Cold/slight cough with mucus

Hi Tillyboo,

So his bloods are all good, temperature is normal, he's eating okay and feeling okay. If it was me I'd go ahead with the Immunotherapy.

After the first dose of Keytruda the side effects might be considering making an appearance - mine included a productive cough and runny nose, I was basically churning out mucous but had no infection. Your husband could be the same. Not a biggie, more a nuisance than anything else.

Keytruda came near-as-dammit to completely curing me - dragged me back from T4 N2 M1c to stage 1 and suitable for surgery, which has been successful. Stay with it and good luck.

kind regards
Steve

Hi Steve, 

Thank you so much for this message.

My hubby went to doc, give a full check over both lungs clear, no wheezing, temp, oxygen etc all normal. He said its just a cold with an annoying runny nose. No more mucas or cough since this morn. So said no antibiotics & said the same as you about the side effects from the Keytruda. 

All hes really had in the 5 wks since the first treatment is being tired & a bit nauseas, both intermittent.

My hubby was diagnosed officially diagnosed in March with T3 N2 M1c after a routine chest x ray in January, he had absolutely no symptoms. The only thing he as had is niggly lower back pain from the 2 bone mets. He had a 6mm brain met & had cyberknife radiotherapy on that in April. Hes also the STRIKE trial, hence the cyberknife.

He as lost a stone in weight since January, but the shock of the diagnosis really knocked both our appetites. Hes been desperate to start Zometa for the bones, but his calcium level dropped, but everythings ok now. So Zometa & 2nd Immuno is next Friday. Also his oncologist as decided to give a bit of radiotherapy on the bone mets, just to help with pain, which is niggly & annoying. He takes cocodamol at present.

Can I ask when you were diagnosed & how long you were on Keytruda for? Did you have any other treatments ie zometa, radiotherapy?

Thanks x

Steve,

I just read your profile. Wow, amazing! I've just told my husband about you.

I wish you well & thanks so much for your message x

Hi Tillyboo,

After reading that your husband had lost a stone in weight since January I would urge him to eat more. Cancer patients tend to lose weight anyway, everything else being equal, so that needs to be offset and Keytruda needs to be fed protein to make the extra white blood cells that do the actual cancer-fighting. (Keytruda doesn't do so much by itself, what it does is make those white blood cells go anti-cancer.)

A bit of regular exercise, like a 20 minute walk every other day, would be ideal too. That would perk up his immune system. And yes, I'm well aware that what with the cancer and the treatment and the worry he's going to feel too tired to pop out for a bit of exercise but it does get easier in time. When I started up exercise in earnest after my diagnosis I kept telling myself "at least I'm still alive to be able to feel this bad" - it kept me going

kind regards
Steve

My hubbys problem is he had a stroke, so he as a right side weakness & uses a cane & relies upon his left leg fir safety/support, but the left leg is the one with bone met pain in. So zometa was canx twice due to a dental check up & calcium drop. So hes been chomping at the bit to get that started & is hoping the additional radiotherapy will get him more mobile, as hes scared of falling. He walks every day, but its painful & hes so nervous of falling. Hes been eating quite well this week, but his tastebuds have changed. Hes spoken to a dietician at the Marsden & he as breakfast normally porridge, he's been advised little & often, not huge meals. But he eats 3/4 times a day now. He weighs 14 stone so he isnt underweight. 

But he really as changed mentally, he wont really talk about his illness & gets snappy if you try. Hes had a psychology assessment & discharged. But my hubby as never coped with illness, from the stroke also sonething called a pituarity apoplexy, a benign tumour within the gland. Which burst, so that was quite rare to burst. Since 2018 hes had one thing after the other & this as just knocked him. Hes 71 & was always on the go, no cough no chest pain. Just hus yearly stroke review prompted a chest x ray due to a blood test. To find a 5cm right lower lung mass 2 enlarged lymph nodes 2 bone mets & 1 brain met & hes just terrified. Hes always been independent travelling even after the stroke etc but now hes scared, confidence as gone. I'm hoping once the Zometa & radiotherapy help with the bone pain & he gets his mobility back to normal.

Its just living in skmeine elses nightmare, thats the way we both feel TBH. I put a brave face on, but I'm worn out with worry & making sure hes ok. Its hard...

Hi Tillyboo,

My Mum had a couple of strokes, so I understand your husband's risk of falling and the aches and pains he'll be getting as his good parts take the strain off the weaker parts. It's difficult, frustrating and painful I know. I'm sorry for advising exercise walks - they are going to be out of the question, just normal moving around will be hard enough.

The good thing with being on Keytruda is that it's fearsome expensive so NHS only uses it if they think the patient will definitely improve.

kind regards
Steve

Oh dont be sorry! He does his daily walk to shop for paper etc thats about half a mile round trip. But he likes to travel independtly, we both do & I think this is his worry. He likes to have a goal ie going away in June, maybe if the Zometa had started when it should he wouldnt have had this niggly pain. He calls it one step forward & 3 steps back when treatments delayed. 

Hopefully things start to improve after the B12 injection & Zometa along with the next Keytruda.

Thanks for your replies