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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by McPac on April 18, 2003, at 22:57:45
Hope you're doing well Lar!
Posted by bluedog on April 19, 2003, at 0:58:58
In reply to Where has the Hoovermeister went? Larry RULES!!!!!, posted by McPac on April 18, 2003, at 22:57:45
I'm hoping that Larry is only absent because he has gone away for a well deserved holiday during the Easter holiday break.
And Larry, I know you generally only ever come to PB med board and don't ever visit the other boards but I suggest you make an exception in this instance and take a look at PB Admin showing all the support for you:)
regards
bluedog
Posted by medlib on April 19, 2003, at 3:59:37
In reply to Where has the Hoovermeister went? Larry RULES!!!!!, posted by McPac on April 18, 2003, at 22:57:45
Hi McPac--
Here's what's up with Larry.
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030411/msgs/219636.html
I just hope that he doesn't have SARs! He surely is missed.
Regards---medlib
Posted by Larry Hoover on April 19, 2003, at 9:47:08
In reply to Re: Where has the Hoovermeister went? » McPac, posted by medlib on April 19, 2003, at 3:59:37
> Hi McPac--
>
> Here's what's up with Larry.
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030411/msgs/219636.htmlWell, I'm glad to report that the worst is past. I don't ever want to be sick like that again. I am thankful for the care I received.
> I just hope that he doesn't have SARs!
No, just regular pneumonia. SARS hasn't really affected my community. There were precautionary quarantines, but no illnesses. One negative aspect of the SARS situation is that they no longer can use salbutamol nebulizers in the emergency room. I had 20 puffs off a regular inhaler, instead.
Just for the record, the A in SARS, for Atypical, refers to the incredibly sudden onset of symptoms. Regular pneumonia develops over time, and from an obvious existing illness.
>He surely is missed.
Words do not convey the wonderful feeling I got from reading all your supportive messages. Thank you all.
Lar
Posted by noa on April 20, 2003, at 1:16:45
In reply to Re: Where has the Hoovermeister went?, posted by Larry Hoover on April 19, 2003, at 9:47:08
Larry, glad you're doing better.
Posted by medlib on April 20, 2003, at 19:37:05
In reply to Re: Where has the Hoovermeister went?, posted by Larry Hoover on April 19, 2003, at 9:47:08
Hi Larry--
It's great to see that you've returned! You are indeed fortunate to have received good care. Such is not the case everywhere. I spent a week in hospital with bacterial pneumonia a couple of years ago, and the "care" I was a victim of was so appallingly bad that I swore never to be hospitalized again. I have since equipped myself so that I can "check out" before I'm checked in again. I was a RN (at that hospital!) before I was a medical librarian, and I can honestly say that it's no longer safe to be sick (at least in my part of the US).
For the record, pneumonia is not a discrete disease, but a set of symptoms which can have any one of several causative agents. Although SARs is the first viral agent to cause sudden onset pneumonia, bacterial agents which do so (and have a high rapid mortality rate) have been around for quite some time. For example, Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) died a few years ago of pneumonia less than 72 hours after becoming ill. Also, severe viral illnesses can weaken the immune system enough to make one more vulnerable to a secondary bacterial (or viral) infection. Which explains how one can start out fighting the flu (viral) and end up battling a strep throat (bacterial). And, although the flu can segue neatly into viral pneumonia as exudate collects in the lower alveoli, the same flu can just as easily (and, probably more often, does) "clear a path" for pneumococcal (or other) bacteria to set up camp.
Before SARs, viral pneumonia used to be called "walking around pneumonia", implying that it is less severe than the bacterial kind. In my book, though, not being able to breathe is damned scary, whatever the cause. Depression is bad enough; it seems particularly unfair that it predisposes us to so many other ailments, as well.
And now, if plowing through the verbiage above hasn't triggered a relapse, welcome back.---medlib
Posted by Larry Hoover on April 20, 2003, at 22:35:29
In reply to Re: Where has the Hoovermeister went? » Larry Hoover, posted by medlib on April 20, 2003, at 19:37:05
> Hi Larry--
>
> It's great to see that you've returned! You are indeed fortunate to have received good care.Considering the SARS thingie, I was scared to go to the hospital with a respiratory problem. My fear was totally unwarranted.
>Such is not the case everywhere. I spent a week in hospital with bacterial pneumonia a couple of years ago, and the "care" I was a victim of was so appallingly bad that I swore never to be hospitalized again. I have since equipped myself so that I can "check out" before I'm checked in again. I was a RN (at that hospital!) before I was a medical librarian, and I can honestly say that it's no longer safe to be sick (at least in my part of the US).What was so appalling about the care you received?
> For the record, pneumonia is not a discrete disease, but a set of symptoms which can have any one of several causative agents. Although SARs is the first viral agent to cause sudden onset pneumonia, bacterial agents which do so (and have a high rapid mortality rate) have been around for quite some time. For example, Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) died a few years ago of pneumonia less than 72 hours after becoming ill.I remember that one. It scared me to know how quickly he succumbed.
>Also, severe viral illnesses can weaken the immune system enough to make one more vulnerable to a secondary bacterial (or viral) infection. Which explains how one can start out fighting the flu (viral) and end up battling a strep throat (bacterial). And, although the flu can segue neatly into viral pneumonia as exudate collects in the lower alveoli, the same flu can just as easily (and, probably more often, does) "clear a path" for pneumococcal (or other) bacteria to set up camp.
I think the latter scenario is just what happened to me. I had a dry cough for five days, and it suddenly went "wet" on me. I responded well enough to the steroids and the IV antibiotics that they decided not to admit me. My blood pressure and heart rate had been sufficiently high that they were quite worried. Anyway, 20 puffs of salbutamol and oxygen got me breathing easier.
> Before SARs, viral pneumonia used to be called "walking around pneumonia", implying that it is less severe than the bacterial kind. In my book, though, not being able to breathe is damned scary, whatever the cause. Depression is bad enough; it seems particularly unfair that it predisposes us to so many other ailments, as well.Yes, not being able to get a good breath is a scary thing. How do you suppose that depression might predispose one to e.g. pneumonia?
> And now, if plowing through the verbiage above hasn't triggered a relapse, welcome back.---medlib
I'm feeling much better by today. Almost back to normal, I think. Thanks for the kind words.
Lar
Posted by bluedog on April 22, 2003, at 23:15:56
In reply to Re: Where has the Hoovermeister went? » medlib, posted by Larry Hoover on April 20, 2003, at 22:35:29
> > Before SARs, viral pneumonia used to be called "walking around pneumonia", implying that it is less severe than the bacterial kind. In my book, though, not being able to breathe is damned scary, whatever the cause. Depression is bad enough; it seems particularly unfair that it predisposes us to so many other ailments, as well.
>
> Yes, not being able to get a good breath is a scary thing. How do you suppose that depression might predispose one to e.g. pneumonia?
>Larry
My theory is that depression due to it's inherent stressful effect on your whole system simply weakens your entire immune system.
The way I interpreted Medlib's post is that depressives are not specifically predisposed to pneumonia but are simply predisposed generally to picking up any nasty infectious illnesses that are floating about out "there" due to their weakened immune systems.
Would you agree with this theory Larry?? and...
Medlib..is this what you meant????
regards
bluedog
This is the end of the thread.
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