worried about husband

concerned wife

My husband has had a lingering cough literally for several months.  After witnessing 3 different people close to us pass away from lung cancer, two within months of each other, I have pleaded with him to have a CT scan.  All three of the people we lost complained about the same thing, a cough that would not go away.  My friend's mother, in her 70's and still working, went to the Dr. for cough syrup with codiene on her lunch break but they decided to do a CT scan.  Well she was admitted to the hospital that day and told she had stage IV lung cancer and later found out it had spread to her brain.  Other than her persistent cough, she had no other sypmtoms.  My husband, in addtion to his cough, has had shoulder, back and chest pain but he says it could be his gallbladder.  That may be true but with the other symptoms I think he should rule out the more serious lung cancer.  He is a previous heavy smoker (20 years ago). 

Am I being paranoid?  I just don't want to wait any longer if there is a problem.  What were your (or your loved ones) sypmtoms?

glcs52

Hard to say.  Just coughing

Hard to say.  Just coughing could be a thousand things.  Is there blood in the cough?  If he is concerned, he should discuss with his doctor.  Has he had shortness of breath?  My first symptoms, I thought I had the flu or some visrus I could not kick.  If I tried to run, I had no breath.  Going up stairs, I had no breath. I felt miserable.  Occassionally, throwing up.  Loosing weight.  Decided to go to the clinic, Dr. did a chest xray, suspected lung cancer, started the appointments and the ball rolling. 

- Gail

glcs52

Hard to say.  Just coughing

Hard to say.  Just coughing could be a thousand things.  Is there blood in the cough?  If he is concerned, he should discuss with his doctor.  Has he had shortness of breath?  My first symptoms, I thought I had the flu or some visrus I could not kick.  If I tried to run, I had no breath.  Going up stairs, I had no breath. I felt miserable.  Occassionally, throwing up.  Loosing weight.  Decided to go to the clinic, Dr. did a chest xray, suspected lung cancer, started the appointments and the ball rolling. 

- Gail

 

terribly sorry, it won't let me delete this second hit.

Ladylacy

Symptons

Seems like everyone has different symptons.  Well granted my husband was first treated for laryngeal cancer, had radiation, chemo and surgery and was NED for one year.  Then 2nd primary at cervical of his esophagus (very rare spot for cancer and survival rate very low).  Surgery was ruled out due to size of tumor, very small, previous radiation and surgery, he underwent more radiation and chemo.  NED for 4 months, then with a PET/CT scan found a recurrence and spread to his right lung.  He had been complaining about pain in his right shoulder and told two of his doctors about that, but they weren't concerned, gave him pain medication.  Then when he had the PET/CT scan it was noted that some nodules they had been watching in his right lung were growing albiet very small.  Our head and neck specialist pushed for a biopsy, but we were told they didn't want to do it because the nodules were so small they wanted to watch them.  But a needle biopsy was done due to the location and it took them 4 tries to get enough cells to biopsy which turned out to be cancer.  Lung did collapse and he was in the hospital for 2-3 days. 

Now he had decided enough was enough and that he would not undergo any further treatment.  Only thing offered was chemo which would only prolong not cure and possibly hasten.  He decided at 76 that he wanted quality over quantity and all of our doctors were in agreement.

Now my husband was a heavy pipe smoker and beer drinker, which he gave up the beer 10 years ago.  Stopped cold turkey and the same with smoking his pipe when he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer.  He never had a cough and still doesn't.  There is a possibly that you husband has walking pneumonia and a doctor listening to his lungs could tell you that with a follow up chest x-ray or CT scan.  He also could have a lung infection.  Something my husband had about 15 years ago after a fishing trip.  They were so sure he had advanced lung cancer and when a lung specialist went down into his lungs and looked around he said my husband had a severe lung infection and he was kept in the hospital for a week on IV antibodics. 

