Ask Leo Hanes All About Lung Cancer

Apparently the antibiotics previously prescribed eliminated the “plain old infection” possibility, leaving radiation pneumonitis as the probable cause

My next follow-up appointment is Sept 5

“Radiation pneumonitis is an interstitial pulmonary inflammation that can develop in as many as 5-15% of patients with thoracic irradiation, most often due to lung cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, or thymoma. Acute radiation pneumonitis occurs within 1-6 months following treatment. Symptoms can include low-grade fever, cough, and fullness in the chest.”…. By emedicine.com

Here is an article that may be helpful to others :

Radiation Pneumonitis

Aug 16 - Aug 17

Trees back to work part time, will see company doctor tomorrow

I slept 2.5 hours in the afternoon

Aug 19

Started taking medication 1 x 5ng in morning, and 1 x 5 mg in the evening, proves to work better for my ups and downs

Trees sees company doctor, who acknowledges the stressful situation, will try working 3 hours x 3days per week initially , then 4 hours x 3 days

Aug 20 - 22

Continue with meds 2 x 5 mg daily seems to be keeping me smoothed out..

Still experiencing afternoon fatigue and napping a couple hours…

Aug 23 - 24

Still maintaining an energy for online working, even though fatigue still persists somewhat

Enjoyed watching the Olympics through the week, as well as the closing ceremonies

Aug 25 - 29

Nothing significant to report…..some afternoon fatigue, but the meds and side effects seem to be balanced so far…

Aug 30 -31

A quiet weekend, with normal chores and shopping Saturday morning, with a trip to a glass mosaic shop near Eindhoven in the afternoon

Some fatigue still persists, with a slight throat tickle and cough, might try taking meds 1 x 10 mg again……..

A hindsight note: Trees had been following a blog online about a lung cancer patient, that she had found very helpful over the past six months….She just learned that this patient had passed away last week…. another effect of my illness…she had connected with this persons story…

Trees came home from work at noon on Monday Aug 04 . She had hit the wall of stress, having endured her own shoulder surgery this past November, all the physiotherapy involved still, my illness, recovery, remission, and now radiation side effects……..in addition she has to be the arranger, and translator for every medical meeting we have as my Dutch is not sufficient to communicate effectively enough here yet

The medications kept me “high” all week, and I continued to work through it online

On Saturday Aug 9 we traveled to the Amsterdam area to visit a mosaic shop Trees is interested in, a 6 hour outing

On Sunday Aug 10 we changed my office from one room to another so Trees could have some inside space for her mosaic shop

All this activity effectively wiped me out by the afternoon……whoosh, I had bottomed after coming off the meds on Friday.

Monday Aug 11, Trees has appointment with family doctor, he prescribes a beta blocker medication, and she will be off work on sick leave for the stress, suggesting we both might access some support resources for recovering cancer patients.

Aug 12 - Aug 14

I have been off all the medication since last Friday…

Experiencing a lot of fatigue, sleeping every afternoon 2- 3 hours plus a full 8-9 hours nightly

By Thursday I am feeling somewhat more energy, cough persists, muscle aches, joint pain, occasionally slight fever, and shortness of breath

“I have been having some side effects from radiation I think for past couple weeks, nothing serious, just keeping eye on it for now, next scheduled follow-up appointment not until Sept 3, I think”

Change of Plans: Aug 01

Awoke at 0400 short of breath, and coughing that persisted, took a med that helped a little

Trees called hospital for appointment. Got one with another Dr Retera in Waalwijk, as Dr Kessels was on vacation

Went to doctor today at 1600, described my symptoms, took an x-ray, a visible infection going on in the middle part of my right lung…….it may be a predictable side effect from radiation called radiation pneumonitis, or just a plain old infection

I am on 2 types of meds for next week, then see this doctor again in 2 weeks, and see which drug wins!!

The radiation pneumonitis is right on schedule, so that’s my bet………..

Now we will see if the drugs take me on my merry way too!! The list of side effects look like party time!!

Feeling weird, slept 3-4 hours again this afternoon

July 05 - Visit Yvonne’s new apartment, feeling restless

July 06 - up early at 0545 on Sunday morning

July 07 - nothing noteworthy other than bouts of fatigue

July 08 - Dental appointment for cleaning and checkup, continue to maintain a online business work pace, even though I am still suffering since last Thursday - fatigue, ache & pains, right calf still quite painful

July 09 - 31

Continued to throw myself into my online business activities, occasionally succumbing to short bouts of fatigue, generally feeling ok but not always great