Pneumonia - how long to recover?

[Malyficent]

I'm so sorry for everyone suffering from pneumonia. I needed this insight though so thank you. My mom was hospitalized due to pneumonia in mid-January. She's still recovering but she is also joining us for our upcoming WDW trip. We're mostly doing resort time with one night at MK for DAH. I already spoke to her about a scooter but I think I'm just going to go ahead and reserve one. I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not be able to get one.

 

[elaine amj]

Elaine I've had a lot of experience from parents who suffer from pnemonia; the fatigue is real.
I just wanted to say hang in there; somedays you think you're moving forward and then the next day you're exhausted again.
I know it's really stressful, make sure you take care of your emotional needs too.
Be well soon!

This was super helpful. It's just better when I can manage my expectations.

I'm so sorry for everyone suffering from pneumonia. I needed this insight though so thank you. My mom was hospitalized due to pneumonia in mid-January. She's still recovering but she is also joining us for our upcoming WDW trip. We're mostly doing resort time with one night at MK for DAH. I already spoke to her about a scooter but I think I'm just going to go ahead and reserve one. I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not be able to get one.

When I went to WDW at the beginning of Feb, a wheelchair really helped me. I was going to rent a scooter (even found a really cool folding scooter easy to pop in and out of the rental car for $165/week from Regal Mobility) but DH ended up saying he would have no problems pushing me. So we saved the money and he pushed me in a wheelchair we brought from home. It made a big difference and I was able to enjoy the parks without getting fatigued. By the second half of the trip, I recovered enough to walk by myself and we left the chair in the car.

I liked it for even moving around Disney Springs, etc. I would encourage her to use it everywhere (even in the resort) and not tax herself unless she feels much better.

 

[Malyficent]

This was super helpful. It's just better when I can manage my expectations.



When I went to WDW at the beginning of Feb, a wheelchair really helped me. I was going to rent a scooter (even found a really cool folding scooter easy to pop in and out of the rental car for $165/week from Regal Mobility) but DH ended up saying he would have no problems pushing me. So we saved the money and he pushed me in a wheelchair we brought from home. It made a big difference and I was able to enjoy the parks without getting fatigued. By the second half of the trip, I recovered enough to walk by myself and we left the chair in the car.

I liked it for even moving around Disney Springs, etc. I would encourage her to use it everywhere (even in the resort) and not tax herself unless she feels much better.

Thank you. I may just go with a wheelchair. She's only joining us for a few days so it may be just as easy for me to get a wheelchair. I'm nervous about taking the scooter to MK on a crowd level 10 day. My mom isn't the best at driving a car - I'm a bit fearful of her driving a scooter.

About 10 days after she leaves Disney she's going to Madrid to visit my sister. That is a lot of walking. I'm trying to prepare my sister that she's going to need to take it real easy on mom this trip. Spain isn't nearly as accessible for those with mobility issues so I expect that one to be the big challenge. Thanks again!

 

[elaine amj]

Thank you. I may just go with a wheelchair. She's only joining us for a few days so it may be just as easy for me to get a wheelchair. I'm nervous about taking the scooter to MK on a crowd level 10 day. My mom isn't the best at driving a car - I'm a bit fearful of her driving a scooter.

About 10 days after she leaves Disney she's going to Madrid to visit my sister. That is a lot of walking. I'm trying to prepare my sister that she's going to need to take it real easy on mom this trip. Spain isn't nearly as accessible for those with mobility issues so I expect that one to be the big challenge. Thanks again!

If you have people in your group with no problems pushing a wheelchair, it is easy. We had no issues in any of the parks - just like pushing a stroller really. DH did not get particularly tired pushing me all day and he Is not at full strength himself (admittedly we took it easy with lots of breaks). We did take my mother on a previous trip and my active teens has no issues pushing her all day. It was a bit crowded in MK on Main Street and I did suggest to DH a few times that I could walk it, but he just focused more intently on navigating the crowds and we did fine.

Scooters are nice for a bit more independence. But we preferred to save the money

Spain is likely to be a bit more challenging. Great idea to tell your sister to take it easy on your mother. Would a wheelchair or even a rollator help? Also pay close attention to the news on coronavirus. I wanted to fly to Asia this week but DH won't hear of my travelling with my weakened lungs to anywhere with a higher possibility of infection. We plan to go back to WDW in March and April and we are monitoring the news closely for those trips too.