So are you being paranoid?  No you are not but it is your husband's choice to go to the doctor or not and as you know many men, mine included, are stubborn.  Make the appointment for him and go with him.  Gallbladder doesn't cause all those symptoms.  My husband didn't even know he had gallbladder problems until a blood test was done and some level, don't remember which one, was high and he was sent to a surgeon.  Very simple surgery in and out of the hospital in one day and he had a very easy recovery.  This was about 5 years ago. 

Wishing you the best -- Sharon

concerned wife

glcs52 said:

Hard to say.  Just coughing

Hard to say.  Just coughing could be a thousand things.  Is there blood in the cough?  If he is concerned, he should discuss with his doctor.  Has he had shortness of breath?  My first symptoms, I thought I had the flu or some visrus I could not kick.  If I tried to run, I had no breath.  Going up stairs, I had no breath. I felt miserable.  Occassionally, throwing up.  Loosing weight.  Decided to go to the clinic, Dr. did a chest xray, suspected lung cancer, started the appointments and the ball rolling. 

- Gail

Here's why I'm concerned

He is a previous smoker, his father passed away from lung cancer, HORRIBLE cough for the past several months, more than just clearing your throat type. Wheezing at times. Most importantly, my friend's mother only had the coughing symptom that just would not go away and it wasn't until her co worker convinced her to go tot he DR did she find out it was cancer, and by that time stage IV.  I pray I am over reacting but because of the factors mentioned above, I'm very concerned.

concerned wife

Ladylacy said:

Symptons

Seems like everyone has different symptons.  Well granted my husband was first treated for laryngeal cancer, had radiation, chemo and surgery and was NED for one year.  Then 2nd primary at cervical of his esophagus (very rare spot for cancer and survival rate very low).  Surgery was ruled out due to size of tumor, very small, previous radiation and surgery, he underwent more radiation and chemo.  NED for 4 months, then with a PET/CT scan found a recurrence and spread to his right lung.  He had been complaining about pain in his right shoulder and told two of his doctors about that, but they weren't concerned, gave him pain medication.  Then when he had the PET/CT scan it was noted that some nodules they had been watching in his right lung were growing albiet very small.  Our head and neck specialist pushed for a biopsy, but we were told they didn't want to do it because the nodules were so small they wanted to watch them.  But a needle biopsy was done due to the location and it took them 4 tries to get enough cells to biopsy which turned out to be cancer.  Lung did collapse and he was in the hospital for 2-3 days. 

Now he had decided enough was enough and that he would not undergo any further treatment.  Only thing offered was chemo which would only prolong not cure and possibly hasten.  He decided at 76 that he wanted quality over quantity and all of our doctors were in agreement.

Now my husband was a heavy pipe smoker and beer drinker, which he gave up the beer 10 years ago.  Stopped cold turkey and the same with smoking his pipe when he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer.  He never had a cough and still doesn't.  There is a possibly that you husband has walking pneumonia and a doctor listening to his lungs could tell you that with a follow up chest x-ray or CT scan.  He also could have a lung infection.  Something my husband had about 15 years ago after a fishing trip.  They were so sure he had advanced lung cancer and when a lung specialist went down into his lungs and looked around he said my husband had a severe lung infection and he was kept in the hospital for a week on IV antibodics. 

So are you being paranoid?  No you are not but it is your husband's choice to go to the doctor or not and as you know many men, mine included, are stubborn.  Make the appointment for him and go with him.  Gallbladder doesn't cause all those symptoms.  My husband didn't even know he had gallbladder problems until a blood test was done and some level, don't remember which one, was high and he was sent to a surgeon.  Very simple surgery in and out of the hospital in one day and he had a very easy recovery.  This was about 5 years ago. 

Wishing you the best -- Sharon

thanks for your reply

My step-father has the same symptom, a cough that would not go away.  He finally went to the Dr. and found out he had lung cancer.  It was in the early treatable stage HOWEVER, while he was in the hospital he caught pneumonia which was behind the cancer. He died a few days later.  From the time he was diagnosed till his death, was a span of 3-4 weeks. I will take your advice though about scheduling the appointment and going with him.  After watching 3 people die from this disease in a realatively short period of time, I would rather be wrong than to sit and assume everything is ok.  We shall see.