Worried about every cough...

[Lottoball]

Hi,

In April I was diagnosed with TC, seminoma stage I, Pt1 (if I'm correct, at this moment I can't find the official documents).

I had orchiectomy and 15 treatments of radiation-therapy. My first CT-scan, four months after the orchiectomy, was all clear. They couldn't find any suspected things in my stomach/lungs etc. The doctors told me there's a chance of about 2 or 3% that the cancer will 'return' in my lungs.

A thorax X-ray (correct me if I don't know the word, I'm from The Netherlands) is scheduled for December.

My question: I've a cough for a couple of days. Probably just a slight cold, but since the TC I'm worrying about these things. Of course I think that this cough (which I have let's say 15 times a day) has something to do with TC.

How do you people deal with these questions? Should I visit a doctor or just wait? When do you visit the doctor with questions about TC, apart from the usual appointments with the medics we all have?

Any advice is welcome!

[Margaret]

First of all I think having this anxiety about your health is normal...you have been through a very tough ordeal. I would hate to send you off to the doctor for every ache and pain but if you have affordable insurance and would like the peace of mind, go to the doctor to ease your mind.

More than likely you have a chest cold and you will start to feel like your old self soon!!

Get well.

[Sans rt1]

Relax, you probably have a cold or some allergies. Try not to jump to the conclusion that it is back. Oh, and you are completely normal - we all go through these worries about aches and pains, all of the what if's. Yes, it is easier said than done. I am always amazed how I start to experience suspicious aches and pains right about the time of my followup, and how they seem to go away after I get the all-clear from the doctor.

You received treatment, so your odds of anything coming back are very low. It sounds like your doctors are following a reasonable followup protocol. I have some back problems. One of the signs of a recurrence is back ache (if the recurrence is in the lymph nodes in the pelvic or ab area). I asked my doctor how I would know if I have symptoms if my back already aches. He told me: "Be concerned when the ache changes, and after a normal time for a strain to heal, it continues or gets worse". The same advice probably applies to your cough - give it the amount of time a normal cough would usually last - and if it is not better or worse, call your doctor.

We will still get all the normal stuff everyone else does, but because it could be a symptom, we do need to be a bit more concerned - but it probably is the normal stuff everyone gets.

[Lottoball]

Thank you for your comments!!!!! They ease my mind!

[rallendorf]

Hi Lottoball. Congratulations on your recent all-clear results.

The advice here is just what you need and I couldn't agrre more. I also had a cough that came on just after I found my testicular mass. It lasted until I started chemo and hasn't really come back, so chalked it up to all the anxieties I was feeling (or sometimes not feeling). Mine was also associated with a slight heart flutter, and I had the option of requesting a 24-hour monitor.

I would ask if you are feeing any other symptoms; runny nose, phlegmy throat, chest pains, anxiety or nervousness? Those kinds of details, no matter how disconnected they might seem, would certainly be good for your docs to know about. All-in-all you shouldn't worry about unknowns. Get the answers you need. I have the option of paging my doctor any time I feel something unusual or that gives me concern. I don't know if you have that option, but if you do...take it. Put your concerns to rest and feel no guilt about it.

Best regards and send an update when you know more.

-Sfumato