Plus, I wash my hands obsessively now and definitely no touching of mouth, nose and eyes when out of the house unless my hands have been scrubbed. Remind your mom that she should wash her hands for 3 full minutes - and do a thorough scrub every single time. I was super careful with handling my food too - didn't touch any food without clean hands (I washed my hands after touching the menu). If my hands weren't clean, food got picked up with utensils or a clean napkin.

In the meantime, I am planning to rest, rest , REST before I return to WDW in mid March. REALLY hoping I will be back to my normal stamina by then. This is taking forever. And I still have a pile of camping gear in my basement I haven't put away since I got back in the beginning of January. No way I can haul all those totes around on my own and my darn family keep avoiding me when I bring it up haha. Out of sight, out of mind!

 

[starry_solo]

I had pneumonia about 5.5 years ago. It took over a month to get rid of the fluid in the lungs (coughing the crap out), I believe it took two months to finally feel better and have more energy. I lost a lot of weight because I wasn’t hungry....unfortunately, I gained it all back

 

[Malyficent]

Elaine - I'm going with her to a doctor appointment today and asking if it is okay for her to travel is on my list. I'm sure she'll be disappointed to have to cancel the trip or trips but I'm beginning to have doubts on the timing of this traveling. In addition to the pneumonia she had sepsis and was in the ICU so she has quite the recovery to make. I kind of blurted out "come with us to Disney World" while she was really in the worst of it - just to throw something to look forward to out there. But Disney and Spain aren't going anywhere - and I can use this as an excuse to make another trip soon. Thanks again!

 

[elaine amj]

Elaine - I'm going with her to a doctor appointment today and asking if it is okay for her to travel is on my list. I'm sure she'll be disappointed to have to cancel the trip or trips but I'm beginning to have doubts on the timing of this traveling. In addition to the pneumonia she had sepsis and was in the ICU so she has quite the recovery to make. I kind of blurted out "come with us to Disney World" while she was really in the worst of it - just to throw something to look forward to out there. But Disney and Spain aren't going anywhere - and I can use this as an excuse to make another trip soon. Thanks again!

Did you end up deciding to postpone the trip? It's crazy how long recovery takes, isn't it? My doctor is a bit concerned so I am going in for a checkup tomorrow morning. I feel generally fine but still get fatigued so easily. Not back to regular housework yet and still a lot of bedrest.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I had pneumonia two years ago. My doctor warned me that it would cause long-term fatigue. It took me a over a month before I felt almost normal. I had to take naps after work before I could work up the energy to eat. It was not fun.

 

[disykat]

Years ago, in my 20's, I had severe pneumonia in June. I was able to go on a weekend getaway trip in August with some very understanding friends who knew I still had limitations. I was teaching and had gotten sick the day after school got out so fortunately I didn't have to work for 10 weeks. I was fine going back to work in the Fall, but couldn't manage go back to aerobics classes until January. Honestly, it was about a year before I was back to "normal." I've had it three other times with less of an impact though.

 

[Malyficent]

Did you end up deciding to postpone the trip? It's crazy how long recovery takes, isn't it? My doctor is a bit concerned so I am going in for a checkup tomorrow morning. I feel generally fine but still get fatigued so easily. Not back to regular housework yet and still a lot of bedrest.

Her doctor cleared her for travel. I was surprised. My mom still plans to join us but we'll see as we get closer. Hope your checkup goes well today.

 

[DisLiss]

When I was much younger than I am now I had pneumonia. I think the total time was about 2 months. I was sick at home for a few weeks, then I was hospitalized for a week, and when I came home I spent most the day sleeping or lying down for a good month. And as many have said, even when I finally started getting back to my life, I was still easily fatigued. It was definitely a butt kicker for me.

 

[AndreaDM]

Took me a good two, three months. I had to take a break going up a single flight of stairs. I remember just sinking down to the floor in the middle of cooking dinner and I’d sleep 70% of the day. It was awful. In retrospect I tried to do “normal” way too soon. Listen to your body, rest when it tells you to.

We had some friends over for dinner, before I was diagnosed. I just thought I had a cough and was extremely tired. Anyway, after dinner everyone went out onto the patio to hang out while I put a few things away. I decided to sit on the couch for a minute before joining everyone, next thing I knew I woke up and everyone was gone. I felt like such a horrible host! It's a fatigue that just can't compare to anything else I've experienced, I almost fell asleep several times while driving.