Yikes, glad to see you back and hopefully feeling well.

Oh wow!! That was scary. I am so sorry you have been going through this. Hopefully you are totally on the mend.

patriciae

I'm very sorry to hear of your serious illness and long hospital stay. I hope your health will soon be back to normal.

It is amazing how viruses can change your life. This sounds like a horrible last two months. I hope you recover swiftly.

Alisande! What an ordeal you've been through. I’m sorry to learn that, but I’m glad you’re back home now with you dog and that your daughter is helping you.

I hope you continue to improve and that you stay in touch as you’re able.

I’m so sorry you had to go through this, but glad to hear you are home! What a frightening ordeal! I hope you’ll be gaining strength now that you’re home. I hope you enjoy the coming holiday.

Wow, that sounds like a scary eight weeks. I have never heard of the astro virus. How do you think you picked up these two viruses? I'm glad you're home with your doggie and family nearby and hope you continue to heal.

That is so scary. Thank God you are finally home and on the mend. will keep you in my prayers.

Oh no! Such a horrible ordeal! I'm so sorry you've gone through this. It seems so unfair that something so tiny as a virus can bring us such suffering. I hope that you are completely on the mend and that you will have nothing but healthy victories against these diseases in the future. Sending you thoughts of patience, strength, courage and rapid healing!

I'm exhausted for you!

Clever of the hospital to collapse your lung...good lord! You certainly gave them opportunities to fire up the diagnostic equipment.

I am glad you are finally out of hospital! I hope your experience with visiting nurses will be as positive as I've always found them.

Can you tell us how this evidenced? Some things you pushed aside that blew up? You know I worried that you were pushing yourself too hard caring for your rescue dog.

Will your doctors prescribe Zolpidem to help at night. I take 2.5MG if I I'm awake for 30 minutes before 3 a.m.

How's the pain?

Dare I also ask about *that appliance*?

I'm so sorry to hear about your ordeal. I hope things get better for you. I'm glad that you are home, and your dog is there, dogs can be such a quiet comfort.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear you were knocked off your feet. Glad you are on the road to recovery. Take care of yourself.

I had to google astrovirus as I've never heard of it. Boy, you really got a double whammy and every thing that can result from the two of them combined.

Sure am glad you;re back at home and getting better. Take care.

I recently had a reverse shoulder replacement and I’ll tell you it was a piece of cake compared to what you have been through. One night in the hospital and kicked right out. But I’m doing fine. I am so sorry to hear of your serious illness. I wish you the best.

debra

Susan...I'm glad you checked in! Eight weeks! That's a long time to be out-of-commission and away from your home & your dog. I hope it's ALL over with and you'll be getting back to your usual normal very soon. That's just horrible what you've been through. Of course you'll need some time to recover. Keep us in the loop....love a success story....take care!

What a trip you have had! I hope that your recovery will be speedy, peaceful and complete.

Oh my goodness! This sounds awful and exhausting. I’m sending you healing vibes from TN. Get your rest and take the meds. Keep us informed of your progress.

I'm so sorry to hear this...you've truly been through the wringer. I hope that your healing is fast and lasting. I'm glad you are enjoying your home and doggie.

Oh, my gosh, Susan, you have certainly been put through the wringer! I am glad you are doing better and are at home again. Please take it easy (I know you’re the type to try to push through any pain or discomfort) and follow your doctor’s orders! Gentle hugs for you!

That sounds horrible! Glad you are on the mend.

What an ordeal you have had. I'm glad you are home and have your pup back. I hope you continue to heal and get back to good health. 🙏

Oh Alisande, Im so very sorrry you had to go through that. I hope you have a comp,ete recovery. A lesson for all of us how life can change on a dime.

Hoping for the best outcome. You are a string woman and will persevere.

I'm so sorry to hear of this and glad you are home. I wish you a full recovery. I was just thinking about you a few days ago! Please take care of yourself.

So sorry to learn of your health troubles - that's a lot to bear! Sending you well-wishes and hoping you continue to improve and are able to enjoy the coming holidays

Wow, Susan, that is so scary to hear. And to come on so sudden! But I'm glad you are finally home and I hope you can recover completely and quickly. You will have a lot to be thankful for tomorrow. I hope you get to have a good Thanksgiving.

wishing you a speedy recovery! what a scary ordeal for you. i hope you are resting well and will be able to enjoy today and the upcoming holidays.

You have been through an ordeal ! That's the best word to describe it - 8 weeks in the hospital is dreadful. It must have been exhausting. I am so glad that you are back in your own home. Hopefully you'll soon be able to resume a better sleep routine now that you're in your own bed.

