of oddball symptoms that look nothing like what one might expect from pneumonia. A sufferer may or may not experience headaches, muscle aches, joint stiffness, loss of appetite and my favorite possible symptom, confusion. Go ahead. Add insult to injury.
Many folks over 60 are of hearty stock. We have spent lifetimes muscling through “inconveniences” like perceived minor health concerns. While the increasing vulnerabilities presented by getting older are annoying, avoiding peril is possible.
Maybe we can’t stop Father Time, but we can combat the old coot’s disturbing assaults by exercising humility when confronted by some new limitation. If it feels wrong, face it: It’s wrong.
By acknowledging suspicious symptoms, we could be sparing ourselves and, just as importantly, our loved ones, an avoidable calamity. If I’ve learned nothing else from atypical pneumonia, there’s no shame in yelling uncle and visiting a health care professional when things feel off.
Sonia Hedrick and her husband Jerry arrived in Nevada just over a year ago. A South Florida native, Sonia is captivated by the landscape, climate, history and overall “vibe” of Lyon County and specifically, Fernley. Sonia truly enjoys meeting people and has found some of the most interesting people she has ever met right here in our area. She looks forward to introducing readers to their neighbors in her upcoming contributions to the Fernley Reporter.
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