New diagnosis-I have a Fur ball!

staceya
staceya Member Posts: 720
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

It is driving me C R A Z Y.

All this hacking and gagging and throat clearing...and every now and then finally coughing up something that looks horribly similar to ear wax. I consulted with the cat (figured she was experienced in this area) but she just gave me a blank look and tried to drink the milk out of my cereal bowl.

I have tried drinking lots and lots of water, as well as very little water.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Stacey

Comments

  • NJShore
    NJShore Member Posts: 429 Member
    #2
    Too Funny...

    ... But in all seriousness... 

    What helps both of us is the humidifier with distiller water only (it won't make the machine moldy or icky (that's a technical term, just ask the cat!)

    also, I boil two or three gallons of tap water a day into the air. And we are all breathing easier.. The good side effect, is the gas I use to boil isn't going to waste, the furnace doesn't run as much because it adds nice warm heat too! Just keep an eye on the water volume.

    good luck!

    Kari

  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #3
    Stacy
    Same here! I've been dealing with this for a while now and 2 weeks ago I finally had a chest xray. Thankfully it was all clear. Both my rad onc and my ENT/surgeon said it is almost certain that it is caused more from the swollen larynx from rads than chest related. I swear it feels like it's coming from my lungs sometimes. Every once in a while I will cough up something weird too. I have gotten some relief from Tessalon Perles that my ENT RX for me. It helps to kind of turn off the sensors in your throat that reacts to the tickle. I'm a lightweight and it says you may have drowsiness but I'm fine when I take them, I never notice any sleepiness. You may want to see your dr and just make sure you don't have some virus or something and see if they will give you some Tessalon. Good luck, I know it's a pain.
    Billie
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #4
    Hock - Ptooie!

    I have more "gunk" than I used to have, too - more throat clearing as well - my new doc (rad doc retired) gave me the "yup, yup" nod when I asked if many H&N folks seemed to develop more issues later.  Sigh. 

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #5
    it is only the middle of the week

    Staceya,

     

    That is funny, I ask my cat financial questions, she knows practically nothing about “sleep ear cleaning” (like sleep walking).  I have to wonder if the nervous goat did not put you up to this.  Any way, I talked with the neighbors dog and he thinks you should keep drinking water  (he would) and gargle with the common salt and soda mixture and if the “ear wax like fur balls” doesn’t get better  you should call your vet.

     

    Montana watching,

     

    Matt

  • sassysrice
    sassysrice Member Posts: 117
    #6
    Thick Goo too

    Jeff has that ucky spit up too. A cross between ear wax and snot. The Dr in Rad suggested regular Rubatusen DM-the one that thin's muccus. It helped a lot, since it hurt evertime he had to bring it up and spit. A lot of water did too.

    sue

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #7
    Ok, you've consulted your cat...

    and Matt consulted his.....so I thought "hey different eyes on the problem", and asked Lola what she thought from a dog's perspective....she suggested that you may have been chewing on a stick and swallowed some of it?  If you haven't been chewing any sticks...and that isn't bark your hocking up....Then maybe talking to the ENT....even taking in some of the earwax in a tupperware cup.... :).

    Could this be a gift from radiation....I'm sure it could....but it's hard to know.

    p

      

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #8
    I asked my cat...

    Hi Stacy,

    This morning when I read your post, our cat Bobcat Legends Socrates Ulysses (Pixie Bob) was sitting on the coffee table next to the laptop. So I asked him what he would do in your situation. He looked at me and pawed at the treat bag. I told him that I didn't think Whisker Lickins were the answer to your question. Apparently he thinks treats are the answer to everything!

    I know there was a drug a few folks had mentioned that helped with mucous as well as saliva production but I don't recall the name.

    "T"

     

  • Greg53
    Greg53 Member Posts: 849
    #9
    phrannie51 said:

    Ok, you've consulted your cat...

    and Matt consulted his.....so I thought "hey different eyes on the problem", and asked Lola what she thought from a dog's perspective....she suggested that you may have been chewing on a stick and swallowed some of it?  If you haven't been chewing any sticks...and that isn't bark your hocking up....Then maybe talking to the ENT....even taking in some of the earwax in a tupperware cup.... :).

    Could this be a gift from radiation....I'm sure it could....but it's hard to know.

    p

      

    Easy Fix

    Stacey,

    Don’t want to be too obvious, but quit giving your cat a bath!

    Actually, didn’t have the fur-balls but did have super dry and sore throat the last month.  Luckily I had a scheduled visit with ENT.  He said dry, cold weather was the probable culprit, and remember we’re about same timeline.  No solution for me, but at least I’m not worried about it now.

    Greg

     

     

     

     

  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #10
    Stuck in Throat

    Hi Stacey ,

     

    About 3 months aftrer all treatments ended, March or so of last year, I would wake up with what I told my ENT was a glop of something in my throat, he told me it was the effects of the rads, yet during all treatments I never had an issue. Some days I could spit some of it out others not so much, I then started to drink hot tea , it seemed to break it up, after a a month or so it went away all together.

     

    Linda

     

  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #11
    osmotar said:

    Stuck in Throat

    Hi Stacey ,

     

    About 3 months aftrer all treatments ended, March or so of last year, I would wake up with what I told my ENT was a glop of something in my throat, he told me it was the effects of the rads, yet during all treatments I never had an issue. Some days I could spit some of it out others not so much, I then started to drink hot tea , it seemed to break it up, after a a month or so it went away all together.

     

    Linda

     

    Well..the goat is always to blame....

    It's been going on for about a year. I am going to try the robitussin.

    Thanks for all of the suggestions!! So happy to share things with those who know exactly what I am talking about!

    PS..The cat says hi.

    Stacey

  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #12
    staceya said:

    Well..the goat is always to blame....

    It's been going on for about a year. I am going to try the robitussin.

    Thanks for all of the suggestions!! So happy to share things with those who know exactly what I am talking about!

    PS..The cat says hi.

    Stacey

    Hellooooooooo kitty

    It does clear right up when you stop licking the cat...

    Deb

  • Crazymom
    Crazymom Member Posts: 339 Member
    #13
    spit up

    I have exactly the same thing...  I spit up about every 6 hours a half snot/have ear wax blob.  I have to cough and snort and then it comes out.  I will try the Rubittoson DM.  I thought maybe something was wrong with me and find it comforting that others have the same problem.

    Thanks for posting

     

    Ann

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #14
    Crazymom said:

    spit up

    I have exactly the same thing...  I spit up about every 6 hours a half snot/have ear wax blob.  I have to cough and snort and then it comes out.  I will try the Rubittoson DM.  I thought maybe something was wrong with me and find it comforting that others have the same problem.

    Thanks for posting

     

    Ann

    New to me

    I just started having this in the mornings, about 9 months post tx. I found that if I go in the small bathroom, shut the door and turn the shower on all hot to let the steam in the room build up and sit in there till the hot water gives out, it allows me to bring it up and that does it for the day. Have to admit, it's some weird stuff...yuk!

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