Pneumonia was the one where death felt so close. I worked at a museum at the time, and being exposed to so many people all day long, I was often sick no matter how much hand washing I did because kids and adults would literally just cough in your face (this was pre-covid). I'd had every upper respiratory disease practically known to man so it was no surprise that I got the big one.
Since I was so frequently sick, I didn't take it too seriously at first, just thought it was the usual cough, and fever, but things quickly escalated. Thankfully my parents had come down to visit for the holidays and my dad saw the state of me, and immediately took me to the hospital. The pain in my chest was excruciating! Every breath was like lifting weights via my lungs. I could feel pressure on my ribs and my whole chest was red from this coughing that you could literally hear that sounded like they were being ran through a cheese grater. Every single part of my torso and back hurt so bad, and I could not sleep at all until the hospital gave me the hardest hardcore meds and anti-biotics I've ever taken in my life. Even after the hospital, it was nearly 3 months after that of symptoms before I felt normal again.
