The Star: December 06, 2018

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8 Thursday December 6 2018 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi The Star ews Pneumonia: It strikes when Pneumonia can strike anywhere, anytime, and can kill the young, old, weak and strong alike. Julia Evans reports TIM SINTES has been in bed living off a diet of english breakfast tea and Kurols cough drops for the past five weeks. It’s a big change for the 67-yearold former fisherman, who can normally be found surfing, gardening or tinkering in his shed. But Mr Sintes, who is deputy chairman of the Coastal- Burwood Community Board, has been “knocked for six” by a severe case of pneumonia. It’s landed him in hospital twice. “The day before it happened, I was riding my mountain bike over Rapaki with my daughter. The next day, I woke up and I thought I just had hay fever, I had a blocked nose and that was about it,” Mr Sintes said. He started to shake and shiver – the next morning he went to the doctor. “One listen to the croak in my chest and he said ‘you’ve got quite severe pneumonia’. I went straight to get an x-ray and then I was admitted to hospital.” It went downhill from there. “I just kept getting worse. At first we thought it was legionnaries, I’d just redone the lawns.” Every year Mr Sintes’ hosts a community Christmas celebration at his Southshore home and was relaying the lawn for the occasion. “But I’d been wearing a mask when I was doing the lawn . . . they worked out it was a bacterial infection that caused the pneumonia, but nobody knows how I got it.” Mr Sintes said he knew nothing about pneumonia before, but now he is an expert. “I did not realise the ON THE MEND: Coastal-Burwood Community Board deputy chairman Tim Sintes has been in bed for five weeks with a severe case of pneumonia. seriousness of it. When people would say to me they’ve got pneumonia, I would think it was just a bit like having the flu,” he said. There were moments he thought he would never breathe again when his lungs felt like they were compressing in on themselves. “I was on oxygen in a severe state for three days. I couldn’t breathe and the bed was wringing wet from me sweating so much. One night I had the most intense hallucinations. They were in 3D colour. It was horrible,” he said. “You feel very vulnerable. Usually I’m too busy to be sick.” He was discharged from hospital and felt like he was on the mend. “I felt better and I thought, wow, I can do all these things. Since I didn’t feel too bad, I thought good, it was all over,” he said. Soon he was back in the surf, mowing the lawns and just about at the end of his first course of antibiotics. “There were about three or four days where I couldn’t quite believe it, I felt alive again. One day I mowed the lawns, the next day I was out for a coffee in Sumner and I started feeling not too good again,” Mr Sintes said. His wife Jan suggested he go to hospital.“The aches and shakes were back and I thought, ‘no, I don’t want to go to hospital’. But I had to tell my wife to ring the ambulance.” He ended up spending another six days in hospital. ‘I was on oxygen in a severe state for three days. I couldn’t breathe and the bed was wringing wet from me sweating so much. One night I had the most intense hallucinations. They were in 3D colour. It was horrible’ – Tim Sintes Mr Sintes was discharged from hospital for the second time 10 days ago. The pneumonia had spread to his other lung. “That taught me a lesson. Listen to your doctor when they say you need to rest. I didn’t think it was much, I didn’t think of the consequences and now I’ve been sick for five weeks.” After losing 8kg, Mr Sintes believes he may be on the road to recovery and has been getting his appetite back. “I’m so cautious now. I don’t want to go backwards again.” Although most people are lamenting the cold start to summer, Mr Sintes said it has been great. “It would be torture if I had to lie here and it was sunny. I enjoy life so much. Believe me, this weather has been bad for everyone except me.” Six weeks ago, Mr Sintes had an accident with a chainsaw and cut his leg. Two weeks later he was back out surfing. “It’s hard to believe you can be right two weeks after being cut by a chainsaw, but you can be knocked for six by something like this.” But the cause of his pneumonia remains a mystery. “It’s the strangest feeling. I’m the kind of person that needs explanations and needs a reason, but this time it could be anything,” he said. Mr Sintes said people had asked if it was related to stress from his city council work and the code of conduct investigation he and Coastal Ward city councillor David East, Coastal- Burwood Community Board chairwoman Kim Money and Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board member Darrell Latham are facing over their comments alleging city council staff tampered with the District Plan, which affected property owners in flood prone areas. “I can easily say it’s not. I’m not a stress kind of person. My way of relaxing is being busy, that’s different.” Raising the issue has been a “weight off my shoulders,” he said. HUGE 120V BATTERY lawnmoweR own it foR less than $20 pER wEEk package includes: Mower, line trimmer or blower. Battery is interchangeable on all tools. Rent to own 225 Linwood Ave 389 7742 I buy property in Canterbury • As is where is • Damaged • Uninsured • Deceased estate • Land • Commercial Call me anytime 027 490 8576