How did the doctor's appointment go? And the senior transport? My Mom relied on that for several years when she was in a wheelchair and we were always wondering if they'd show up on time or remember to come back to take her home.

Are you able to navigate the stairs? That's great that you'll get PT at home.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving - please take it easy and let us know how you are faring.

So sorry for everything you have been through. Hope you feel better soon

What a terrible ordeal! I’m so sorry you’ve had to fo through all this and hope you will do better at home with continued care.

I’ll just throw out some caution with caring for your dog. I don’t recall the dog’s size, but it can be overwhelming, both physically and for your well-being when you aren’t well. I worry about you falling or tripping. If you know anyone who could temporarily take care of your dog until you are stronger, it might be helpful.

Thank you, everyone. The senior transport was rough. Literally. Riding in the van felt like experiencing heavy turbulance in a small aircraft. Our rural roads can be bumpy (and in the case of my own and some others, full of potholes), and inside the van we felt every one. Exactly the thing I've been so careful to avoid with the riding mower because of my scoliosis. My back hurt the whole ride(s), and it still hurts.

The doctor heard more fluid in my chest, and ordered an x-ray. I just read the report: fluid in half of the left side. I think the recommendation is to have it drained, but I hope I'm wrong. Since today is Saturday, I don't know when I'll find out for sure. Going back to the hospital where I had the other three drains would be torture, not just because of the drains. I was there a total of two weeks, and it was the noisiest, most brightly-lit facility. I got almost no sleep, and every meal (I ate none of them) was what we called "rubber chicken."

I haven't done the stairs yet. I was cleared for stairs when I was doing better at the rehab, but then the pericarditis flared and that was the end of that--temporarily, at least. It's something to look forward to.

Bowie is back home with me, and we are managing pretty well. I'm so out of the groove that I'm going to set reminders to feed him on time. I'm not really walking him . . . I let him out on a 30' lead and watch to see where he goes. My grandson and daughter-in-law take him for short walks, which is all Bowie needs at age 14.

Can you tell us how this evidenced? Some things you pushed aside that blew up? You know I worried that you were pushing yourself too hard caring for your rescue dog.

Chisue, the only thing I remember was more fatigue than usual when I left the library carrying a heavy bag with the Scrabble game and a couple of books. Everything else was sudden, or seemed to be. But yes, I strongly suspect that my immune system may have gotten hammered in this way because months of poor sleep (from getting up throughout the night with Bowie) had lowered my resistance. I can't let the same thing happen again.

Fortunately for me, my daughter trained Bowie to sleep in a crate. She also researched how much water a dog of his size needed, and portioned it out to him throughout the day. We knew he'd beeen drinking too much water (the vet found no explanation other than anxiety following an illness he had), and that resulted in a need to go out during the night. The first night in his crate at my house was awful; he barked until 1:00 a.m. I suspect he might have been reacting to an air purifier that emits a soft, high-pitched sound. But he's been doing a LOT better since, possibly because I turned off the air purifier.

As for "that appliance," I'll have to start a separate refrigerator thread. I think that saga is over, only because I haven't the energy to continue it. But I wanted to share some of the letter the dealer wrote to the PA agency that looked into the case. Almost none of it was accurate.

Lily, no one I've spoken to has heard of the astrovirus--including at least two doctors. It's impossible for me to say where I picked up the viruses, although my best guess is the eye doctor's office. I hadn't been going many places other than the library once a week, but four days before I got sick I sat in the eye doctor's waiting room quite a long time, then had my eyes dilated and waited some more in another waiting room.

Thanks again for the KT support and good thoughts!

Wow Alisande, I am so sorry to hear all you've been through and are going through but it sure sounds like you are doing the slow but steady improvement. Sending hopes and prayers and vibes to continue on the healing path.

(off to google astro virus).

Oh Alisande, how awful. And who would have known you'd end up with sports injuries from Scrabble. I too have scoliosis and jarring bumps can really hurt. So praying for better health soon.

Hugs to you.

Alisande, I’m so very sorry to read of your troubles and wish you a quick and painless recovery! I very much admire your independence and resilience, but at the same time am glad to know you have family nearby. Thank you for checking in.

I just saw this now…. wow! Eight weeks… I am so sorry you went through this. I hope the healing continues and you get go stay home to do it!

That is just horrible. I will pray for your recovery & that you can regain your strength.

Thanks for the update.

