The word pneuma means one’s vital soul, one’s spark — a creative spirit.
The word pneumonia probably then means some kind of goblin that attaches to your lung meat and drains you of your creative spirit and spark. I’m pretty sure it’s Latin. Shut up.
Anyway, so, this last weekend I went to the Tucson Festival of Books — which is really such a stellar festival, expertly run with a volunteer army that operates flawlessly — and on the last day, when traveling home, I started to feel…
Well, not so hot.
Feverish, achy, all that good stuff.
Got home and had a pretty rocking fever, and the next day I went to the doc. Flu has spiked hard in our area, and apparently all over, and so I worried that’s what it was. He said usually flu knocks you flat, makes you feel like you’re hit by a truck. His fear, instead, was that my pneumonia from December had returned. Once you get pneumonia, you can be pretty susceptible to it going forward. And that’s the diagnosis — that I have pre-pneumonia, or walking pneumonia. Which means it is developing, I guess? I still get that crispy campfire lung-crackle when I breathe, which is exactly what I felt last time I had this totally charming illness. Ugh.
Anyway, last time I was out of commission in whole or in part for a month — from Thanksgiving to Christmas. This time, I’m hoping because we got ahead of it and I started antibiotics early that maybe I can cut this thing off at the knees.
Just the same, it means blogging will be light for the next week or so.
And it puts my travel next week to Denver for AnomalyCon in question. The doc doesn’t feel that traveling right now is necessarily the hottest idea, and that it could foster the illness to take stronger hold. Huge apologies to anyone who was hoping to see me next week, but I don’t think it’ll be in the cards. And apologies too to AnomalyCon, which by all reports is a stellar convention.
So, if you’re looking for something from me in the next week or so — ennnnh, I’d maybe expect a delay in that. I will try to ramp up back to work fast as I can muster.
ooakthistle says:
Our baby got pneumonia. Scary stuff not to be taken lightly.
Take care of yourself and we look forward to your posts when you’re feeling better.
March 16, 2016 — 11:54 AM
Sean Hoade says:
Get well soon! I need your bluster, your rallying cries, your complete rejection of bullshit!
March 16, 2016 — 11:55 AM
denmaniacs4 says:
I don’t terribly mind. Take care, Chuck.
March 16, 2016 — 11:55 AM
Lucinda says:
I’m so sorry to hear the diagnosis. Hope you feel better soon. By the way, I love your linguistics there 🙂
March 16, 2016 — 11:57 AM
Rebeca says:
Scary :/ Hope this passes quickly. You’ve suffered enough, I say.
Feel better soon 🙂
March 16, 2016 — 11:58 AM
Jaime says:
There is a pneumonia vaccine. My mom used to get pneumonia 3 or 4 times a year. Since she has gotten the vaccine….no pneumonia. Worth a shot. I hope you get back on your feet soon.
March 16, 2016 — 12:02 PM
terribleminds says:
It’s the plan, but I have to get healthy first.
March 16, 2016 — 12:03 PM
ZonieMama says:
Worth a shot…
LOL
March 16, 2016 — 11:48 PM
Corrie H says:
Hope you feel better soon!
March 16, 2016 — 12:03 PM
Steve Fey says:
Mmmmmmmm. Laaaaaaatin! Lay low for a while. Pneumonia isn’t fun. Take all the time you need!
March 16, 2016 — 12:04 PM
RuthAnn McCormick says:
Hope you feel better soon.
March 16, 2016 — 12:05 PM
innerouterawkward says:
Feel better, first and foremost. I hope you’re able to cut it down from a hurricane to a squall.
March 16, 2016 — 12:05 PM
kirizar says:
Get your butt healthy again, your borderline vulgar posts will be greatly missed in the meantime.
March 16, 2016 — 12:06 PM
Doctor Frank says:
Dammit Chuck! Your fans will carry the torch while you recover. Fucking hotels and airplanes and bug-infested hordes of slimy sick wackos wanting to shake your hand. I’m surprised anyone comes home healthy from conventions. Get better.
March 16, 2016 — 12:07 PM
kdrose1 says:
I’ve had it. I fear it. I hate it. Get well from it fast!
