Instrument of Grace: Not a garden post - public service announcement

Several folks have e-mailed to ask how I'm doing. I haven't posted much of anything over the last month, and there was a good reason for that. I've had pneumonia, and I have no idea how I contracted it. One minute, literally, I was fine. Less than thirty minutes later, I was down for the count.

I didn't have experience with bacterial pneumonia, so I thought "you feel like heck, you take your antibiotics, you feel better." When I mentioned to the doctor on day six of antibiotics that I was pretty disappointed with my pace of recovery, she asked what I expected. This was pneumonia. I asked her what she meant, and she said six, as in six weeks. Six WEEKS? I guess she was right. I'm in the middle of week two post-antibiotic. I may feel like myself, but I still have no energy. I went back to work this past week and tried to work full days. HA! So not happening. After struggling through two full days of stumbling about and not being able to focus, I smarted up a bit and tried half days, which turned out much better.

All my energy has gone to getting better and hauling my sorry self back to work. There has been nothing left over for things like housework, laundry, blogging or even reading. I'm grateful it's the weekend and that Garden Man has taken such good care of me. I've been able to concentrate on resting and storing up energy for the coming week. And reading those great garden blogs, of course.

Today was the first day I've been out in the garden since I took the photo of the Monarch caterpillar. It's been two and a half weeks, and things are changing. I took some photos for bloom day tomorrow, and it was so good to be out walking around again, even if it was hot and the mosquitoes were bad.

And now the public service announcement part - bacterial pneumonia can kill you. Don't mess around with it if you get it. Do what the doctor says, rest and make sure to eat, whether you want to or not, to help yourself heal. And don't expect to be better when the antibiotics are gone. Baby yourself and don't try to do too much too soon. Your body will need every ounce of energy you have to heal itself. Healing is good; it's what you want. So you can get back into the garden.