@todd4379 Welcome to Mayo Connect, where we are a community of people sharing our medical journeys.

The old concept of meds and rest for long term pain is getting a close look from the medical community - it becomes a vicious cycle where we continue to get more and more weak (deconditioned) and every little setback makes it worse.

Pneumonia can often leave us feeling week and ill for a very long time, especially a severe case. What can help a great deal is respiratory and physical therapy to get back our former conditioning. As for the lingering chest pain, if it is from the pneumonia, it is probably residual - from the scarring in your lungs. I have chest pain at times when I am ill from long-term asthma and bronchiectasis - deep breathing techniques help me keep it in check (again RT can help.)

More concerning to me is the hand turning blue after shoulder surgery. This is NOT normal, and needs a closer look. If the surgeon doesn't know what is causing it, you need to be referred for further investigation. Scarring that is causing severe restriction of blood flow is not something to just live with, and rest or medication is not going to fix it.

Can you talk to your doctors and set up some referrals to find real solutions?
Sue

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