My Dx. is Not Bronchiectasis

[Guest guest]

Yesterday I saw my pulmonologist after having had a thoracic/lung CT

scan and PFT in his office. The lung damage is due to a side effect

of radiation therapy for breast cancer. He stated that it

is " pulmonary fibrosis " or a mild form of interstitial lung disease.

There is a small nodule on the right lung (this is closest to the

radiated area). Although it will affect the breathing and lungs,

thank God it is not a metastasis to the lungs, which I had feared.

I do remember my radiation oncologist saying that there was a chance

that the radiation could " bounce " and hit the lungs. There is a type

of pneumonia which can be had while taking the actual treatments and

I did have it (that was 3 years ago) and this longer lasting effect

with the lungs.

Not really sure how I feel about this, as it is also a lifelong

condition which must be checked every 6 months with CT scan and PFTs

to ensure it remains stable. After reading the description of it,

it is more consistent with symptoms I've been having also such as a

dry, hacking cough, shortness of breath, wheezing. I've never had a

lot of phlegm/muscous production even with the asthma.

Pamela

[Guest guest]

Hi Pamela, how was your PFT --I have the fibrous scarring all through my

lungs--which has led to the bronchiectasis--i dont cough a lot of stuff

usually--my lung function is not too bad but i often feel like my lungs just

dont want to stretch--hopefully yours will remain stable--avoid infections

as that has what has caused my lung function to deteriorate--i ran 3

marathons and did triathlons for 15 yrs with my daggy lungs--sometimes

cortisone works well on these conditions--i've not been able to have it due

to my having Tb when i was young--i aso have a nodule thing in my left lung

which is dense quite large too--however it has not changed since 1987 so

dont think its my biggest problem--Do you feel better knowing??Takes a while

to adjust to new info --Take care Del

My Dx. is Not Bronchiectasis

>

>

> Yesterday I saw my pulmonologist after having had a thoracic/lung CT

> scan and PFT in his office. The lung damage is due to a side effect

> of radiation therapy for breast cancer. He stated that it

> is " pulmonary fibrosis " or a mild form of interstitial lung disease.

> There is a small nodule on the right lung (this is closest to the

> radiated area). Although it will affect the breathing and lungs,

> thank God it is not a metastasis to the lungs, which I had feared.

>

> I do remember my radiation oncologist saying that there was a chance

> that the radiation could " bounce " and hit the lungs. There is a type

> of pneumonia which can be had while taking the actual treatments and

> I did have it (that was 3 years ago) and this longer lasting effect

> with the lungs.

>

> Not really sure how I feel about this, as it is also a lifelong

> condition which must be checked every 6 months with CT scan and PFTs

> to ensure it remains stable. After reading the description of it,

> it is more consistent with symptoms I've been having also such as a

> dry, hacking cough, shortness of breath, wheezing. I've never had a

> lot of phlegm/muscous production even with the asthma.

>

> Pamela

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Pamella,

well at least you know what you are dealing with now, and that monitoring it

is just another thing to do, and will keep your mind at ease in the long

termMost things that happen with the lungs when damaged in some way, are for

life anyway.

Now you can at least stop worrying that the problem wasn,t so sinister as

you were thinking.

That dry, hard to breath thing can be worse than the mccousy cough though

can,t it, as with that you can do things to help get it up, and then feel

some relief, but it feels very scary at times when , because of the

tightness and dryness that you are not going to get the next breathe at all

Thats the type of asthma I have now developed.

I almost always feel as though my daiphram has just broken down.

In fact it has at the time, because I have a form of Rhumatoid arthritis,

that isn,t confined to the joints, R/ A is in the blood, and sometimes I get

a feeling as though my blood,( running through my veins and arteries is

bubbling and boiling hot) that is when I get horrific pain, but not so

stiff, then the other times all my insides, heart , liver, lungs and

muscles, daipram, go stiff, very painful, but a different pain and another

side to the R/arthritis. That then brings on the dry asthma attach,

desperate need for ventolin, either puffer, or nebuliser.

The nebuliser relly doesn,t help the asthma at these times, but it gives me

time to settle down and not panick at the fear of no breath left , just

can,t get that first breath.

The puffers work, but have a few puffs every 20 mins if nothing seems to be

breaking to get me the breath.

All sounds so complicated, and it is, and very few drs, understand it,

because it is now caused through the R/ A.

I still get asthma caused by stress, and some other factors, but not the

same factors as all through my life though, they too have changed.

As a young person, smells, grasses, flowers some foods , cold weather etc,

but now all have changed.

Still allergic to florals, but different foods now, only heat worries my

asthma now( humidity) not he cold weather.

Mown grasses still do.

