curious

[redman76]

Hi everyone. ok first let me start off by saying that i am new to this forums so again hello. now onto my question.

For about the past year or so i have noticed a decrease in certain aspects of my life and so i went on the devils tool google to look it up.Anyways out of curiosity i looked up symptoms of lung cancer.And i have matched most of what is diagnosed.My memory is fading in the fact that even though i may remeber certain things as i go to do them i will blank out among other things of just plain not remembering. But other than that its a decrease in energy To give a ex. When i moved into my new place i got completely winded carrying a tv up 2 flight of stairs.Theres more then just those two but i dont want to bore you with everything so the question is what would be definite signs of cancer if any( and yes i know should go to the doctor but its the fear of finding out that kinda stops me).So any help given is appreciated.

Thank you.

[daddyslittlegirl]

Hi and welcome.

My dad's most noticed symptoms were persistant cough and coughing up blood. He was also having pain in his arm and losing some weight. I pray that it turns out to be nothing, but please go and find out. The sooner the better. Sending positive thoughts.

[Calintay]

I do not think there is DEFINITE symptoms. Symptoms vary person to person. Most people I think would get winded carrying a TV two flights of stairs. So I guess it depends are you normally really fit and exercise regularly? I think with the symptoms you described that you should of course get it checked out and it also depends on your other symptoms. Those two alone would not alarm me to think LC. Maybe an asthma exacerbation if wheezing accompanied it, could be heart issues, could even be anxiety. So I think you get my drift could be almost ANYTHING get to the Dr. to see what they say.

Good Luck

[wiesia]

Looking back my father said that for about a year before he was diagnosed strange things were happening. he had a bad luck in that his primary tumor was in a lower lobe so caused no cough or wheezing until it spread to the mediastinum and the other lung (central part). Then he had a cold and a cough that would not go away for a month so he went to see a doctor. But later he remembered that about a year before he had a similar episode with cold and cough. Cough lasted a month or so and then went away on its own. Had it lasted any longer he would have gone to a doctor. Oh well ! the other problems he remembered were sweating a lot, even doing light labor. He also lost some weight (noticably) without trying to but, silly us, we were happy because he was really getting overweight.

Had we gone to a doctor with that first caughing episode perhaps he would still be around. But, honestly, it seemed like a annoying cold that he caught on his fishing expedition to the North Pole

[Shelley (MLC)]

Definitely get checked out by the Doctor. Hopefully he'll do the right tests and find out that your just a little anemic and need some iron. My mom's first symptom (as she looked back after diagnosis) was a lack of energy and the ability to do things she had always done (long walks in the evening) She didn't see a Dr until 6 months later and they still only "accidentally" picked up the cancer. It nevers hurts to be a pushy patient! I'm hoping that you're just tired and winded from everyday life....That happens to alot of us! Please keep us posted! Shelley

[Flowergirlie]

The two key symptoms, when it was too late already, were night sweats and fatigue, along with the 'normal' smokers couph...Please do yourself a favor, since stress can add to the progression of cancer, and check it out sooner than later. A simple blood test with a physical *can* indicate something is going wrong without being paranoid or a hypochondriac. It is good to be in tuned with what your body is telling you.

I hope it is nothing. I say, better safe than sorry. My hubby really wished he had gone sooner but you can not go back for a do over unfortunately. Wishing you the best!

Peace...Flowergirlie

[recce101]

[ redman76 ] ...what would be definite signs of cancer if any...

Hi, and welcome to the LCSC!

You can read my profile below, but I'll emphasize here that for me there were no such signs. I had never coughed up blood and I still haven't. I was not short of breath until very late in the process, after our family physician had already scheduled me for a pulmonology consultation based on a chest x-ray. I had been noticing reduced stamina for about a year, but had two good explanations: For the past 12 years I'd been dealing with Meniere's Disease (an inner ear condition that destroys the hearing and balance function of one or both sides), and one of the effects is fatigue due to brain overload from trying to sort out the good signals from the bad. Second, I had recently turned 70, and since I hadn't really felt normal for a number of years, I had no baseline for comparison and just figured that Meniere's and old age were teaming up on me.

When I went to our family physician for the month-long dry cough and shorter duration wheezing, lung cancer had still not entered my mind. When I picked up the film to take to the pulmonologist, I had quite a shock. The lower two-thirds or more of my right lung was invisible -- the film was completely clear, just like the unexposed margin at the edge. That part of the right chest, as I soon learned, was filled with fluid and congealed ("loculated") gunk, partially collapsing most of the right lung. Surprisingly, my oxygen saturation reading was still fine.

So the x-ray was my first good indication that something was definitely wrong. It still wasn't confirmed to be cancer until an exploratory surgery a couple of weeks later, but I'm convinced that if I'd had a simple chest x-ray the year before, something would have shown up even then, giving me a better shot at an actual cure. The problem is, old-fashioned chest x-rays are not necessarily a part of periodic physical exams. When I was in the Air Force I did receive them regularly, but my last one was in 1978 when I retired from the military.

