The road to recovery

Just before lunchtime on Tuesday I had an emergency appointment to have the Pneumovax II vaccine. It contains 23 of the most common types of Streptococcous pneumoniae bacteria, responsible for causing invasive diseases such as the pneumonia that I'm currently suffering from. 

Why is this so significant?

Antibodies help the body recognise and kill foreign organisms. They then remain in the body to protect it against future infections, with the immune system providing different antibodies for different diseases. The vaccine releases small amounts of these 23 strains of bacteria and the immune system is then kicked into action to provide antibodies as a defence against them. These antibodies should then remain in the body and protect it from each of those 23 strains. Hopefully this will help and will mean that I can start to plan things ahead. At the moment even if i plan things a few days in advance, I still can't guarantee that i'll be well enough to go. It's very frustrating.


I had to pop into A&E at the Royal Berkshire Hospital last night (Thursday) as I was finding it very difficult to breathe with the pneumonia pain. I was there for 2 or 3 hours whilst they gave me a nebuliser and helped to relax my chest and open the airways . The nurse looked at me very strangely, she was looking at my grazed knucles. I took the skin off them playing polo and being a bit adventurous with some of my shots up in Scotland with some of the girls from St Andrews and local players. 


I've been sick all night, keeping my mother up. Thank you mummy :) Fingers crossed I will be feeling better today as it's my birthday tomorrow.