I’m sure there will be a lot of posts going up about Bernie Mac’s death.  I am one of an unknown number that are flabbergasted and blindsided by this death.  50 years old is way to young, in my opinion.

And, as upsetting this situation is, I am more in shock.

I sit here, slightly shaken, because Tom has had pneumonia several times after becoming a quadriplegic.

There was one long stay that the pneumonia was so severe that the doctors wanted to put Tom on a respirator, since it had compromised his ability to breathe that intensely.  Tom refused the respirator, after having a horrible experience with one immediately after his initial injury.  When Tom’s heath had improved significantly during that stay, the doctors shook their heads with relief and whispered of close calls.

Tom battled through each time.  He’s been very lucky, all things considering.

And, although I knew that pneumonia could be potentially deadly, I never feared that Tom would not recover.  There were a couple times that I really should of been worried, though.  I don’t know if it was me being naive to the severity of the situation, or if I just never had any doubt.

Reading about Bernie Mac’s death brings me right back to all those hospital stays for pneumonia … and how lucky Tom and I are to have been able to go home.