But mostly stress, R/ A , medications for BP, and things like yeast in some

breads, some vinegars only, in the past anything in white vinegar, but now

only a few vinegarish things, , I love mushrooms, could eat them by the

sack, but since starting on mushroom brews, which nearly killed me( asthma)

I can only eat a few, and , not able to have soya , or sy products either,

they tend to not only cause asthma but also typical skin probs, like small

fungal ( tiny) growths, they do go away, but look and feel really unsightly.

In all though, if I keep away from known things to affect me, and if I don,t

allow to get too stressed out etc, the general asthma is under complete

control, just by using puffer a couple of times a day.

If I get any kind of cold, or congestion, I get straight to potato water,

and more than usual garlic and ginger.

So really I have lungs under strict contol, without meds at all( only

puffer).

The asthma caused by R/ A is a nuisance because I have to keep reminding

myself to just wait it out and it will pass, but because of panic I do hit

either the neb or puffer probably a bit too quick at times.

See that part of R/ A comes in bursts, every morn ( round3am) then around 7,

and if I manage my pain meds I won,t get anothe burst till mid afternoon,

only lasts 1/2 hour, puffer and pain relief, and it passes.

But relaxation, helps too.

I have died 3 times in my life, and twice because of my lungs, but as I say

, things change within our bodies so much over time.

I too had too much radiation, but not the sort you had, and that is what has

caused my tumors and spinal tumor.

Make sure you ger rest and know when to take 5 for yourself, even in amidst

a full on paper that needs to be ready or mid a task, just take 5, and

really learn to turn of in that 5 , it helps heaps.

You really do learn CONTROL over self, ( everypart of you)

Once again sorry for such a long email, but it is really hard not to tell

someone that you really know exactly how they feel.

And I,m sure I do.

I had to come to terms with so many new, different life changes, even though

I though things couldn,t possibly either get wore, or added to.

But I promise you, when your faced with something new or added, you find

different ways to say OK here I go again, another challenge to get right,

get well and this time stay well.

You sound pretty crook at the moment , so give yourself a go, and then get

at it all with a new frame of mind( like a bull at a gate) trying new

things.

Even new interests.

I see you like to crochet, I used to make all my kids , my grandkids and my

clothes, both crochet, knit and sew.

Now I do none at all, I like to read , and write now.

Not books etc, but papers, and articles, and also swimming, and dancing(

cannot do latter yet) since spinal op, but feeling my way back into it.

Crochet, knit, sewing, well cannot do with R/A and eyes, so had to choose

new things , and so write and read( with magnifier).

I,m off sorry for being long winded .

Please keep in touch as you are with everyone in this group, but also think

laterally, newer picture for you.

hugs , and more hugs from a friend who is thinking of you in Q, land

Australia.

Very humid here at the moment 76%.

Bye again, Sandy ( silly & stiff)

>

>Reply-To: bronchiectasis

>To: <bronchiectasis >

>Subject: Re: My Dx. is Not Bronchiectasis

>Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 07:45:29 +1000

>

>Hi Pamela, how was your PFT --I have the fibrous scarring all through my

>lungs--which has led to the bronchiectasis--i dont cough a lot of stuff

>usually--my lung function is not too bad but i often feel like my lungs

>just

>dont want to stretch--hopefully yours will remain stable--avoid infections

>as that has what has caused my lung function to deteriorate--i ran 3

>marathons and did triathlons for 15 yrs with my daggy lungs--sometimes

>cortisone works well on these conditions--i've not been able to have it due

>to my having Tb when i was young--i aso have a nodule thing in my left lung

>which is dense quite large too--however it has not changed since 1987 so

>dont think its my biggest problem--Do you feel better knowing??Takes a

>while

>to adjust to new info --Take care Del

> My Dx. is Not Bronchiectasis

>

>

> >

> >

> > Yesterday I saw my pulmonologist after having had a thoracic/lung CT

> > scan and PFT in his office. The lung damage is due to a side effect

> > of radiation therapy for breast cancer. He stated that it

> > is " pulmonary fibrosis " or a mild form of interstitial lung disease.

> > There is a small nodule on the right lung (this is closest to the

> > radiated area). Although it will affect the breathing and lungs,

> > thank God it is not a metastasis to the lungs, which I had feared.

> >

> > I do remember my radiation oncologist saying that there was a chance

> > that the radiation could " bounce " and hit the lungs. There is a type

> > of pneumonia which can be had while taking the actual treatments and

> > I did have it (that was 3 years ago) and this longer lasting effect

> > with the lungs.

> >

> > Not really sure how I feel about this, as it is also a lifelong

> > condition which must be checked every 6 months with CT scan and PFTs

> > to ensure it remains stable. After reading the description of it,

> > it is more consistent with symptoms I've been having also such as a

> > dry, hacking cough, shortness of breath, wheezing. I've never had a

> > lot of phlegm/muscous production even with the asthma.

> >

> > Pamela

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >