I’m new here and looking for information.

My grandmother turned 100 this year.  She's a tough old bird.  She's had medication-resistant pneumonia for nearly a year.  The nursing home has put her on antibiotic after antibiotic to no avail.  All's they've done is made her sputum clearer. 

I visit her often.  I love the old woman.  I bring her special meals and eat with her.  (If you think there's an Uh-oh coming, you're right.)  I've been eating off the same silverware and off the same plate.  Just like we might at home.  I’ve tended clearing her lungs – catching her sputum and not been careful by washing my hands after throwing the paper towels filled with the stuff in the trash.  I just didn’t know.

Starting in the beginning of 2006, my white blood count has been fluctuating upwards.  My CRP levels climbed to nearly 8, and my doctor insisted it was from elevated cholesterol levels.   My lymphocytes are trending a bit lower.  He did other tests indicating further that I had an infection -- vacuolated neutrophils.  He said that could be from alcohol or vitamin B defeciency -- I don't drink and take a heavy-duty B supplement.  After several months of monitoring my blood levels, I told him to stop; I no longer wanted to worry considering he was doing nothing about them.

Now when I sleep at night, I have to turn over because my hips hurt.  Bone involvement?  I had a nose culture yesterday.  But if it's systemic, will it show on a nose culture? 

How long can you have this without it going critical on you?  I need 9 or 10 hours of sleep a night just to feel rested.  Eight hours just doesn’t cut it.  Then I’m tired most of the day soon after waking.

The thing that hurts most is the nursing home will not allow me in the door until my tests are complete.  I hope I can glean the info I need from people here.

Regards,

Joyce