March 16, 2016 — 12:07 PM
Beth Turnage says:
Hope you feel better soon.
March 16, 2016 — 12:07 PM
churnage says:
Best wishes for a quick recovery.
March 16, 2016 — 12:11 PM
Laurel Avery says:
Use it as a good excuse to cuddle up on the sofa with the dog(s)…not that one ever needs an excuse. Get better soon!
March 16, 2016 — 12:21 PM
Elaina M. Roberts says:
Aw poop. Was hoping to see you there, but hope you get better even more! Kick its ass, Chuck.
March 16, 2016 — 12:22 PM
Sue Clarke says:
Sorry to hear about your illness, I had pneumonia twice and here in the UK if your susceptible to reoccurring pneumonia, you’re offered a vaccination. Its worked so far. Now must go and rescue small child who is dangling upside down in an inflatable zorb, not joking.
March 16, 2016 — 12:25 PM
partlowspool says:
My entire reason for attending Anomaly Con was so I could hug you. But if you’d be coughing up a lung and letting it slough down my back, staining my cardigan, never mind. Seriously, hope you feel better soon, and that you kick pneumonia’s icky green ass with style and aplomb.
mb
March 16, 2016 — 12:26 PM
Denise McInerney says:
Not fun, took my husband 3 months to completely kick walking pneumonia. We couldn’t believe it lasted so long. Definitely not something to take lightly! He’d had the vaccination, too. Maybe it kept him from going into full-blown pneumonia? Take good care of yourself–we need you!!!
March 16, 2016 — 12:33 PM
Marsha Holtgrewe-Posz says:
Take care of yourself. Don’t try to do too much too soon, no matter how good you feel. Will miss your blogging, but we know you’ll be back eventually. We all understand, so take your time.
March 16, 2016 — 12:43 PM
Sheila M. Good, Author says:
Sorry to hear you’re under the weather, again. Get well soon.
March 16, 2016 — 1:03 PM
Jules says:
Sorry to hear it. I’ve had the cursed “gnome lung” twice. Horrid illness. Knock that evil little bastard out.
March 16, 2016 — 1:09 PM
Beth says:
Oh! I didn’t realize you were planning AnomalyCon. Damn. TAKE CARE OF YOU and feel better soon and we’ll show you a great Denver welcome whenever it’s good for you to come visit.
March 16, 2016 — 1:10 PM
Kathy says:
That is a bummer. Hope you’re prescribed a fabulous multi-drug cocktail to murder those little beasties before they really get to nom-nom-nomming on you.
March 16, 2016 — 1:12 PM
Jennifer Bushroe says:
Glad to hear you had a nice time in our neck of the desert (the TFOB), but geez, pneumonia again?! That’s rotten. Hope you feel better pronto!!
March 16, 2016 — 1:21 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Take care of yourself. This stuff is no fun. I hope that the early diagnosis (and drugs) allows you to kick it into orbit ASAP.
March 16, 2016 — 1:23 PM
JP McLean says:
Kick some nasty pneumo-ass and feel better soon.
March 16, 2016 — 1:32 PM
maryblackhill says:
So sorry to hear this. Daughter had it – forever now, when she coughs, I fear the worst! Hope the antibiotics do their job and clear up all those nasty germ gremlins. We’ll miss your blogs, but will be rooting for your health. You rock!
March 16, 2016 — 1:32 PM
Jamie Chavez says:
You do know there’s a pneumonia shot now, like a flu shot. Every 5 years, or something like that. Changed my life. I travel quite a bit and I was getting sick every time I got on an airplane (18 times in 6 years). Now—not. Thinking good thoughts for you.
March 16, 2016 — 1:33 PM
Jamie Chavez says:
Sorry; when I hit “comment” from my subscription, there were only 2 comments. Now that I’ve hit “post comment” there are 29 and someone already mentioned the vaccine. I must remember to refresh before pontificating.
March 16, 2016 — 1:36 PM
Phoebe says:
Feel better Chuck…I have just gotten myself hooked on this blog. I’ll miss you
March 16, 2016 — 1:52 PM
Connie Cockrell says:
Stay home, rest, get well.