The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday December 6 2018 9 you least expect it • By Julia Evans PNEUMONIA IS an infection of the lungs, usually caused by bacteria or a virus, and is often triggered by a cold or flu. It causes inflammation of the air sacs in one or both lungs when your immune system is overwhelmed and you can’t fight off the bug causing the infection. When infection sets in, the air sacs in one or both lungs fill with pus and fluids, making breathing difficult. Anyone can develop pneumonia but the risk is greater in babies and children aged four and under and in adults over 65. Adults who have a chronic lung condition, weakened immune system, drink excessively, smoke or are in hospital are also prone. In children, the risk of pneumonia is increased by premature birth, poor nutrition, low birth weight, not being breast-fed, exposure to tobacco smoke, lack of insulation and heating at home or living in damp, mouldy or overcrowded conditions. Symptoms include coughing (often with yellow or green ILLNESS: Last year there were 124 deaths in Canterbury caused by pneumonia. coloured phlegm), mild or high fever, shaking and chills, shortness of breath, increased effort to take a breath, low energy and fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, and chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough. But most mild cases of pneumonia can be treated at home with rest, plenty of fluids and antibiotics. The Ministry of Health advises resting as much as possible in an upright position, drinking plenty of fluids, antibiotics as prescribed and avoiding smoking or passive smoking. Taking medications, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, if required can help relieve pain and fever. However, hospital admission is recommended for babies, young children and older adults, and for people who have severe pneumonia. •Canterbury District Health Board data shows in 2017 to 2018, there were 1736 patients admitted with pneumonia and 124 deaths •In 2016 to 2017, there were 1585 admissions and 104 deaths •In 2016 to 2015, there were 1442 admissions and 95 deaths •In 2015 to 2014, there were 1416 admissions and 109 deaths •In 2013 to 2014, there were 1353 admissions and 115 deaths The Canterbury District Health Board recorded 1736 admissions and 124 deaths from pneumonia in 2017-2018. CDHB executive director planning, funding and decision support Carolyn Gullery said there has been an “increased number” of people being diagnosed with pneumonia. “This may reflect both greater prevalence and improved recording of data about the condition. Pneumonia is affected by a wide range of factors, including respiratory diseases which are prevalent.” The mortality rate varies a little, but remains in line with population growth, she said. It can take about six months to fully recover. In a week the fever should be gone; within four weeks chest pain and mucus should have reduced; and in six weeks the cough or breathlessness should have also reduced. But it will take about three months for most symptoms to disappear, although there may be continued signs of fatigue. In six months most people will feel back to normal. Prevention methods include the flu vaccination, regularly washing hands, not smoking as it damages the lung’s ability to fight infection, staying rested and fit, staying home when you’re sick and avoiding people who have a cold or the flu. Christchurch Civic Awards 2018 The Christchurch City Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Civic Awards OXFORD FARMERS MARKET Every Sunday 9am – 12 noon Support and enjoy your local market 9 th December - Car boot Sale 16 th December - Kids face painting for Christmas parade 23 rd December - Gala Christmas Market Maan Alkaisi for community service and public advocacy Ken Clearwater for services to male survivors of sexual abuse Pat Duggan and Paul O’Connor for services to ANZAC Day Ruth Gardner for community service Coleen Dunlop for community service Jillian Lord for services to social history Bob Shearing for community service Pauline Mohi for services to public health Katherine Peet for services to public education Stephen Phillips for community service Maurice White Native Forest Conservation Trust for services to conservation The Civic Awards will be presented by Mayor Lianne Dalziel on the 12 December 2018. 2019 2100550 www.oxfordfarmersmarket.co.nz
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The Star: December 06, 2018

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