Pneumonia

Today, I'm thankful for my health. I'm not a star athlete with only 2% body fat who only eats a Paleo diet...but I do try to work out and eat healthy as much as I can. I could afford to lose some weight (working on it!) but I'm used to working hard in horse barns and such so I can usually keep up with different kinds of hard work. I do have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis but it's really not an issue. Basically my thyroid glands don't work properly so I take a medicine to keep them in check. The worst systems I experience are weight gain, dry hair/skin, and a swollen neck. No biggie. Overall my husband and I are pretty healthy and I am very thankful for that. I also inherited an iron stomach and a strong immune system from my dad. I am thankful that we are healthy and don't have a lot of disease in our family histories. We do plan to get back into a regular schedule at the gym and eat better at home, though!

As I briefly mentioned yesterday, a very good friend of mine is in the hospital. She's been there for 4 days now and she's been in a medically induced coma for most of the time. She has a severe case of pneumonia that (in my opinion, and the doctor's 'thinks') was a result of an immune suppressing drug she was taking for her juvenile arthritis. It's called Humira and it seems to do wonders for people with arthritis and even other issues like psoriasis and Crohn's disease. Unfortunately it suppresses your immune system which leaves you highly vulnerable to getting sick. In my friend's case, a bad cold escalated very quickly into pneumonia. Her first night in the hospital she began having trouble breathing and had a rapid heart beat so they put her in the medically induced coma in order to allow her heart and lungs to rest. Her temperature reached 103 but has slowly dropped. Last I heard it was at about 101.5. Her vital signs are better but her lungs are worse. They are trying to get her more stable so they can move her to another hospital, where I assume they are better equipped.

It kills me being 2 hours away and not being able to do anything but pray.

So since it's all I can do, please join me in praying for her. She's only 24...she shouldn't have to go through something so awful like this. Pray her lungs clear up and her fever breaks. Pray for a miracle amount of strength on her part and that the doctors know exactly what to do.

Thank you to everyone who sends up a prayer...it's truly appreciated. Hopefully I'll have some positive updates soon.

Till next time,
Catherine