My very strong advice is to see your doctor ASAP and insist on a chest x-ray. Don't be one of those who doesn't want to know, because what you don't know CAN hurt you!

Aloha,

Ned

[tiredmom959]

My mom, dx with Stage IIIB, had NO symptoms at all other than discomfort in her upper abdomen. She had years prior been dx with an ulcer and that is what we assumed it was (or gall bladder). Actually, I think that IS what is was, as Nexium helped ease those symptoms. Found suspicious "pneumonia" on x-ray, fluid in lungs, etc., and from there the nightmare began!

She never had a cough, never coughed up anything, was never short of breath, noticed no increased fatigue. She had far more energy than most people her age, never sat still. In hindsight, with her family history and having been a smoker, we should have insisted on a chest x-ray, but I'm not sure that would have found anything much sooner.

Believe me, when I heard her diagnosis, I would have loved to have blamed her doctor for missing something, but he really didn't. Nor did she avoid being checked by a doctor for any length of time. Just one of those things ... get checked out though, bloodwork at the very least.

[Jyoung20]

My symptoms included weight loss, fatigue (especially in the afternoons), nagging little cough

[redman76]

Thanks for all ur responses everyone i am going to go see the doctor as soon as i can but what kind of tests should i have done so im not blown off as just a paranoid patient. I know alot of u said blood work but is there other test i should have my doctor do. And so everyone can get a feel of my sypmtoms here is a complete list of symtoms.

Fatigue...In case your wondering about the tv thing i posted i deliver 5 gal buckets of paint all day so i get a pretty good workout.

Wheezing...not all the time though.

this next one is weird to me though

The best description i can give you is this example.

You know how if you look into a flashlight and then you get lil white spot in front of you well i have that without a light and sometimes they r like a shadow(dont think this is a symptom of lung cancer though)

cough

flem

Head rush while i am already standing up

chest pains over the heart and the other side(i did go see a doctor for this one but was told its just muscle pains)

and i think thats it for now and yes now you can say omg is this man a idiot why hasnt he seen a doctor yet.The answer is fear seeing as i have lost family members of cancer and dont want to find out hte same(stupid i know).

[Snoopyfn]

hi...

yes you do need to go to the Dr. and make sure they do a chest Xray... I say that b/c my husband had symptoms and went to the Dr and twice was given what I call the antibiotic brush-off! It wasnt until one of th emeds they gave him caused him to cough up blood did they find out he had a massive pleural effusion and stage IV NSCLC... he coughed for a few months before that....to the point of passing out once or twice... he had extreme fatigue every afternoon... he lost about 25lbs in 2 months due to lack of appetite.... the drs thought it was just a sinus infection...I knew it was more...they finally did a chest xray an that is where it was found...

I know my husband didnt want to go for the same reason...he was afraid they would find something! BUT you have got to realize that the sooner they find it the more "fixable" it is! My husbands wasnt found until it was too late...

and if this ISNT anything major...which we all certainly hope it isnt... you will get relief from your stress by finding out....

please go get checked!

[sharyn]

Ahhh the old... what I don't know can't hurt me syndrome!!! I certainly don't mean to make light of your symptoms or your actions (or lack of action). It just seems very typical behavior of men in general!!! Listen, obviously the symptoms you are having are worrying you.... worry and stress can lead to more symptoms that may have absolutely NOTHING to do with Lung Cancer or any other kind of cancer for that matter....

I could look at your symptoms and say.... hmmm light headed upon standing, spots in eyes...sounds like a blood pressure issue... we could second guess ourselves forever. The only way to find out for sure is to make that darn appt and just GET IT OVER WITH!!!.... I had a mole on my leg that I swore was melanoma....I looked at it daily, I looked at it under a magnifying glass,I compared it to pictures on the internet, i picked at it, all this for over 1 year before I finally said, CRAP I will just go to the Doc and get my death sentence. WELL< it was NOT A MELANOMA it was a harmless NOTHING.... so for a year I stressed over absolutely nothing. What a waste of precious time. So... Don't waste anymore of your time.... take the bull by the horns and see a doc.... let us know how you make out... Sharon

[Ry]

It is what you don't know that will hurt you. It could be many things so don't be scared, just go-- and please let us know what he said. You should have a chest x-ray at the very least-- hopefully a CT. Welcome.

[RandyW]

If you get Laryngitis?, call the doctor and get a xray. Deb lost her vioice and thought it was laryngitis. That was 4 years ago this past april. It was Lung cancer.

[kaneohegirl]

my dad had NO symptoms other than weight loss....what got him to the DR was a back pain that didnt go away, I finnally talked him into going to get some pain killers/ anti-inflamatories... turned out to be a comp fracture .... but since they were doin a xray of the back they decided to get one of his chest which is how it was found.