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jadesloge
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Topic: What would you do? Posted: May 19 2009 at 2:12pm |
For about a month now, I have had a tightness in my chest. No real cough to speak of. Maybe just a little dry cough in the evenings. Mostly, it feels tight like a cold coming on, but a cold never comes. If life were normal for me, I wouldn't think twice about it and definitely not go to a doctor. But life is not normal and I don't know if this is really something I should call in about. I keep thinking it is just some left over side effects of radiation. I feel so foolish about calling about every little thing that comes up. What would you do?
Julie
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Nancy
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Joined: Jul 23 2007
Location: Altoona, PA
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 2:59pm |
Julie,
If I have heard Pam say it once, I have heard her say it many hundreds of times....anything lasting over 2 weeks, you have to get in to see your doctor. This is nothing to fool with honey, and I am sure if you tel them that you have had this for over a month they will see you right away.
Lori did have a cough from the rads, but you will stress yourself out even more by not seeing the doctor. That is not a good thing  Call right away tomorrow. Foolish is not doing anything.
Hugs,
Nancy
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Nancy
DD Lori dx TNBC June 13,2007
Lumpectomy due to incorrect dx of a cyst
mastectomy July 6 2007
chemo ACT all 3 every 3 weeks 6 tx Aug-Nov
28 rads ended Jan 2008
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JanetK
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 3:36pm |
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CALL! I call when I think a cut on my finger may be infected! No joke either. If you are concerned about something, DO NOT feel foolish! It is foolish to not call. Take care, hugs Janet
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TNBC feb 13,2009
2.6x 3.5
neoadjuvant chemo 8 rounds
Lumpectomy successful Oct 09
axillary node dissection Nov 09
still awaiting results
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 3:43pm |
Thanks Janet and Nancy,
I sent my oncologist an email. She is great and I am sure will respond by tomorrow. I just don't like calling in there and I hate how cancer has reduced me to feeling like a hypochondriac. Aside from this, I feel great, better than I have in months.
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 3:45pm |
Just a quick note. She responded within 5 minutes of me sending her the email. Is that cool or what?
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trip2
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Joined: Jun 03 2007
Location: Under Palm Tree
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 5:12pm |
That is cool!
So I gather you are going in to see her?
Tightness in the chest could be many things, Gerd, Angina lots of things so you want to be checked and of course your history of cancer.
Please let us know and I echo Janet no call is foolish!
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007
BRCA 1+
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 19 2009 at 5:28pm |
She just said to see a doctor. I guess I can go to her or my GP. I was hoping not to see her again for another 2 months. (Don't get me wrong, I adore my oncologist) Maybe I'll see the GP. His wife had tnbc too, so I know he is up on everything. I will call in the morning.
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Beth Anne
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Joined: Apr 24 2008
Location: Clairnbridge, Ireland
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Posted: May 20 2009 at 7:13am |
Julie are you in the doctors office yet? Never wait honey if you are having a problem call and go in... Its your health we are talking about here and you need to make you much more important that what any doctor might think of you! Hey that's why they get the big bucks to take care of the likes of us...  I hope you have answers soon! Beth Anne
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Dx 5/07 DCIS Stage3 gr9 A/C x 6, Abrax x 16 Bi-Mass 2/08
Navelbine x 12, finished radiation end of July 08. DX Brain Met's 2/09StageIV
CK3/09.Brain resection4/09 WBR
Dreaming of dancing with Ned!
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 20 2009 at 8:29am |
Yes. I will see my GP tomorrow. I am glad my oncologist is able to keep things on the lighter side so I don't get worried. She was happy to get me in, but I decided that if it isn't cancer related, then already being at my GP would be the right place. Fortunately for me, they communicate well. They deserve every penny of the big bucks.
Thanks for all the advice and concern. Makes me feel less like a hypochondriac.
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BrendaF
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Posted: May 20 2009 at 12:58pm |
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My oncologist and PCP went to med school together, so they've been friends for a long time. Isn't that cool? Both women. They actually communicate.
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Dx 2005 2 cm, 5/12 nodes, A/C + T, 28 rads.
Dx mets 12/07 mediastinal and supraclavicular nodes, carbo + taxotere X 6.
brain, lymph, pleura, bone mets. Started Xeloda 8/24/09
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 20 2009 at 2:44pm |
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Yes. Very cool! Communication is so important.
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trip2
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Posted: May 21 2009 at 10:12am |
Let us know what you find out today Jadeslodge. I sure hope it isn't something serious.
I usually take my problems to my primary doc first.
Something came up recently and I ended up in the hospital sent by my primary. Long story short I let the Onc's office know when I got out
and I think it irritated them that I didn't call them first.
History now though.
Now I am confused as to what who I call. I'm having awful pain in my hip but also have peripheral neuropathy so seeing my primary but how do I know I shouldn't be seeing my Onc. 
My primary does want me to have an mri so I'm sure if there was c there she would send me straight to my Onc. I thought that was the way you were supposed to do it but maybe not. Confused.
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007
BRCA 1+
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 21 2009 at 2:01pm |
It is nothing serious. He did a chest x-ray and said nothing jumped out at him as being concerning. He will send it to a radiologist for a reading too. He is nice. His wife had TNBC so I asked him if she was a hypochondriac too and he said yes. Said she went in to see her doctor several times. He told me not to hesitate to call if I thought something was up, it is better to err on the side of caution. So, I feel better about that, but my chest is still tight. Which he believes is just some airway irritation.
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trip2
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Posted: May 21 2009 at 4:10pm |
Jadeslodge did he by any chance suggest an EKG?
That is so nice of him to tell you you can call whenever something was up.
Sometimes women don't know who to call and his commuicating with you about coming in will only make you more comfortable if something does come up.
Did he say what he can do about this airway irritation? Boy that could make you choke for one thing! Or possibly make it difficult to breathe.
Good luck and let us know.
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007
BRCA 1+
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jadesloge
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Posted: May 21 2009 at 4:46pm |
No EKG. Not yet anyway. He is giving me a month to see if things change. Airway irritation could be from allergies or acid reflux. I am content to let things play out a little longer since there is no sign of anything concerning. Really, that is what I wanted to know, if it was cancer or not.
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