scans say "stable" but breathing problems???

[gail p-m]

My father continues to have CT scans at 3 month intervals. He is fortunate that the scans have come up "stable" for quite awhile now but he still finds himself frequently "short of breath." He takes lung function test at the pulmonologist and they come up okay too. However, my Dad is winded from just walking around the block to the mailbox, let alone going to stores. He is 82 and has fought this beast for 5 1/2 years now. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

gail p-m

[teresag]

Gail, he is probably deconditioned (out of shape) and mild to moderate exercise would help him a lot. He can start with short walks then work his way up to longer and more frequent walks. He can strengthen his arms by lifting light weights (a can of food works great and you can still eat it!). Even short periods of moderate-intensity exercise, repeated often, can have a big effect on endurance. Start slow, then increase gradually. There is a great deal of research on the benefits of exercise in cancer and other diseases - this is the real deal. Best of luck to you and him, Teresa

[elnodel]

My husband also is horrified at how quickly he gets out of breath -- and the reality is that it's because he's doing so much less than he used to. He is trying to walk more and build up his stamina and his lung capacity but it's hard to get him to do this when I'm not home. I work in the morning, so our only time to get out is when I get back in the afternoon or on weekends. But if I do it with him, then he's much more willing to give it a go. And it does work. He's already built up stamina this spring after starting very slowly when the winter was over and walking weather had returned.

I let him set the pace and the distance but try to nudge him on to faster and longer times each walk.

Lifting weights with cans of food is a great idea -- haven't been able to persuade him to try that but I'll keep on trying.

Ellen

[Bill]

My father continues to have CT scans at 3 month intervals. He is fortunate that the scans have come up "stable" for quite awhile now but he still finds himself frequently "short of breath." He takes lung function test at the pulmonologist and they come up okay too. However, my Dad is winded from just walking around the block to the mailbox, let alone going to stores. He is 82 and has fought this beast for 5 1/2 years now. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

gail p-m

G :

There are multiple potential causes for SOB some of which have been mentioned already. One cause that is often overlooked is simple anxiety. One of my wife's worst bouts of SOB, causing her to be rushed to the hospital, turned out to be due to an anxiety attack. CXR came back unchanged and after she was sedated and reassured all signs of respiratory distress disappeared.

B

[Maryanne]

I don't have any answers for you Gail. Its the same way with Joel. All his scans are stable, but I can here him when he comes up the stairs, he gets very winded.

He also has had all the breathing function tests and they are fine. So its just a mystery to us.

Maryanne

[Don M]

I have been told that it can take a very long time for your stamina to come back after chemo.

DonM