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I know this has been discussed here before, but maybe not quite with this set of circumstances.

I've been sick for the past week now, with a recurring high fever, (think 104.5,) bad cough and sinus problems. The first illness that was diagnosed was that I had an ear infection. Luckily, that seems to be well on the road to recovery. It wasn't until today, though, that the doctors were able to get a full picture of what exactly is ailing me. After two checkups, a trip to the hospital for blood work and a chest x-ray, and another debriefing check-up, they finally were able to get me on the proper track to heal the rest of my aching body.

The diagnosis? I have pneumonia in my right lung, AND mononucleosis. Now, with the ear infection, I haven't played tuba since last Tuesday. I have a history of bad ear infections, and if they get out of control, there's the potential for me to permanently lose a tiny bit of my hearing. Now, though, it seems that I'm going to be out-of-commission for quite a bit longer.

The problem here is that, next week, I'm scheduled to play a Concert Band show on Wednesday night, and a tuba ensemble recital on Thursday night. I'm very strongly keeping my fingers crossed, so that the new meds and inhaler and whatnot cure me up enough to play at least on the Thursday night concert. But, I'm not entirely hopeful.

At the very least, I want to be back in shape for my jury in the second week of December. My question is, would anyone have some suggestions on how to go about recovering my chops, after I've finally healed? Before anyone bumps in with the obvious, I am going to seek plenty of advice from my professor on this, as well as the doctors. But I'm interested in hearing anyone's take on this.

Thanks, and have a great night!, (just think that you'll likely have a better night than me...)
Aaron H.

I haven’t tried the mono thing, but pneumonia and ear problems are familiar to me.

When I was younger and stronger I often started playing too early for reasons similar to yours. My lesson was that I didn’t learn of the wear on my basic health until it was too late to avoid an early retirement.

It may be hard for young person to accept older persons’ experiences. But I will try to interpret your medium range agenda.

You are willing to sell the first concert, which is wise. You very much want to do the tuba ensemble recital, which I guess is part of your education curriculum. I understand, that you want to go there, but as I see it a too early start will endanger your jury, if the infection flares again.

I would put the jury very high on the medium term list and then start out slowly.

In my experience the worst effect of not playing is stiffness in the lungs and in the lips. If the doctors allow, try to at least buzz a few low notes. I love to do glisses over smaller and very large intervals. The glisses at the same time reveal and counteract dead spots in your range. Playing very simple hymn style tunes also enhances control. If you can do just a few minutes of such work on the tuba, possibly in a number of sessions over the day, then you may be better off, when your strength is back.

The ears are the weakest spot. Do not cause high pressure in your inner ear. Check with your medical doctors.

I wish you a thorough rather than a speedy (and false) recovery.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

I came down with pneumonia overnight a week ago yesterday. My wife found me on the couch incoherent last Saturday morning, as with the dropping oxygen levels, I had become disoriented, forgot I had taken my blood thinners, accidently double-dosed myself, popped something as I hacked, and threw up blood in the kitchen sink. Not pretty. Urgent care, massive antibiotics, and bed rest for three days. I finally got back on my feet mid week, went to see my primary, and he said as long as I wasn't straining that he actually encouraged my tuba playing to help clear my lungs. He's right: I was hacking badly, and with great intrepidation started some long easy tones. The more I played, the more my chest muscles, lungs, and the inflammation accompanying the irritations relaxed and relieved. Of course, I stopped at the point of noticeable fatigue so as to not set myself back.

My tuba playing has actually been instrumental (pun intended) in helping me get over the pneumonia more quickly. Here, a week later, I will be playing a short "intermission" brass quintet gig this evening and tomorrow afternoon.

Stay in communication with your physician. Good luck!

I think it would be alright as long as you're not breathing directly on someone.

Last semester I had what the music dept. affectionately called "the Maryland's Disease" (I'm originally from MD). I had the worst chest and head cold. I went to the doctor's and they gave me crap for medicine so it took me forever to recover. I found that doing the breathing exercises like previously mentioned was the most beneficial to building back up my lungs. I had to concentrate "breathing down to my feet" to remember that I had all that room in my lungs, and expanding because it would either result in pain or coughing uncontrollably.

Throw in learning CC and it was pretty much a good time, haha.

Not about recovery but about avoiding illness, things that achieve measureable positive results for me.

Last week I was at a residential workshop in which two people arrived with just awful head colds. I had taken with me my Sambucus syrup (elderberry.) On Thursday a.m. I woke up with scratchy throat, and Wed evening I had collapsed into bed feeling too tired for the sit-around circumstances of the workshop. So Thursday a.m. I started taking the Sambucus syrup, someone else gave me some echinacea and garlic pills, and by Thursday evening I felt fine. Got rid of it. I'm not always so lucky, but I have found the Sambucus syrup to be enormously effective.

What else: my ears, and the ears of others I've run into, are sensitive to cigarette smoke and to soy products. Both have negative effect. Immune systems also respond poorly to sugar (there are studies out there that show a drop in white cell production for several hours after sugar ingestion.) Also electric blanket studies show a drop in white cell production.

So...my dos centavos.

MA