Quote:
Originally Posted by poet_kelly
My pneumonia was AWFUL. I ended up in the hospital for three weeks. I was in intensive care on a respirator for several days because I was unable to breathe on my own. Personally, I think I probably caught it while I was in the hospital after having my RNY. Hospitals are full of germs, you know. I was sick for a couple of weeks before I finally went to the ER and found out it was pneumonia. I was kind of upset, too, because I'd seen my surgeon a few days before that and he didn't catch it. Maybe if I'd started treatment sooner, it wouldn't have gotten so bad. But I also have to admit that I quit doing the spirometer before I was supposed to stop, so it may have been my own fault.
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That must have been terrible...I can't even imagine, so soon after surgery. Yes, hospitals are some of the scariest places when it comes to bugs. Last November I was hospitalized for infection of my lower legs. The whole time there I kept everything crossed I didn't pick up a case of MRSA while hanging out for five days in a semi-private room. I was doubly anxious to get home from the GB surgery and was thrilled when my surgeon released me 24 hours afterward. I only spent one full night in the hospital and that suited me just fine.
Whether you stopping the spirometer early was one of the reasons you contracted pneumonia is a moot point. Your surgeon absolutely should have caught it if he saw you a few days before you ended up in ER! And I agree, it probably wouldn't have gotten so severe if it had been caught and treated earlier. I would also think if your surgeon or any of your nurses had impressed upon you the importance of continuing the spirometer, you may have been more compliant.