Pneumonia is a breathing (respiratory) condition in which there is an infection of the lung.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year in the United States. Germs called bacteria, viruses, and fungi may cause pneumonia.
Ways you can get pneumonia include:
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Bacteria and viruses living in your nose, sinuses, or mouth may spread to your lungs.
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You may breathe some of these germs directly into your lungs.
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You breathe in (inhale) food, liquids, vomit, or fluids from the mouth into your lungs (aspiration pneumonia)
Pneumonia caused by bacteria tends to be the most serious kind. In adults, bacteria are the most common cause of pneumonia.
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The most common pneumonia-causing germ in adults is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).
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Atypical pneumonia, often called walking pneumonia, is caused by bacteria such as Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
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Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is sometimes seen in people whose immune system is not working well.
Many other bacteria can also cause pneumonia.
Viruses are also a common cause of pneumonia, especially in infants and young children”
What the above doesn’t tell you is that as a mother it can be one of the most scariest things, when you send your child to bed and he seems fine, only to have come into your room at 11pm with a bluish/gray tint to his face and lips! What if he wouldn’t have gotten up, and stayed in his room, by the time I checked on him would he have been ok. This I can’t think about.
Your first thought goes to: “did he swallow something” you check him over and see he can talk but is gasping for air. Your next thought goes to “911” or “ER” my fear was he would not end up with our (saying it with my nose in the air) Beaumont Drs. So to the ER we went.
I knew he had pneumonia, as he was at urgent care that afternoon but we were told, mild case. “walking pneumonia” , I remember now, as we drove the 15 mins. to Troy Beaumont, asking Frank 1000 questions about the symptoms he had, Frank had pneumonia the week before so I honestly wasn’t worried. Frank was sick, very sick but he never had blue lips or issues with breathing, his issue was a dry cough that cause him great pain.
As we arrived to ER, Carter’s pulse-ox level was at 88%, which if you didn’t know is NOT GOOD! It should be above 95. So oxygen he was given.
My poor monkey! 
He was admitted to the Hospital and I had to put all my anxieties aside and focus strictly on my son. I was a ball of mess. He was crying and begging for me to take him home and I was crying and begging Frank to take us both home. You see, Carter and I are “home sick” people. We like going out and having adventures but we also love being home and cozy in our bed at night! So for both of us to be left alone in a strange place with strange sounds and strange people, was something we both had anxiety over.
His temp, was high 102 + for the evening and night, he was not treated for the temp and anytime he tried to eat or drink, he would vomit. Sometime in the afternoon on Monday the DR came in and said, he has until this evening to break his temp and raise his oxygen or we will transport him to Royal Oak Beaumont. I was a MESS, my poor friend Nicol, caught me on the phone right after I heard this news and I cried like a baby, a true baby! I prayed more then I have prayed in sometime, I called on ALL my angels, his angels, the archangels and any angels anyone above could spare. (I’m crying right now as I type this) to heal my little babies lungs.
As usual GOD prevailed and by 9pm that evening his fever broke and with it came higher oxygen levels. PRAISE HIM!!!
This picture was taken around 1am. As you can see he figured out there was a tv and he could control it. The dixie cup is what they used for oxygen, he kept removing the tubes from his nose, so they poked a hole in the cup for him to hold near his face, and while he slept it was kept close to his face.
Finally after pooping 100 times, they allowed me to give give a bath, which he loved!! They also allowed him to eat, he kept it down and we were finally sent home after two or three (can’t remember) nights.
AS you can see, he was ready!!!!
PRAISE GOD, THANK you to my family, friends and all the angels. I owe you all!
One last shot, this was him at home, with the nebulizer, which he became a little pro at.
So teacher invited me into class, I changed him, gave him a high five, a kiss and left, letting him know I would be in hallway! 
However they are thrilled! Carter more than Nikolas! 
The Climb @ Sleeping Bear Dunes
