PNEUMOCYSTOSIS...

What a long week it has been.  Yes, I am still in the hospital. After getting their best people on it...(kind of like an episode of House) they have determined what I have.  It is called Pneumocystosis or PCP. It is a kind of fungus caused pneumonia that attacks immune suppressed people.When my new oncologist heard what it was, she grimmaced in a concerning way.  If your doctor is grimmacing at your diagnosis after all these years of practice, you know it must be bad.   It is most commonly found among those who have AIDS..but occasionally people undergoing chemo.  It is very serious...left untreated 100% of people die.  However, with treatment, which will take a while, it can be cured.  

So I will be staying here a bit longer.  I am getting quite stir crazy.  On top of that the menu never changes.  It is kind of like eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at Denny's every single day....only not nearly as good.  That along with the fact that the meds they are giving me to fight this infection make me nauseous...I am back to that nauseous but super hungry but nothing looks or tastes good thing.  I swear I am so sick of food and my need to eat it.  Ugh...I hate food.

I have very little energy.  When I am in bed I feel kind of fine, but walking down the hall, I realize I am not fine.  Sometimes I cannot hold a conversation without pausing for breath between words.  (Kind of like Stevie in Malcolm in the Middle).  Last night I was eating a banana and my jaws got exhausted trying to chew it...I had to stop to let the burn go away then I could chew again.  Now that's fatigue!!!

The nurse staff here are mostly very nice.  Some are more fun than others, some are more down to business, but that's OK.  I have to be on IV antibiotic/fungal for 7 full days and then I can go home and take it in pill form.  So that is what is keeping me here.  I may be able to go home on Monday.  I hope so.