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Old 05-05-2014, 07:16 AM   #4
Belinda
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Posts: 144
Re: Severe breathlessness - heart/herc. or lungs?

Update...I had my onc appointment today, and was scheduled for Herc and Carboplatin. They took one look at me and hooked up every available measuring device...O2, pulse, bp, ecg, ...the curtains were drawn, the Critical Care team called, and hey presto! I am in the Critical Care (IC) Unit with my own personal (and wonderful) nurse, having oxygen therapy.

So many tests - bedside echo, ultrasound, ct, xrays, lots of blood tests, injections,,,,,,,

The Carbo and Herc is not working on one particular tumour which has now compressed my right bronchus to the point where all 3 lobes have collapsed, causing the increased coughing, Soaring BPs, Heart rate 140-160 bpm, leading to scared crazy breathless woman .

Visited by pulomologist this evening, stent and surgery unlikely to help, going to get another procedure to look more closely and asses possible local solutions.

Onc checking new chemo options, and checking with rads onc re whether the situation now means rads is a feasible option.

Meanwhile I have had a busy day and with what's scheduled I have to be here until lungs stabilise, at least 2 nights.

I feel so lucky to have this competent, professional and warm team of people so readily available to help me, (sigh of relief and gratitude).

Bx
__________________
Belinda
  • Diagnosed 3 Jan 2007, Stage IIb, Mastectomy and axillary clearance 10 Jan 07, 6 of 19 nodes affected, multi-focal cancer, HER2 positive. Second mastectomy (prophylactic). Chemo - AC 3 months, Taxol 3 months - then radiation 5 weeks.
  • Aug 2011 - Diagnosed with Stage IV mets to lung, sternum and 12 or so thoracic nodes - Rads to Sternum, then weekly abraxane and herceptin for 12 weeks.
  • May 2012- good scans - all nodes still about normal size, hole in sternum repairing, lung tumour 'obliterated'.
    Ongoing herceptin every 3 weeks. Bloods still all good! Life good!
  • March 2013 - recurrence - tumours in lungs and mediastinum (coughing up blood) - immediate radiation treatment to right lung and mediastinum, still on Herceptin, and 3 months of Vinoralbine - stable for a little while!
  • Coughing and breathlessness started again September 2013, treated as radiation-induced fibrosis (which can be seen on scans - albeit stable). ie puffers, steroids
  • January 2014 - cough becomes bloody again, scans show big mediastinal tumour wrapped around and choking the life out of my right main bronchus, radiation deemed off limits as my lungs are hypersensitive to radiation (measured by existing damage from 2013) .....................- ie I am in the 5% of people likely to suffer severe radiation damage to the lungs that they warn you about before starting treatment! (so special! :) )
  • Started chemo Feb 2014 - continuing Herceptin (continuous since Aug 2011), with Carboplatin and Gemcitabine. Discontinued Gemcitabine because of se's. Starting cycle 5 Herc/Carbo 5 May 2014.
  • Meantime.....coughing and breathlessness increased to SCARY levels with racing heartbeat that won't slow down, breath that won't come back, even just walking to the bathroom or up 3 or 4 steps.
  • ICU from May 5 2014, collapsed right lung due to tumour, small pulmonary embolism (left), tumours growing in mediastinum left and right, dvt lower right leg
  • Plan seems to be bronchoscope next week to see if tumour can be lasered and stent inserted in right bronchus to reopen air access to lower parts of right lung. If that is successful might be able to have brachytherapy to worst tumour, otherwise no more options for external radiotherapy.
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