New and undiagnosed

I suppose anything is possible, but personally I cannot believe a Covid injection (neither a live virus nor related to pneumoniae) could cause pneumonia.
I have no doubt that some of the reports we hear ARE vaccine reactions - but every vaccine reaction I have ever had - and there have been several - was more immediate.
If you work in a hospital, you likely came upon some strange new bug there - my daughter caught several from her nursing work, including TB when she worked in the county jail, and Covid in March 2020 working in the ER.
You could ask your doctor to report it to VAERS as a possibility.
Sue

Thanks again Sue. I'm really trying to figure this out because my medical team just shrugs. This is my life. All I know so far is it's not contagious and it first started creeping in in July.

Hello Sue
So things are still going well. Doing much more but still resting when my body says as I realized becoming re conditioned can take a long time. So it's been 3 months since my last ct scan which I had while in the big city hospital and was so sick. Now, awaiting results. Praying for good news and a diagnosis.
Apparently my last ct showed those ground glass opacities. But I wasnt told. I had to ask. Why dont they just come out and tell a person what they see on these scans? It's just frustrating. 🙏

Hi Yvonne - "Ground Glass Opacities" - doesn't that sound scary? But...it really isn't that uncommon, especially with pneumonia or another lung infection. In the "olden days" of x-ray only, that same phenomenon was the indicator of pneumonia, and my doctor used to say "your lungs are cloudy" to me.

So why weren't you told? Because to the doctors it probably was just a confirmation of what they already told you - pneumonia - current or recently past. When GGO's are from an infection, they usually just stay the same or gradually improve. If the get larger or worse, it is cause for additional investigation to find an underlying cause. When I had a severe lung infection, several lobes were mostly clouded. As the infection was treated, the GGO retreated, and is now only in my worst lobe.

"What is ground glass opacities on CT?
Ground glass opacity (GGO) refers to the hazy gray areas that can show up in CT scans or X-rays of the lungs. These gray areas indicate increased density inside the lungs. The term comes from a technique in glassmaking during which the surface of the glass is blasted by sand." (mednewstoday)

"If the nodules are increased in size or solid component, more invasive therapy is suggested. Infections, benign nodules, and intrapulmonary lymph nodes often resolve or become stationary after regular follow-up." (nih.gov)

I know Yvonne, that you like to research on the Internet, and some of what you read sounds scary - but until you KNOW whether these are changing (getting worse) please think positively. GGO's didn't cause your pneumonia - a virus or bacteria does that - they are just a sign of it.

Off to prepare my friend's tiny house for her return - she broke her hip on Wednesday & had surgery yesterday. Now our "troops" are gathering to care for and support her as she recovers. My job is to get what she needs (pillows, ice, shower chair...) in place and fill the fridge and freezer with easy food for her return tomorrow.
Sue

Hi Sue.. had ct scan friday. My family doctor called this morning saying lungs have improved. That the fibers (?) making them think it might be Interstitial lung disease are getting smaller. The GGOs are better. He did say I have 1 non specific lymph node near the trachea which they did see on the 1st ct. Can you tell me about those? My doctor admittedly wasnt sure.

I can't begin to guess what that means - other than another referral to an endocrinologist for a further look.
But I am glad to hear the GGO is better - probably confirms it was an "artifact" left by the pneumonia.
Sue

Hi @yvonne55, I see that you are getting top-class support from both @merpreb and @sueinmn in this discussion as well as comments in another discussion about lung nodules https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/786637/ where you state:
"I've had "pneumonia " twice in summer. Collapsed at home in Aug. Sent home after 10 days (6 of those in ICU) and collapsed again 2 weeks later with sepsis as well as lung issue. Intubated, bronchoscopy, echocardiogram, lots of blood work, ct scans. No diagnosis. No symptoms leading up to collapsing. Drs guessing severe pneumonia or Interstitial lung disease. Healing well now, ground glass opacities are shrinking and swollen fibers shrinking. Ct done on Dec 9 saw "non specific lymph node" nearer to trachea. "

It sounds like you are in good hands and that your doctors are following you closely. I concur with Merry and Sue that you should advocate for yourself and be informed. But you also want to keep balance your stress levels and have confidence in the care you are getting.

You are healing well now. That's great. Recognize that you've been through a lot. ICU is a scary experience and you may be experiencing post intensive care syndrome (PICS). PICS is defined as new or worse health problems after critical illness. These problems can affect your mind, body, thoughts, and/or feelings.

You can read more about PICS in this blog
- Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/pics/tab/faqs/#ch-tab-navigation
- Breaking it Down: What exactly is Post Intensive Care Syndrome? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/pics/newsfeed-post/breaking-it-down-what-exactly-is-post-intensive-care-syndrome/

As you wait to see the pulmonology specialist soon, I might suggest focusing on your mental well being. Eat well. Get enough sleep. And perhaps talk to someone like a social worker. Have you asked about a social worker at the hospital where you are receiving care?

Thank you so much! I had no idea about this post intensive care syndrome! I'll look into it for sure. I can look into the social workers but I believe they only are available to current hospital patients. I'm sure they overloaded. Stress is hard to keep tabs on as I'm going thru a separation and hes a renal patient who's not been happy about helping me. I've been under much stress. And therapists have long waiting times . But thank you for your info!

@yvonne55, this blog post includes a comprehensive list of how to find a social worker:
- How to Get a Social Worker https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/how-to-get-a-social-worker/

Serious illness causes a lot of strain on relationships. A new member, Mimi, just posted this discussion that you may wish to join:
– Living with Brain Tumor or Serious Illness and Relationships https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/new-to-this-forum/

I'm having my 1st visit to a pulmonologist Jan 3. Can anyone tell me what to expect? I have a lot of questions I must ask him because my own doctor tells me to ask the pulmonologist when I see him. I'm really nervous. Not knowing is difficult. Sometimes knowing is scary too.