Question on Phenumonia

Hey all...

My wife and two of the kids several weeks ago developed a cough and had runny noses, the usual "kids just started school and brought home the germs first week" thingy.

Anyway, my wife prohectically (joke of course) said to me "I'm concerned you will get a bug". Well, sure nuff, I got what I thought was the "bug" just days after them, which as been 4 weeks now. They are all better and I'm not trying to sound like I'm am bad sick...but here is where I am at and wanted to know if I should get checked for Phenumonia (and you all know we worry about spread to lungs...and lately there have been some posts for that ..so of course I get a little worked up though I try so hard to just ignore the nagging thoughts)...

I do not have nor did I have a runny nose.

I DID have and still do have what feels like a "chest cold" where I can feel a "soarness" when I breathe in deep. I don't hear or feel congestion but when I cough very often some clear, not real green or yellow, stuff comes up...slightly green I guess at times.

I DO have a pain in my back from my shoulders blades down to mid-back, but that just seems to be getting worse, was not bad at first. This pain is not constant (I woke up this am with no pain and felt like I could breath just fine) It seems like the pain starts coming up a few hours after I awake. When I cough hard, I feel the pain more intense but it's a dull aching pain, not a sharp pain, but still noticable for sure.

I DO just the last few days feel a bit short of breath and my chest hurts in the front middle (like where they put their palms to give CPR). Again, the pain is not constant but by the end of the day seems to be quite pronounced (as in really bothers me)and if I move a certain way the pain can be sharp.

I got this cough, but it's the same cough my wife and kids had, but mine has just lingered now for four weeks. I don't think I'm getting worse, but just can't seem to get better and the pain seems to have upticked a bit in the areas I described above, especially my mid to upper back, in particular when I cough.

I do have (and it's been there for some time so not sure this means anything) what I swear feels like an IV bag of fluid to the left and north of my belly button under the skin. Good grief this little pouch is just like an IV bag of saline under the skin...My daughter thinks it's gross, but wife says I look like I have a baby bump, but it does not feel like a tumor or anything...it's soft and mushy (like an IV bag) and when I cough I can feel the liquid in that area kind of jolt around a bit ..sorry if all this sound gross. When I stand up if feels really hard and when I lay down it goes back soft.

Some quick history:

For an unrelated infection I just finished a 10 day round of Keflex (antibiotic) a few days ago (had an infection in my toe if you can believe that) from a hanging toenail, the infection lasted a good four weeks before I sought out a doctor who presribed Keflex. I don't know why I waited soooo long, but I have never had a dag-gum infection that would not go away like that ....so my wife made me go to the doc.

I had my CT/w Contrast August 6, 2012 of the head and neck, got a NED for that.

I saw my Oncologist September 8, 2012 who did a scope and finger exam, all looked good.

I saw my ENT Sept 19, 2012 who did a scope and finger exam, all looked good. My ENT did note "extreme dry vocals" and said I had radiation induced Laryngitis. My voice is still shot as

May 2012 I had an MRI of the brain, all was clear.

I had my PET/CT 3 months after my last rad (May 7, 2012) and got a very good report (just a very mild hot spot on vocals)which of course has since gone away.


I have had TONS of energy lately, been out in the forest cutting wood with the chain saw and loading up all that wood in my Scout ....We have a LOT of smoke here in Idaho where I live from all the wild-fires ...so I'm really thinking that with the bug with the radiation induced Larayngitis is all compounded and just making my mind race...

I actually feel guilty even putting this post up since some have had bad news lately and others are in the thick of recovery...but you guys always have great feedback.

I know the PCP is useless to go see, but I thought I would go see him tomorrow and ask for a chest X-ray (which I also think if I am correct is not that great at detecting lung cancer) but more for Phenumonia...??

Here is what I do know, lung mets is not uncommon and in fact one of the areas BOT SCC can spread to, so why not just ask them to look at it...early in our world is always best, so why do we always feel like we are being "jumpy" ..and on that note I have tried soooo very hard to not let my mind race or be jumpy as much as I was the first four months of my lat rad..good grief I had a time getting a handle on this "looking over my shoulder thing" the first four months....I do not like being that way.

Thanks,

Tim