Saw the pulmonary specialist yesterday and had bronchoscopy today

alabama_survivor
alabama_survivor Member Posts: 85
in Breast Cancer #1

Just wanted to update everyone who is following my story.  I saw the pulmonary specialist yesterday.  I don't know if I only heard what I wanted to hear or if the oncologist down-played things until he had a consult.  Lots of changes between the CT in May and the PET a couple of weeks ago.

Today I had a bronchoscopy under general anesthesia, so I have slept most of the day.  I do have two enlarged lymph nodes that are suspicious.  They were biopsied today.  The bronchoscope that he used actually has a sonogram component that has a needle attached.  The pathology will be back within 48 hours, and I will see the oncologist on Monday.  The lung doctor will be out of town next week so I won't be seeing him until tomorrow.

I also have a lot of lung damage and scarring from radiation, and I started developing my symptoms about 5 weeks after treatment ended. 

I will probably be on long-term prednisone, and will have more steroids if I have to do anymore chemo.  So I'm preparing myself for insulin in the not too distant future.  I do have a diabetes diagnosis, but my numbers are normally in the pre-diabetes range.  Since my appetite is poor so I eat what I want, and steroids normally throw my blood sugar into the upper 200's, I plan to ask about insulin.  I really don't want diabetes related complications on top of everything else, and with everything I've been through, insulin is just not that big of a deal and has far less side effects than a lot of the oral meds.

Not the best news in the world, but that's okay.  God is good ALL the time and He is always in control.  I know that whatever happens, there are still many good things in store for me.

God Bless.

Comments

  • alabama_survivor
    alabama_survivor Member Posts: 85
    #2
    Sorry guys. I have discovered

    Sorry guys. I have discovered that anesthesia brain is even worse than chemo brain. I will see the lung doctor on August 11, not tomorrow.

    I started having some irritation and a dry cough about a week or so before my CT in May. It has steadily gotten worse. Just running the vacuum in my very small livingroom or using the Swiffer in my very small kitchen starts me coughing my fool head off (when I start acting silly, coughing my fool head off might not be a bad thing). I start coughing and have a hard time catching my breath which makes the cough worse, then my stomach wants to join in the act. I discovered completely by accident that Ativan will help to calm the cough, and Compazine left over from chemo will calm the stomach. I take Ativan only when I need it because of all the anxiety involved with all of this. I was concerned that I was abusing my meds, but everyone I told yesterday, that the Ativan was helping the cough said, "Good."

    Also, I had a breathing test yesterday which I failed miserably ( I didn't study), and we know I don't have asthma.

     

     

  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #3
    alabama_survivor said:

    Sorry guys. I have discovered

    Sorry guys. I have discovered that anesthesia brain is even worse than chemo brain. I will see the lung doctor on August 11, not tomorrow.

    I started having some irritation and a dry cough about a week or so before my CT in May. It has steadily gotten worse. Just running the vacuum in my very small livingroom or using the Swiffer in my very small kitchen starts me coughing my fool head off (when I start acting silly, coughing my fool head off might not be a bad thing). I start coughing and have a hard time catching my breath which makes the cough worse, then my stomach wants to join in the act. I discovered completely by accident that Ativan will help to calm the cough, and Compazine left over from chemo will calm the stomach. I take Ativan only when I need it because of all the anxiety involved with all of this. I was concerned that I was abusing my meds, but everyone I told yesterday, that the Ativan was helping the cough said, "Good."

    Also, I had a breathing test yesterday which I failed miserably ( I didn't study), and we know I don't have asthma.

     

     

    Gentle hugs coming your way ...

    We will keep you in good thoughts and prayers..

     

    Vicki Sam

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