RedMan1972
11-16-2006, 03:59 PM
First I want to thank everyone who has listend to my whining for the past few monhts on this board. I know all of your problems are so much bigger than mine but I feel you guys are knowledgable in this area and can help me.
First off, I'm 34 and I quit smoking 9 weeks ago. I am very excited. I do not even want a cigarette anymore. In fact, the smell makes me nauseous.
Well the reason why I quit is, in case some don't remember my crazy ramblings, I had developed sinusitis than bronchitis and saw the symtpoms for lung cancer and convinced myself that is what I had.
Since then I have been to four different doctors, all who have done x-rays and said the same thing: everything's normal, no lung cancer. In the process of quitting smoking I developed allergies (or had them all along because there is a theory smoking masks symptoms, pain, etc.
Once day I started having strange chest pains when I was out in the cool weather and shortness of breath. I went to another doctor who went through everything and said it sounded like I had asthma.
I went to a pulmonologist and he put me through all the breathing tests and chest x-ray, etc. I told him of my fear and he said I have nothing to worry about. The x-ray was normal and I had all the indications of asthma. He said it could have developed because of my bronchitis.
So now, a couple weeks later of being on asthma medication and feeling great, I had a supposed asthma attack where my chest hurt in the center and seemed to radiate to the back. For a day or so after I had shortness of breath. I was told it lasted so long because i didn't use me albuterol inhaler at the onset of the attack (no one told me to).
I digress. This week, I did my morning cough (don't feel like I have to but I do it anyway, to check for blood). Had a lot of phlegm come up and the first cough was a strange color. I was going to the pulmonologist that day anyway, so I sealed it in a baggie and carried it to him. When I showed it to him he said it looked like it may have had some blood in it. He thought is was a lung infection like bronchitis (I did spend the weekend with someone in a hotel room where they sounded like they were hacking up a lung). Anyway, he gave me antibiotics.
Today is my second day of anotibiotics. I woke up with a real stuffy nose and congestion. I blew my nose and went about my business as I am trying to kick the obsessive habit of making myself cough in the morning. About an hour later I did cough to clear my throat and I spit up some phlegm that had a very tiny streak of blood. Of course I panicked and coughed again and sure enough my second one had one as well, a little smaller. Third time, nothing. The phlegm was yellow but during the day has progressed to light yellow/clear.
I called my pulmonologist all freaked out and he reassured me that it was simply an infection. He told me that I had no indications of cancer and that I was too young to worry about it anyway.
I know people my age can get it. When do I deamnd a CT scan? I've had 6 Chest X-rays and that scares me enough as far as radiation goes.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks again for all your help and my continued prayers!
First off, I'm 34 and I quit smoking 9 weeks ago. I am very excited. I do not even want a cigarette anymore. In fact, the smell makes me nauseous.
Well the reason why I quit is, in case some don't remember my crazy ramblings, I had developed sinusitis than bronchitis and saw the symtpoms for lung cancer and convinced myself that is what I had.
Since then I have been to four different doctors, all who have done x-rays and said the same thing: everything's normal, no lung cancer. In the process of quitting smoking I developed allergies (or had them all along because there is a theory smoking masks symptoms, pain, etc.
Once day I started having strange chest pains when I was out in the cool weather and shortness of breath. I went to another doctor who went through everything and said it sounded like I had asthma.
I went to a pulmonologist and he put me through all the breathing tests and chest x-ray, etc. I told him of my fear and he said I have nothing to worry about. The x-ray was normal and I had all the indications of asthma. He said it could have developed because of my bronchitis.
So now, a couple weeks later of being on asthma medication and feeling great, I had a supposed asthma attack where my chest hurt in the center and seemed to radiate to the back. For a day or so after I had shortness of breath. I was told it lasted so long because i didn't use me albuterol inhaler at the onset of the attack (no one told me to).
I digress. This week, I did my morning cough (don't feel like I have to but I do it anyway, to check for blood). Had a lot of phlegm come up and the first cough was a strange color. I was going to the pulmonologist that day anyway, so I sealed it in a baggie and carried it to him. When I showed it to him he said it looked like it may have had some blood in it. He thought is was a lung infection like bronchitis (I did spend the weekend with someone in a hotel room where they sounded like they were hacking up a lung). Anyway, he gave me antibiotics.
Today is my second day of anotibiotics. I woke up with a real stuffy nose and congestion. I blew my nose and went about my business as I am trying to kick the obsessive habit of making myself cough in the morning. About an hour later I did cough to clear my throat and I spit up some phlegm that had a very tiny streak of blood. Of course I panicked and coughed again and sure enough my second one had one as well, a little smaller. Third time, nothing. The phlegm was yellow but during the day has progressed to light yellow/clear.
I called my pulmonologist all freaked out and he reassured me that it was simply an infection. He told me that I had no indications of cancer and that I was too young to worry about it anyway.
I know people my age can get it. When do I deamnd a CT scan? I've had 6 Chest X-rays and that scares me enough as far as radiation goes.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks again for all your help and my continued prayers!