Monday, January 16, 2012

Don't Worry It's just a cold

To an immune compromised person, a "cold" could mean time in a hospital or worse. 

For the last two days, I have been with my daughter who was admitted to the hospital with what started out as "just a cold."  She is immune suppressed.  She developed pneumonia.  She has been and still is very, very sick.  It was just a cold.

Granted, she could have picked it up anywhere because it was "just a cold."  The person who sneezed then didn't wash their hands or who didn't sneeze into their arms or a kleenex, thought it was "just a cold."  They went to work, or they sent their child to school because it was "just a cold." 

When you are immune suppressed, "just a cold" can become very dangerous.  My daughter is lucky.  She is getting better, but because she caught "just a cold,"  she lost days of work, which she didn't need to loose.  She has more medical and hospital bills because she caught "just a cold."  She feels terrible because it was "just a cold" that someone somewhere gave her. 

I am upset about this.  "Just a cold" can be very dangerous.  So, please, please, if you catch "just a cold," stay home so that you don't spread your germs.  If you must go out, please wash your hands before you touch anything.  Above all, and I can't believe how many times I see this, PLEASE COVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE WHEN YOU COUGH OR SNEEZE!  It's just a cold, " tell that to the immune suppressed person who is sick in the hospital.  Remember, it's just a cold.

3 comments:

Maggie said...

Sending Jenny healthy thoughts and prayers to get over what started as "just a cold."

Shel said...

Hope your daughter gets better soon and it's good advice you've given us all!!

DVArtist said...

I am lighting a candle for Jenny. She has pulled through so much. Living with lupus I know how devastating a cold can be. People are so rude too. I have walked away from strangers in the store as they are hacking without covering their mouths. Oh not to mention hacking onto the produce. I sometimes wonder what has happened to the human race.

Sending best healing vibes.
Nicole/Beadwright