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05-03-2007, 11:29 PM
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#1
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Guest
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What flu is going round?
Does anyone know which species of flu is currently doing the rounds? My sister traveled in the car with me for four hours last Saturday, coughing and sneezing the fulltime, and now I have a horrible cold and an even worse cough. Can't stop coughing (this bug combined with herceptin cough) and can't sleep as it keeps me awake. So if anyone else has had this (my sister is still sick almost a week later) and knows how long it lasts, I'd love to hear from you. Any ideas on stopping cough would help too. I'm using Airborne lozenges at the moment but they don't seem to be helping.
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05-04-2007, 11:50 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 39
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I certainly can sympathize with you on the cough. I had what I thought were alergies since I'm in Oklahoma and the wind comes whipping down the plain but it turned to a kind of pneumonia. I coughed so much and so hard, I'd almost wet my pants. I couldn't sleep and my ribs were sore. My doctor finally prescribed Tussinex and it helped immensely. I no more than got over it and got it again the next week. I went through 2 rounds of antibiotics and a multi-pak of steriods. Probably not the same thing but the cough sounds as bad. Good luck in stopping your cough.
__________________
Ora
_____________
DX 7-5-05, Age 54, Stage 1, Grade 2, ER+ (25%) PR- Her2 neu 3+
Lumpectomy 8-4-05, 2cm tumor, 3 nodes neg, Completed 4 A/C, 4 taxol, decadron (weekly due to steriod reaction) finished 4-17-06
Finished 33 rads 6-5-06, Femara, Started Herceptin 6-22-06
Effexor for hot flashes, Taken off Herceptin Feb 2007 due to low LVEF (44 by Echo) Coreg & Lisinopril replaced bp meds - April Echo back up to 55 Resumed Herceptin 5-21-07.
2010: almost 5 YRS NED!!! Still taking Femara & Coreg. Due to all the CT scans, abdominal aneurysm found & repaired. Something good came out of having cancer.
2013 7+ years NED. Still on Femara
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05-04-2007, 11:54 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES!
w/home in Boca Raton, Florida
Orig from L.I., N.Y.
Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
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Horrid Cough
Had it. Lasted 2 wks + another wk of generally feeling wiped out. Called doc and got a prescription for something like Cheritussin. Worked magically. I had a sore throat from coughing so much. Had clogged sinuses, used Ayr in nose (OTC), which clearing my sinuses but dripped into my chest. Thought I might have pneumonia, but at my cardiologist's checkup had him listen and he said all was clear. Why didn't you call your onc? I never "pester" but when I have a problem I call. I get a call back the same day. That's as it should be. YOUR A CHEMO PATIENT! You deserve that. Feel better. (I caught mine from my 9 mnth old grandson who I couldn't resist kissing multiple times.) Love is beautiful, but a compromised immune system means washing your hands constantly and some Purel. I this case, that plus all my supplements just weren't enough. My husband, also exposed, was fine. Didn't catch anything, from little Ari or from me. Though I did not kiss him and told him to stop reaching his fork in to my plate, as is his habit. We blew kisses... ANDI
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05-04-2007, 12:42 PM
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#4
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Guest
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Thanks Ora and Andi,
It sounds very similar to what you both had. I've been holding my ribs when I cough, trying to hold them together I just called my oncologist's nurse, but it's 3:30 Friday afternoon so I'm not counting on much help. I have herceptin on Tuesday so I can find out then if I don't get a call back.
My sister, not on herceptin, is still sick ten days into this. It's a tough one.
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05-04-2007, 12:58 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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Interesting - I have had a nagging, annoying light cough for about 4 days with a tiny bit of heavy chest. Not constant, almost like I have something that just won't completely kick in... almost sick, but not. I thought it was related to all of the molds and pollens in central Texas, but it might be a bug that is going around instead of allergies. Will definitely keep an eye on it and let the doc know if it doesn't clear up over the weekend.
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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05-04-2007, 01:26 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES!
w/home in Boca Raton, Florida
Orig from L.I., N.Y.
Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
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The Bug
Your oncologist should call you back even if it's 3 o'clock Friday. Chemo patients are a 7 day a week responsibility oncs take seriously. At least mine 5 do! You should expect a call back. You're sick. All that coughing is miserable. It gave me a sore throat, kept me up at night, made me feel like I was gagging for my last breath. It hurt. You shouldn't hurt. And your doc can mae a quick call to your pharmacy. Have the number handy! FEEL GOOD soon... ANDI
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