March 16, 2016 — 1:55 PM
Mr Urban Spaceman says:
Drink a thousand hot toddies and feel better soon! Yes, that’s an order, not a sentiment.
March 16, 2016 — 2:31 PM
wdjoyner says:
Get some rest and hope you are better soon.
March 16, 2016 — 3:17 PM
Maryann says:
Shmooooly. Twice in a few months is NOT good. I’ve got asthma, had H1N1, then pneumonia last spring. As my darling mother so astutely observed, “you know you’d never survive MERS or anything like it.”
Yeah, got that memo.
So, to echo the response of others – Prevnar 13. – after you get better. Got the vaccine three weeks ago, myself.
March 16, 2016 — 3:17 PM
Diane corson says:
You who do more than enough, be sick for a day or two, grace the germs, then tell them to get the fuck out of here.
March 16, 2016 — 3:18 PM
Fatima says:
Get better and get rested. I had that and a chest infection, both do in fact metaphorically blow. (Ironic for a condition restricting the lungs.)
March 16, 2016 — 3:32 PM
Erik says:
I had pneumonia for six years running when I was a kid. What finally put it to bed was building up my lungs through regular intensive cardio (after I got better). I started with biking and have been running, biking and hiking ever since. Haven’t had it in twenty years. Don’t know if it will help you, but it might be worth a shot once you’re better.
March 16, 2016 — 4:19 PM
C. L. Roman says:
I truly hope you kick pneumonia’s ass, permanently and in short order. Feel better, dude.
March 16, 2016 — 7:12 PM
Ajay says:
Sorry to hear that being from the Mucosi Galaxy has tried to claim your lungs in the name of Lord Ackhgh again! (You’re probably familiar with their war chant: Pneuma Pneuma.) Hang in there!
March 16, 2016 — 7:14 PM
Jamie says:
Looks like gross things are spreading again. I just kicked a pinch of sickness in the butt this morning, and every other person has gross goober hands. Have soup, have aqua, and don’t die!
March 16, 2016 — 7:32 PM
J.D. Moyer says:
take cropleek and garlic, of both equal quantities, pound them well together, take wine and bullocks’ gall, of both equal quantities, mix with the leek, put this then into a brazen vessel, let it stand nine days in the brass vessel, wring out through a cloth and clear it well, put it into a horn, and about night time apply it with a feather to the eye; the best leechdom.
Hope you feel better soon. Zinc and vitamin D might help too.
March 16, 2016 — 7:55 PM
tracikenworth says:
Hope you feel better Chuck!! I’m down with something too.
March 16, 2016 — 8:39 PM
hardboiledbaby says:
🙁 Best wishes for a speedy and uneventful recovery.
March 16, 2016 — 8:56 PM
Jennifer Gray says:
take it seriously. had it 3 times one winter. my lungs will never be the same. gotta make extra sure you kill it all or it will come back and bite you again. take all the time you need to make sure you are better.
March 16, 2016 — 9:39 PM
caszbrewster says:
Herr Wendig, Sending you out all kinds of good country dweller mojo for speedy recovery and best health going forward. Should I send you some of my “Sick B Gone?”
Will miss your inspiration. (Querying Agents is PAINFUL).
March 16, 2016 — 10:28 PM
betsydornbusch says:
Oh no, I’ll miss you next week!
My daughter has fought that before… Six weeks in one summer, and many other times. I hope yours goes away quickly never to return!
March 16, 2016 — 10:38 PM
ZonieMama says:
Hope you recover quickly!
Glad you enjoyed the Book Festival in Tucson (and, selfishly, that you didn’t feel sick before THAT event). This middle-aged mom was gung-ho to the point of goofyness to meet you in person and get my books signed (after Books-to-Screen-&-Back panel). Too tongue-tied to talk much….
Thank you for the inspiring & hilarious blog and all your writing. Too bad there isn’t a way to get e-books autographed! 🙂 Feel better soon.
March 17, 2016 — 12:16 AM
Jenni Cornell says:
Had walking pneumonia and I love the campfire crackle description. You are the Sultan of Similes. Feel better soon.
March 17, 2016 — 12:56 AM