. . a week makes!
I managed to go back to work for a couple of days after the Hot Water Incident. Unfortunately that seemed to make things a lot worse lung~wise, and I caused a relapse. I spent the weekend feeling very sorry for myself . . .
Then on Monday I went to see the Oncology team for the 3 monthly check up and bless her, the new Registra decided on the spot to send me for another Xray as my breathing was laboured etc etc. There was dark mutterings of re~admission to the ward, but thankfully (?) the Xray showed no difference to the one taken last month.
Hhhmm.
So the Consultant popped in to discuss things, and to cut a long story short I stopped taking Tamoxifen from Monday for a 2 month period. Basically there is some suggestion in the BNF that the drug can cause pleuritis, but as the doctor had never come across it before either in person or in writing, she was alittle hesitant initially to point a finger at it. However, after almost 3 months of symptoms I was desperate and I think the fact that I couldn't stop crying (between laboured breaths!) made her realise how low I'd become, so we came to the 2 month compromise.
I get a rest from the drugs, and the Consultant gets to do a thorough literature research to see what is exactly written about Tamoxifen and pleuritis . . .
So, I didn't expect immediate results and luckily my pessimism worked for once, as last week was quite dreadful breathing~wise. But, and this is the great thing ~ from Friday evening things have started to get noticably easier. There is still something 'wrong' with my way of breathing, but I am no longer fighting for oxygen and I can talk without having to stop for a breath between words.
And luckily, I'll even be able to check how much easier it is too, because I have the lung function tests again on Wednesday.
Fingers crossed that things continue to get better and I don't dip down again.
*cautious smile*
FormerMember
Do you talk a lot, normally?
No honestly, I am so glad you aren't gasping for breath any more.
It just shows that we are the experts sometimes, and occasionally we have to convince our doctors that even if we aren't right, we deserve the chance to try it for a bit.
I wish you the best of luck and hope that if it is the Tamoxifen, you can get on to a trial for something else that might work better without the side effects.. Or the same side effect anyway.
Poor typing and grammer also seems to be affected by my breathlessness! *grin*
I agree, and I've always said that my 'feelings' about my own body are to be followed. Pity more docs don't listen to their patients, isn't it?
As for the Tamoxifen, if it is decided that that is the protaganist then there are alternatives available ~ it's just that I am on the menopausal borderline which is why I was started on Tamoxifen initially. Looks like I'll be over the hill sooner rather than later! *haha*
