h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just realized I hadn't said anything about the last few days on here But at least you folks that are here and not where I have been talking about it will be spared the temperature readings

Anyway, Tom's been very ill for 4 days. He had his dad take him to the hospital while I was at work today, and it turns out he (Tom, not his dad) has a mild case of pneumonia. If this was mild, I'd hate to see severe! His prescription's at the pharmacy right now, and his instructions from the hospital say he's to go back if he's not getting better by the time 2 days pass.

Oh, come on...!

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I hope he will be fine soon

I hope so too

I also hope that the contagiousness doesn't affect the girls or I!

Oh, dear. Hope he gets well quickly.

Have they said whether it's bacterial or viral?
Is it the kind that one could be vaccinated against?
Should I stop asking questions?

I assume bacterial because he's got antibiotics.

Didn't ask.

Why?

Because antibiotics would be ineffective against the viral kind.

Exactly.

Dear Tom, Amy, Faith and Grace,

I am so sorry that your very dear husband and Daddy is ill with pneumonia. You must take great care to recuperate properly so that you do not weaken both your resistance to the pneumonia and to your lungs. Lungs are very precious organs to one's body and to one's state of health. So you MUST listeh to Amy, and let all the women in your life nurse you back to full health.

Please do not go back to work too early. Eat lots of fresh citrus and drink lots of fresh orange. I do not know if you know it, but the essential vitamin C which is found in citrus fruit disappears the minute that the fruit is in any way "interered" with by any means of preservation.

I actually start every day with a fresh lemon squeezed and then pour in some very hot water. In this way I have been able to avoid having a cold all winter.

(Quickly crosses fingerl toes and anything else that u can cross. _!!) I also thank the Lord.

I know that it is vital for me NOT to catch cold. and I also know how vital it is for me to have my lungs functioning as well as they can. thank goodness I did all that swimming training when I was young. I am sure that it is that that gave me the strength to overcome the events of the last ten years.

With much affection and prayers for a good recovery, but do NOT get up too quickly. Take your time.

Christiane.

AR80

25/III/2010 6.10 GMT

And another oops--I forgot to update you guys

Tom's doing much, much better His fever's been gone a couple of days, and I'm having to be rather strict about not going downstairs until the day after tomorrow, that being a week since he went in and was told to do pretty much nothing for at least a week.

Ah good, glad Tom's better. And I know paulh is going to be relieved, since with those crossed fingers and toes, typing and walking were difficult.

Great to hear

Good news indeed, Amy. I hope the improvement continues.

Stop me if you've heard this before...

When my middle son, Beren, had pneumonia, the docs didn't know what it was at first (he'd had many a febrile convulsion beforehand) I spent a total of 3 weeks in hospital with him. We were in a fairly local place for the first week and a half but were transferred to a children's hospital for the rest. He underwent a two hour operation and was left with chest drains in for a further week (he calls the scars left behind his 'encounter with a shark ). I'll never forget him asking me, 'Mummy, will I ever get better?' He's absolutely fine now, some several years later. I hope Tom will be the same. for the family.

I sometimes wonder if pneumonia is more prevalent during cool, wet weather such as what so many of us are going through right now .