I wish I thought you've learned a lesson about sacrificing yourself over a dog but I won't pick on you now. (Later? Oh, yes.)

What options do you have for transport? How is it going with the visiting nurses? Are they a separate group or part of the hospital conglomerate?

Please, please, take care of *yourself*.

Chisue, the visiting nurses are great. They're part of a separate group of RNs, LPNs, and physical and occupational therapists. An RN came by yesterday and drew my blood for testing. I'm low on potassium--no surprise.

In an emergency I can always call on my daughter or son-in-law for transportation. They're both busy with work, but not far away. I was hoping to use the county transportation to take some of the burden off my family, all of whom have been beyond helpful in so many ways the past two months. A dear friend called today to offer her driving services. She's an artist who works at home. I wouldn't have asked her, as she's about a half-hour away, but I'll take her up on her offer. She's a good driver too--something I always consider. 😊

PS: Happy to say I chose a new Medicare Part D drug plan for 2026 today. I was concerned about getting it done before the 12/7 deadline. It's something I do every year, but this was the first year I had drugs to plug into the decision-making process. It went smoothly though.

Alisande, What you have gone through is utterly unimaginable! I'm glad you have family nearby you can can rely on, as well as friends and the visiting nurses. You are in my prayers.

So sorry to read this. It sounds awful. Glad you are home with your dog. You might want to consider a Life Alert to wear until you are fully recovered. Meals on Wheels might be another option to consider. Do take people up on offers to drive you. Its not easy to ask for favors, but people like to be helpful, and its certainly better than being in pain for days. Another option is hiring Visiting Angels or a similar company. The Angel could take you to appts, walk the dog, light cooking, housekeeping,and even bathing help.

Thanks, Lisa. My daughter had the same idea. She sent me a link to the Life Alert website, asking me to pick one. I'm told that in our county at least, the Meals on Wheels food is comparable to hospital food, which I found inedible. Today I cooked a tofu-mushroom stir fry over brown rice from a microwavable pouch. It felt like an achievement, although I did it in many stages because my back hurts so much from walking or standing. It was nowhere near this bad before I rode almost three hours in the county transport van. So frustrating to have this now on top of everything else. A few weeks ago I did a test walk. unaided at the rehab's PT. That would not be possible now.

Occupational Therapy recommended a handheld shower, so I ordered one, and my son and daughter-in-law installed it in my 1960s plumbing (1850 house). Turned out I'd shrunk even more in the past couple of months, and I couldn't reach it! So the physical therapist detached it for me, and let it hang. When it came time for my first shower, I did what I always did: I turned on the water. Big mistake! Like a chrome snake, the shower head flew in all directions, banging into everything and spraying water everywhere. I'm smiling now, but I wasn't smiling then!

((((Alisande))))

Gentle hugs and I hope that you feel better soon. I'm glad that your kids are nearby to help. I'm sure that they don't view that as any sort of imposition.

Susan, do you have access to a back brace for when you need to walk or stand for a bit?

I find it helpful when my back’s out of whack, when I remember to use it. I would guess you might have a stress fracture or two in your back and only time can heal those, afaik; my mother went through that pain time and again. I wish you pain relief and appetizing food!

Sjerin, I never thought of a back brace. I have a 60º lumbar curve, and a "rib hump" (there's a nicer-sounding medical term for it) where my ribs have been pushed out of place. Somehow I don't see a brace making me more comfortable with this area being as sensitive as it is--but then I don't know anything about braces. Did your mother have scoliosis?

Thank you for the recommendation and good wishes!

You know, I don’t remember any doctor using the term but boy, was her back a mess in xrays, etc! She lived til nearly 97, and over the latter part of her life lost 7! inches… I suppose due to all the stress fractures. She’d feel the pain for about 6 weeks then slowly realize it was much improved.

Having said this, your and her situations may be different. Hang in there and try not to do anything crazy, though with doggy that may be a little difficult. Accept help!!

Slowly, slowly please.

Glad the VNA is freestanding. Some years back hospitals disovered another money-maker in home health care and forced many community based VNAs our of business. Now it's a big part of their income, along with all out-patient care.

Do accept the friend's offer to drive. If it makes you feel better, you could offer to reimburse her for gas.

Our tub has a spray attachment. I've forgotten I'd left it 'on' and done the same exciting snake dance, but not confined within a shower. At least we an still laugh when we're done cursing.

Shrinking question: Do you sometimes feel childlike at your new, lower height? I was only about ten years old when I was last 5' 3".

I'm down to 5'5" now from 5'7". Next week's exam will probably find me even shorter.