Coughing up Blood

Momsbestfriend

I had posted this on my first original post and noticed it was not here - so I am putting here to hopefully get some advice.

Does coughing up blood mean the end is near or could it please, by the Grace of God, be something else?
Here is my post from this morning:
Hi its me again, MomsBestFriend after a long absence from posting due to high hopes and possibly denial.

Mom went thru 16 rounds of radiation to the brain after scan proved positive for SCLC, immediatley after radiation - she started chemotherapy.

Mom had to undergo steroids before and during radiation which made her a wonderful chatterbox -

As the year progressed and she finished her 3 rounds of chemo, the doctor told her that her tumor was just about gone and she asked to please let her undergo one more round of chemo. By October/November she was feeling great, with hair growing back and volunteering etc.

She underwent her last round and subsequent xrays and scans showed nothing - that is, until last week.

She supposively has a 4cm tumor in the same lung, lower right and in the past 2 days has been coughing up some blood. I am worried as she and my father go visit doc at 10:30 this morning....so scared. I have to note that during CT scan she became ill and vomited while lying down and doc said blood in sputum probably from strain on body from getting sick. One week later she is now getting blood in sputum when she coughs and says it is not all the time. I just pray this isnt the beginning of the end as she has done soooooooo very good since her initial diagnosis last April

Mom is doign great and feels good and docs told her that her regimen of supplements and her diet helped her stay relatively healthy during and after treatments.

What i dont udnerstand is that her report last week said "most likely recurrent" and that the cancer has not spread to abdomen or other lung - if it IS cancer, why would they not have her start chemo immediatley? As it is, thye have us coming back on Feb 11 for another CT and then result on Valentines Day (nice)

Mom is strong and will continue to fight - her hair has pretty much all grown back (which she is very happy wbout) but now the worries are here all over again. We are a positive and strong family - but todays results have me worried.

Does anyone have any information they can share with me regarding blood in sputum fromc oughing and what this COULD mean?

thanks so much everyone.

Mom has taken her Maitake D and her Flax Seed Oil Pills everyday since initial diagnosis of "a shadow" as well as plenty of white & green teas, salmon and fruit/veggies. Even this morning she feels GOOD - just sooo nervous. She leaves at 10am for her 1030 appt with my father.....

Momsbestfriend

wow, not as bad as I imagined or as good as I could have hoped - but here is copy of email I sent out to family members after meeting with my Dad for lunch and speaking with my mother. She said she was so scared.....docs soothed her with sayign they were not worried....
here is email
Hi All -

Sending everyone an update on recent news/doctors appt that Mom had TODAY.

Mom has been coughing a bit these days and has had some blood coming up in her cough - not blood on every cough - but it warranted a docs appt with Dr. Dombrowski at Pluta this morning at 10:30. She had some blood come up on Jan 10 and they told her it was probably from getting ill on the table the day of her CT while on her back (Jan 9). The past few days the coughing with blood has been worse, but not with every cough....

Doctor is NOT worried about the blood in sputum and said it could be from her getting ill while ON the table for her CT on January 9th - she could have pulled, strained or damaged something as she was lying on her back. That IS what they think the problem is....

Doctor also said that the "new" spot they found on the CT he is not too worried about at this point either - and we will know more after the next CT on Feb 11 (with results on the 14th). Right now he is not worried and if the "spot" grows by the next scan then Mom will probably have more chemo and possibly some raditation. The cancer has NOT spread ouside the one lung.

Right now, things look good and we all have to remain positive and have Faith and remember this WILL be beat......

Mom is doing very good and is so strong. We made it thru and just now have to keep the faith.

Cough not good right now and she is on an OTC (over the counter) meds

xoxooxox

Greggriggs

Hope things are better.
Befor I found out I had lung cancer I spit up blood from Nov 06 to Feb 07 not a lot but enough to worry me I don't blame you Mom for being worried.
If it is contained in one lung why can't they do surgery??? Did it met from her Brain ??? why rads on her Brain/ I don't understand ?
But as long as they are on top of it with the scans I don't think the spitting up blood means she is near the end . I have had a lot of ct scans an the last two kinda got to me also maybe Her body doesn't like the dye?
hope for the best an she is in my prayers.
Greg

Momsbestfriend

Greggriggs said:

Hope things are better.
Befor I found out I had lung cancer I spit up blood from Nov 06 to Feb 07 not a lot but enough to worry me I don't blame you Mom for being worried.
If it is contained in one lung why can't they do surgery??? Did it met from her Brain ??? why rads on her Brain/ I don't understand ?
But as long as they are on top of it with the scans I don't think the spitting up blood means she is near the end . I have had a lot of ct scans an the last two kinda got to me also maybe Her body doesn't like the dye?
hope for the best an she is in my prayers.
Greg

Greg - Thanks for the note and when Mom had her first PET they did find one MET to the brain and she went thru radiation on the brain before she started chemo. Brain met is gone.

I talked to her this morning and she is currently only taking Halls drops to ease her cough and am hoping to get some suggestions here from folks that have been there...
You are probably right about the dye as her last two CTs I took her to, she did get sick while lying on her back......
Thanks again for your kind words and will include you and yours in my prayers as well....
Betty