The Importance of Pneumonia Awareness

Earlier this month, the entertainment world was shaken by the tragic death of beloved comedian Bernie Mac due to complications from pneumonia. In light of this news, many of us are undoubtedly reminded of a similar incident 18 years ago, when the great Jim Hensen died of similar complications which, in his case, likely could have been cured had he merely gone to the hospital a few hours earlier.

Such is often the case with pneumonia. Its symptoms can present so mildly that sufferers think nothing of them until it's too late. These can include a cough, mild flu-like symptoms and, perhaps, a rattling or gurgling sensation in the lungs, and it's definitely possible to continue living one's day-to-day life while this dangerous infection continues to worsen.

18 months ago, my own experience with pneumonia very nearly followed this same pattern of events. I first experienced what I took to be a mild flu (and perhaps it was) complete with coughing and a high fever. When the feverish days passed, I continued to have a nasty cough, but I assumed it would clear up on its own.

After all, I didn't have time to be sick. I had a concert band tour and two important trombone auditions to deal with. So, I drank Nyquil several nights a week in order to sleep (bad idea, really) and continued practicing, working, and going to my college classes. When the cough started to develop into rattling lungs, I didn't worry. By this time, nearly a month had passed and I had gotten so used to feeling constantly tired that I didn't notice it anymore, so I figured I was getting over whatever it was.

I might have carried on in this stupidity until the point of real danger, had it not been for my mother. She insisted quite firmly that the condition I was experiencing was, quite likely, none other than pneumonia. I argued with her - after all, I felt okay-ish (mostly) so how could I possibly be experiencing anything with the potential to kill?

After several days of exchanges on the subject, Mom got quite insistent. In fact, she told me in no uncertain terms that I would go see the doctor now.

To humor her, I got an appointment with our college's nurse practitioner. She confirmed what my mother had suspected all along: I had pneumonia, and a fairly advanced case (like I said, I had been ignoring it for a month). She not only prescribed a round of antibiotics, she impressed upon me how very important it was that I get the prescription filled and start taking them that very day.

I went home for about two weeks. In the middle of this time, I finished my first round of antibiotics and was quite certain that I was fully cured, but another trip to the doctor (again, at my mother's insistence) revealed that I was still infected and needed another round of medicine.

In retrospect, I am forced to admit that on the whole I behaved very, very stupidly. I'm now aware how easily my insistence that I was "fine" could have eventually resulted in my death, and how very cruel those circumstances would have been to all my loved ones who would have received virtually no warning, and who would have had to live with the fact that I had died of a disease that should have been easily curable.

Now, I'm not exactly what you'd call a hyperchondriac (opposite of hypochondriac - if this word doesn't exist, it should). I take care of myself. I rest when I'm sick. And though I'm busy, I'm not such a terrible workaholic that I won't quit when I know I should. So for people who are worse than me about these things, how much bigger is their risk?

Jim Hensen's widow speculated, shortly after his death, that Hensen was reluctant to go to the hospital because he didn't want to "bother people." Perhaps he had no idea just how big a bother it would be to the world to lose him.

Personally, I think the problem is partially due to our puritanical attitudes about suffering, and partially due to the dangers of a for-profit medical system. But whatever the cause, it's important to be aware.

So please, if you even suspect that you or someone you love might have pneumonia, get to a doctor/beg, plead, bribe, or blackmail them into seeing a doctor.