Possible lung infection, but was sent for a biopsy

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11tyBillion
11tyBillion Member Posts: 96

I am 3+ years out, and went in to the Dr. last week with chest congestion.  Back story, I have a small indoor greenhouse for my orchids and lemon tree, and it had been closed up for a few weeks, and when I went and opened it to water the plants, I got a HUGE lung full of moldy air!  In the warmth and humidity, the plants, MOLD and FUNGUS thrived.  The inside was coated in black and brown mold!  Anyway, exactly one week after taking in a snoot full of moldy humid air, I was hacking and my chest felt tight, and I was short of breath - almost like an asthma attack.  Felt like the beginnings of pneumonia.  anyway, went to the doc., she gave me an inhaler, some cough meds, and a chest x-ray.  No antibiotics or anything, because she said it would be rare to have a fungal or bacterial infection from my escapade. (?!? really).  I started feeling better right away.  Well, the next day they called and said that the x-ray was atypical for what they look for with pneumonia, and they wanted to do a CT to make sure of what they are looking at (pneumonia or SOMETHING else.)  Scared me out of my wits.  Up until the moldy air, I was having no problems!  

I got the ct scan Tuesday.  Wednesday, I got this dreaded call from my primary Docs office wondering if I can come in ASAP so that my Primary Doc's nurse can give me my ct results, and oh by the way, I "should not come by myself and should bring someone with me"... i totally lost it.  I swung by grabbed my DH up from work, and went straight to the doc's office.  she proceeds to tell us that there are a few small nodules (1cm and smaller), and a larger nodule ~1.5 cm that they want to biopsy, like the next day, Thursday (day before yesterday).  I got the biopsy done yesterday.  As luck has it, my onc is on vacation all next week, and my first appt with him is now Feb 11th.  All of this rush rush rush, and no one can give me a antibiotic or anything while we wait, JUST IN CASE this is an infection?  I have heard that infection can make nodes in your lungs "light up" under ct because of mucus etc.

 I think the thing that is pissing me off the most is that it seems as though not one person is remembering the original reason for coming in there.  I breathed in a ton of mold/fungus (a few periods over a couple of days while I cleaned the mess up).  I got a raging sinus infection 2 days later, then my chest tightened up over the next week.  The cough and respiratory problems were not there until I inhaled the mold!  Not one of these doctors have given me and antibiotic or anti fungal, or blood tests.   It is like they have forgotten that PERHAPS all of these nodes are lit up because of infection, and perhaps a few rounds of antibiotic would shrink all of this down over the weeks that the onc is out of town?  Oh, the cough has been gone since last weekend!  I am now feeling back to normal!  Am i just being angry because I am tired of being looked at like a cancer time bomb?  Am i angry because i am afraid that this stuff may have reared its ugly head again?  ABSOLUTELY!  But, I mean seriously, I still can catch things that are NOT cancer!  I feel like I am being treated for Cancer first, and anything else that this might be is secondary.

So, after this whole diatribe ... have any of you TN warriors out there been through something like this?   I am 3 years out, what are the chances that this went to my lungs after my chemo and rads (my last chest x-ray).

sorry for venting, but I am so scared, and don't really know which end is up.  

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  • Luah
    Luah Member Posts: 1,541
    edited January 2013

    No worries about venting here - I totally understand your frustration and anxiety. Any way you can press for the biopsy results now? Feb 11th is a long time to wait in anxious suspense - just not acceptable, imo. (and it's quite reasonable to think the mold may have caused your lung problems, especially since it was such a sudden flare-up.)

  • 11tyBillion
    11tyBillion Member Posts: 96
    edited January 2013

    Luah:  I aggree that this IS a long waiting time.  I am now caught in that loop of :  if they call right away is it gonna be bad OR, if I hear nothing at all, is that good, or REALLY bad?  I am not sure which Doc ordered the test, my primary, or my Onc.  I would think if my primary ordered it, there is nothing stipping her from calling me, since she is not on vacation.  But my Onc., I coudl see him not wanting any release of BAD info over the phone ... shit.  No matter when they call, it is freaking me out.  The stress headaches (which are also now scaring me, you know how that goes) are getting bad.  SIGH -- I went to the gym this morning, and will go to yoga tomorrow.  Hopefully trying to keep my normal routine will help keep my mind active, you know? Thank you ladies for being here.  I do not come here to these boards much at all anymore, but i really need a "safe place" to land right now.

  • Yayme
    Yayme Member Posts: 107
    edited January 2013

    11tybBillion.....I am so sorry for your ordeal you are going through..I am pulling for you and sending positive vibes for a good outcome. I am sure you are right that it is some mold related reaction. I have a friend who had a biopsy and it turned out to e a fungal infection that inflamed her nodes...so keep the faith...



    Lisa

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 793
    edited January 2013

    I don't think your venting....just making perfect sense.  I feel soo certain that you are going to be 100% fine. I hope you get that call soon, have a good cry due to the horrible scare and that when you stop crying from the fear that you will continue to cry with joy!

  • 11tyBillion
    11tyBillion Member Posts: 96
    edited February 2013

    Hi ladies! Just realized that I had not checked in for a few days. This is day 2 after Navelbine, and I am feeling relatively good. I am relishing this, because I do not know what chemos are still down the road for me, and I know many of them do not leave one feeling this nice. Took a nice long hour walk today in the sun, and fresh air. Felt good to have that spring breeze in my lungs (although the cough and short breath were annoying at times). Been thinking a lot lately about how to get my mind back into "battle mode". Being outside today helped.



    Funny thing, but for the first two days after my treatment, all of my bone aches ( where some mets are) nd particularly in the rib and liver area were completely silent. No pains ANYWHERE. Makes me wonder if the meds are working and keeping the cells from dividing? I dunno. Today, they have started to intermittently "wake up".



    My son, and husbands birthdays are being celebrated next weekend, so that means 16+ people in our teeny house:-). I am looking forward to seeing everyone, but totally NOTlooking forward to some family members wanting to talk about this issue at every moment-- or the "look" that people give you when they see you for the first time. What is worse is when you are completely happy to see them and they fall into you bawling. I don't need that right now. I dont need people to come and visit and then starting asking the hard questions when conversation gets light. NO, I am NOT going to want to talk about where, or how much this has spread. NOT when we are together celebrating. Lets celebrate being together, and being alive, RATHER than using out get-together as a fact finding mission. Sorry, had to vent.

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