HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Radiation repercussions almost 10 years later

Pat94 · 01-19-2016, 06:27 PM

I finished radiation 8/1/14. Early this month I caught a cold. Had to see my family Dr. for the continuing cough. The Nurse Practitioner heard wheezing and had an x-ray taken. It was so different from my last one there years ago she wanted a CT scan and for me to start prednisone for lung inflammation. Turns out she was seeing the radiation damage to my right lung. I deferred to my oncologist and refused to take the prednisone. He sees me in a couple of weeks and will decide on what to do. He explained my condition may be radiographic pneumonitis. My CT scans for him have shown the damage for a long time but he is concerned it may have gotten worse. Since the cold started I become breathless when I climb stairs. I saw a cardiologist the week before the cold started and my heart checked out just fine so I am sure it is the lung. The intense cold we have right now makes it worse. I am so tired of one problem cascading into more.

Then I see what others are going through and remind myself how lucky I am. While my white blood count is normal, I realize it will take me longer to heal from respiratory infections with the limited lung function. I think it is a good warning to all of us to be careful with viral and bacterial infections.

01-19-2016, 06:27 PM	#5
Pat94 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 100	Re: Radiation repercussions almost 10 years later I finished radiation 8/1/14. Early this month I caught a cold. Had to see my family Dr. for the continuing cough. The Nurse Practitioner heard wheezing and had an x-ray taken. It was so different from my last one there years ago she wanted a CT scan and for me to start prednisone for lung inflammation. Turns out she was seeing the radiation damage to my right lung. I deferred to my oncologist and refused to take the prednisone. He sees me in a couple of weeks and will decide on what to do. He explained my condition may be radiographic pneumonitis. My CT scans for him have shown the damage for a long time but he is concerned it may have gotten worse. Since the cold started I become breathless when I climb stairs. I saw a cardiologist the week before the cold started and my heart checked out just fine so I am sure it is the lung. The intense cold we have right now makes it worse. I am so tired of one problem cascading into more. Then I see what others are going through and remind myself how lucky I am. While my white blood count is normal, I realize it will take me longer to heal from respiratory infections with the limited lung function. I think it is a good warning to all of us to be careful with viral and bacterial infections.