Lung mets or radiation damage?

Marietje1956

Hi sisters!

Finished my radiation by the end of January and since March experience growing tightness of the chest and dry cough - getting worse. Today went to the hospital to have an X-ray. Waiting for the test result, I hope tomorrow morning.

Anyone here to help me through the night with a similar experience, turning out to be radiation damage? Like radiation pneumonitis? Would really love to suffer from that!

Love & strength to you all

Marietje

bevin

HI there, hoping your xray is clear . I had the exact same issue. Damage to my pleura from the radiation which turned in to fibrosis. Good luck to you. Keep us posted.

Marietje1956

hi Bevin,

Thank you for your reply! I am on my third day of Prednisolon but I am getting only slightly better. Patience....

Grtz Marie

bevin

Prednisolon is good stuff. will likely give you some energy too. Hope it helps. Good luck!

Lolis197138

Hi 

I have experienced the same thing. The cough does last all day long but I get coughing fit that like I have smoked all my life. I finished my rads in November 2014. I wondering if this is from rads or something else. I am experiencing some chest/heart tightness as well. I did ABC breathing method during rads as the heart was too close to the area and I was hoping that the lung damage would have been minimal. 

I see my onc next Thursday and will ask her as I have had some weird femur/hip pain lately. 

Marietje1956

Hi Lolis,

Our cases are quite similar, though I am in a somewhat higher stage than you..

I am seeing a pulmenary doc in two weeks, also having a CT scan soon. The coughing is still quite annoying, but the Prednisolon does work. It has to heal and can take several months.

Do you worry about the hip pain? And another question: did they offer you a choice, Tamoxifen or Arimidex or Letrozole?

Regards!

Marietje

Lolis197138

Hi Marietje,

I do worry a bit about the hip pain. It was a bit different this time, lasted longer and more painful. I can feel some pain even now. 

Have you become more aware of your breathing? I have since the cough started. Do you find that it get worse in the evening? 

I didn't have a choice about the hormone therapy and since I am not in menopause there was no choice but tamoxifen. My MO didn't want to change me to OS+AI in December when I last her as she thought that the data from the study is not enough. I ddont know what she will suggest next week but I don't want to go back in menopause (I still have my period) so I think I will continue with Tamoxifen.

Hugs,

Lolis

Marietje1956

hi Lolis, yes of course you are much younger than me, I am 59 next week. What does OS + Al stands for?


I can understand you are worried, but there sure can be many other causes for the pain, and since you are on hormone therapy, you should be quite safe.... At least that is what I think when I feel something strange.


Yes the coughing gets worse in the evening, when I am tired and have talked too much. Talking kind of triggers the cough.


How are you feeling, more than a year after your diagnosis? Back to work perhaps and/or having kids? I feel my strength coming back, also mentally, that's why the lung problem felt a bit like a set back.
But, ah well, we are here and very much alive!

Hugs, Marietje

Lolis197138

Happy birthday in advance!!!

Sorry, OS+AI means ovary surpressant + aromatose inhibitor (base on the new study results released last december). 

I feel fine now, just a bit frustrated that I feel like I can't plan for the future. I hate not knowing or having this fear that it could all come back again. I wonder if the hip pain is because of tamoxifen or arthritis (a bit too young for that but who knows nowadays).

I worked throughout my treatments (worked from home but was working full time). Unfortunately because of my dx my MO suggested against me being pregnant and hubby was there at the appointment and he doesn't want me to get pregnant now. We 6 embryos and might try a surrogacy next year. 

How are you doing? I see that you went thru this twice? Do you have kids and/or may be grandchildren? 

When's your CT scan?

xox

momand2kids

ladies

I noticed this-- one other idea is that it could be a thyroid issue-- I had a lot of coughing--could not beat it-- CT scan showed nodules on my thyroid, one leaning on vocal chord---- so it could be something that is easily resolvable. Your CT scan should show your lungs, thyroid, etc.

good luck

Lolis197138

Thanks momand2kids. 

I don't know how quickly the change in thyroid can affect the cough as I had my blood work done in March and thyroid was fine. 

I see my oncologist tomorrow, yaay!! 

momand2kids

Hi

my thyroid function was always normal-- nodules don't often impact the blood work----

Lolis197138

I see. I didn't think of nodules.

I saw the oncologist today and she sent me for some bloodwork a chest X-ray and waiting for a call for CT scan. I see her again next thursday to find out the tests results. 

I started having a back pain today, right side (I usually get my pain on the left shoulder) and my voice is being affected (I think because of the coughing). 

I can't wait till next thursday!!