Hi there
I,ve got a breastbone met, another met just above my clavicle, and a lung met, and then apparently lots of little dots all over my right lung.
several weeks ago, I got pneumonia. It got treated with antibiotics for 1 week, then I had to have another week’s course, then another one. (3 weeks in all) I finished my last course on the Sat, then was having chemo on the Monday. I told the Onc, (not my usual one) and my bloods showed borderline infection, so I asked the Onc to check it before i had the chemo, and without even listening to my lungs he said it was fine because I looked well…
Four days later I was neutropenic and the pneumonia was back (I knew it had never gone). I ended up in hospital for 5 days and they treated me with really strong antibiotics for the pneumonia.
However I still felt I had something there when I left hospital. I asked them what I should do if it came back and they just gave me another week of antibiotics and said I should be fine.
Three weeks on and I feel it never went away properly as I could feel it in the side of my ribs, and now when I sit back or lie down I can feel what I can only describe and a crackly fluidy feeling in my chest and I he breathless quite easily,
Is is normal with lung mets to get that sort of feeling, or is it more likely to be pneumonia again? I’m seeing my Onc tomorrow to check I’m okay for chemo on Tuesday, but I’m wondering do I just have to put up with this now, or is it treatable?
Thanks
Hi Sorry you are not feeling good, sounds like you could do with a chest X-ray to check things out, possibly fluid on lung? I am sure your onc will sort it out, good luck xx
Hi Spudgirl, have no answer re lung mets, but I sympathise with the infections as i get chronic. cellulitis and wonder if its present sometimes, just wanted to say, I am now on Filgrastim to bring up my immunity and wondered if that might be an option for you? You could ask anyway. Im wondering if lung mets sometimes make you prone to pneumonia or other chest infections, you could ask that too, i am on prophyllaxis antibios for cellulitis, so my attacks are less frequent. Currently.
If a similar situ happens again, you might want to gently say something like, ‘I dont feel comfortable having this next dose, without my chest being listened to first.’ Or ‘please, couod you just double check by listenibg to my chest’? I am surprised the onc didn’t, mine is very good like that.
moijanxx
Thank you for the feedback! I never know whether I’m making a fuss or I should just ring the hospital so usually I just leave stuff until I get really concerned.
When I saw my Onc today he sent me for an X-ray and yes, there is fluid there, but still waiting for the report to say if it’s still the pneumonia or an effusion. I’m not showing infection in my bloods and I don’t have a temp, but I’ve been given Augmentin anticbiotics to try to clear it.
I am due to have my second chemo tomorrow, but am waiting for a call from my Onc to say I can go ahead (he had had to leave for a meeting before I got the results so not had chance to speak to him). I’m going to be annoyed with myself if it delays chemo as its been going on for ages and if I’d spoken up sooner I could have got it sorted sooner. Bit of a learning curve for me ;-)
thanks all
xxxx
Hi spudgirl, please dont beat yourself up. I have been in the position where something was wrong but no one took any notice andi had believed them; just learn from it that you know your body better than anyone and like the others have said, keep ibsisting until you are satisfied. I haven’t had pnemonia but i have had a pulmonary embolism which was likw a stabbing pain going from the front of my chest throogh to my back, and pleural effusions which made me extremely breathless and feeling very ill. I had chest drains and pleurodesis but they were eager to get me onto chemo. So far things have improved. I hope you get things sorted soon. xx