Today I had my second workout since battling back from Pneumonia. Who knows how long I had it. Perhaps for months. Who knows? The prognosis is good I suppose, but my doctor told me that my lungs were damaged; not permanently, but damaged nevertheless. He says it is reversible and if we can take care of the infection causing the Pneumonia, I should be on my way to feeling great again. Thank goodness.
As a rule, I do not take many meds. This is a personal choice. As a child, I was always battling colds and so forth, and at the time my doctors had me on a steady stream of antibiotics. But at one point, as I got older mind you, I made the decision to stop taking them because I didn’t want my body to become immune to them. With my active lifestyle, I just forged ahead using only my enzymes to digest foods and pounding down good antioxidants and protein. The results spoke for themselves.
Lately however, in the last few years, I would say that the bacteria in my lungs began to gradually take its toll. I began to get very sick with Pneumonia every year or so. This all started in 2000 I guess. That was 6 years ago and I was 37. My training remained steady throughout, but gradually I began to feel worse.
Well, fast forward to 2003 and I was finding myself getting short of breath. I ignored it thinking that I was just dieing and there was no sense in trying to prevent the inevitable. It never occurred to me that maybe I was just sick. Big mistake. I should have gone on some heavy doses of meds then, but I didn’t. I just didn’t want to damage my body with drugs, not realizing that little aliens in my body called bacteria were damaging my body and that drugs could have helped me. I just marched on into the dark abyss.
Well, starting in 2005 I had 2-3 bouts of Pneumonia. Like a fool I fought through it, sucking it up and chalking it off to the inevitable again. Without the aid of antibiotics, I was really doing myself harm. How I lived through that I will never know. The bouts of Pneumonia nearly killed me with sheer exhaustion. Coughing is hard on the lungs and the body; it wears you out, let me tell you. Still, I toughed it out without meds again. “Man, what a dope this guy is!”, you must be thinking. Well, maybe, but I look at it like this: if I took antibiotics every time I sneezed, I would be doing myself more harm then good. The thing is to know when you really need them. And about 8 months ago I finally did. Here’s what happened.
About a year ago I picked up Pneumonia from my Aunt at my grandmothers funeral (she lived to be 104!!!). I got really sick and went on 2 cycles of some antibiotic that a doctor prescribed for me over the phone. I felt better for many months, but not quite right. I still had this terrible cough, lots of fluid in the lungs etc. This went on for many months.
Then about 2 months ago, I got sick again. I was feeling tired, weak and out of breathe. I had muscle aches and pains. My joints hurt and so did my throat. It was then that I went to the Charlottesville Free Clinic! There, I was put on a 10 day dose of a weak antibiotic that had me feeling a lot better, but after I was through with the meds I felt much worse again. Only this time my right lung actually hurt. It had a pain like a “runners stitch”. As it turns out, this was referred pain, for it was my left side that was infected.
I went back to the clinic but this time I saw a Pulmonolgist (Doctor Enfield-great guy). He wanted me in the hospital, but I hate that notion. People die there 
. Some go in and just disappear, never to be seen again. Heheh. Anyway, he put me on Cyprofloxacin, which is much stronger than what I have used before. Now I am feeling even better. I will stay on it for 2 more weeks. The shit is expensive. But I think it saved my life. I am still here, aren’t I?
I did lose weight over the last 2 months. About ten pounds in fact. I wasn’t eating either. When I don’t feel well I do not eat like I should. I wasn’t training and I lost strength too! Wow, was I sickie! But I am on the mend!!
Since being on the meds, I have worked out twice in the last week and because I was recuperating I took it very easy with the Iron. As a result, I think I have discovered a strength-training program that is perfect for anyone, especially for someone with CPOD!!!!! I will share more on the program later!!
IRONMASTER – Quick-Lock Dumbbell System
Popularity: 14% [?]
Hi – How are you now? Is it possible to trully overcome multiple pneumonia and get fit again? I am a early 50′s and struggling after 2nd bout in 2 months – very fit normally but currently reduced to back marker – will I ever be fit again?
Hi Richard.
First let me say that I am sorry you have had such a tough challenge the past two months. Being sick takes a huge toll emotionally as well as physically. So, I will support you in prayer as well as here with whatever wisdom I have to offer.
In my experience, you can battle back from Pneumonia, but it requires patience and determination, with a focus on light exercise at first, with the goal of increasing intensity and volume of exercise gradually over the course of several weeks. This has worked well for me.
Common sense would suggest that you drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, consume added levels of glutamine for recovery and avoid foods that increase levels of mucous as much as possible for the time being.
By way of further encouragement, consider this story:
7 weeks ago I was admitted to the hospital with a bowel obstruction that nearly killed me. I lost 20 lbs during the week I was there. I lost muscle firmness and I lost an UNBELIEVABLE amount of strength and stamina!!!! I mean HUGE! I was barely able to walk for 3-4 weeks after I got out of the hospital. Moreover, I contracted bronchitis during my stay and had to deal with THAT, along with CF once I got out of the hospital!!! I was so discouraged.
But the first thing I did was get back to the gym within a few days of being released. I did very little in terms of weight. I just wanted to focus on getting my endurance back. Moreover, I was so weak I could not handle any weight if I had tried. As an example, I was barely able to bench press 95 lbs. In addition, whenever I walked, I felt woozy. I had sea legs, and felt wobbly.
Well, 8 weeks after first going into the hospital, I am feeling strong, regaining my weight and looking like myself again. So, the short answer to your question is YES….you WILL be fit again.
My advice is to keep your doctor in the loop while you make plans to get back to the gym as soon as you can.
Use VRY light weight to work out with, and focus on small sets, with moderate reps of say 10-20 at first, with am emphasis on the high-end range of your rep scheme. Do not push to hard. Over the course of 4-6 weeks increase your weights, begin to lower your rep schemes to a scheme you feel more comfortable with so that by the 6th week you are training in the 8-10 rep range.
In terms of exercises to play with I would recommend these:
Bench Press
Squats
Stiff Leg Dead Lifts
Dips and
Chins
Train 2 times per week the first 2 weeks. Increase to 3 times per week by the 3rd week. Keep your workouts simple and brief, with 2-3 work sets for each exercise.
That is a good place to start. That is what I did.
Finally, as I mentioned, keep your doctor in the loop. Ask him if this plan seems reasonable to him. Get a second opinion. Do not try my suggestion before you talk to your doctor. Just run it by him first.
How does that sound?
PS: If this helps you, would you be so kind as to make a donation to this site? You do not have to, but it sure would go a long way to helping me continue to improve its content.
God Bless
Thanks
Last Monday I just finished my antibiotics for walking pneumonia. I am still getting winded and would like to do some cardio at the gym but can’t even walk up the steps without being winded. What do you suggest?
Jackie, I am so glad you wrote me.
I have been forced to accept the the fact that recovery from Pneumonia is a very, very slow and arduous process. I have a few suggestions for you, but please check with your doctor before trying anything I suggest.
The first thing I did after getting out of the hospital was lean on everything I could lean on to help me stand. I was that weak.
Gradually, over the course of 1-2 weeks, I forced myself to start taking small trips to my car and back. Then, I gradually increased the distance until I was walking 100 feet in one direction, taking a break at the turn around point, and then after I caught my breath I headed back in the other direction. I continued to do this for weeks on end. Progress was very slow, and very incremental. I think it is really hard not to get discouraged here, but you must not allow yourself to give up.
Don’t start taking steps until you can walk 100 feet in one direction.
Once you can walk some distance, start picking some small fights of steps to practice with. This is what I did. Steps were my nemesis! They were so very hard.
I did not go into the gym until I could walk steps, and once I was able to walk some steps I located a gym that offered medical programs to help people recover from illness. These programs are easy, but increase slowly in difficulty over time. If the local health club in your area works closely with a hospital, then they will most surely have a medical program.
The one thing I would not do is get into aerobics right away. Give yourself several weeks before you start doing class-aerobics again.
Get back to me if you have other questions.
Tim
I had a bout two years ago and spent a few days in the hospital and bounced back in a month then this year.. wow.. 18 days in the hospital and then home. I had to have surgery on my right side.. crack.. under the arm pit. I have had a weight issue and got a RX from my Dr for a pot club… and bought some pot butter to increase my diet..worked… and I am on the mend.. Been 5 weeks from the surgery and still on oxygen but getting better. Working out is still a month away due to surgery and muscle issue in my right chest..Dr. orders no weights..Oh.. pot in California is legal with an RX.. so use it to gain weight. I dropped way too mudh and did not want to…. no appetite and now I do
Nathan
Santa Rosa
California
First of all, congratulations for not giving up. I am sorry for your ordeal. That is most discouraging. 18 days is a very long time. It’s hard to bounce back, and i am still bouncing back two years later. But I am making progress. You will too. How does the pot help you gain weight? Simply increasing your appetite is of little use if you cannot a) afford to eat and b) digest and absorb what you consume. Educate us please