<p>Plain Robitussin, just the expectorant, has helped me through those coughing fits with no side effects.</p>
<p>Guanofenisen, or some such, is the only ingredient, no cough suppression, no codeine.</p>
<p>Just a thought. It’s not really a “drug”. Years and years of asthma have made me an expert in coughing.</p>
<p>latetoschool: Right now I am thinking of you, and right now, even if you’re sleeping, I am sending psychic energy. </p>
<p>We are all still here.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Just</a> A New Challenge](<a href=“http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/livingsimply/archives/140706.asp]Just”>http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/livingsimply/archives/140706.asp)</p>
<p>Hope you got some sleep and are feeling better today!</p>
<p>Thank you, Bethievt, I am feeling slightly better but still horrible. The radiation oncologist was very, very nice; same department as with the wbr in April. I liked him immediately; very high degree of confidence in him. When I arrived for my appointment, my primary oncologist had already conferred with him, so my charts, scans etc. had been read and after asking me a few questions they were ready to go with staging. The nurses were simply wonderful; they hugged me and told me they would do all in their power to help me beat this, and they assured me the new doctor will treat this very aggressively. </p>
<p>So tomorrow I start with five days of intensive radiation to an area where lymph nodes are restricting an airway, and causing the shortness of breath, then resume chemotherapy when this is done. </p>
<p>I learned a few things too - the body/lung creates the extra mucus to carry out dirt, other stuff, since it doesn’t have the normal amount of airspace to use to get rid of dirt through the normal process of exhaling. Nausea, vomiting is not caused by mucus, but rather from the violent act of coughing so hard. </p>
<p>They put me back on icky steroids, but assured me that the short course for two to three weeks would not harm me. I was also assured that the steroids alone would help me start to feel better - so - I took a dose this morning, and, perhaps they’re right, since I managed to eat a little bit so far today. </p>
<p>Very interesting experience, the new doctor asked more questions about my life and my support systems than he did my medical history - ie I have a daughter? where is she? how old is she? is she working? what about other support? what are their ages and their professions? what kind of work do I do? and so on…perhaps this is because he has enough medical data on me…(hopefully he wasn’t asking because he anticipates having to deliver very bad news to my next of kin and/or my supporters)…</p>
<p>He told me that the course of treatment for these five days will be very, very aggressive. I looked him in the eye; I told him “bring it”; I told him I will under no circumstances allow this disease to defeat me. He looked me right back in the eye and said “good”!</p>
<p>It’s interesting, I notice that when my daughter is here with me, my blood pressure and pulse rate are always lower than when she is not here…</p>
<p>Many thanks to everyone for the posts, especially for the foods to eat…I am going to send a caregiver in search of ginger tea (is that why ginger ale seems to work, at least temporarily?).</p>
<p>mimk6, my pain medication is for a herniated disc; I only take one as needed, usually to sleep at night. I think it’s called percocet? Anyway, I got them in April and have only taken 10 or so…but - they told me today that I may have pain from collateral damage from the radiation treatment - I guess I’ll have to hang on for the ride, see what happens…as in ADad’s post, damn the torpedoes…</p>
<p>Mythmom, and everyone else, thanks for being there. This is no fun, but I am never giving up and I am never giving in. There are better days ahead, I am sure of it.</p>
<p>Threekids, italian ice tastes really good, and stays where it’s sent. I would imagine popsicles will be the same…I don’t have any yet but am going to get some. And chicken noodle soup is perfect - it’s so comforting, for one thing. But only Campbells, not any of the other stuff…</p>
<p>If you ever need pain meds during the day, LTS, I’d suggest checking out something other than Percocet. I was on pretty high doses of Percocet for over a month this past summer. (I had a number of complications and infections after a basic surgery. The brain couldn’t process the sensations so interpreted everything as pain. Or at least that’s how it was explained to me. Sort of like what happens with an ice cream headache.) Anyway, it really puts you in a zombie-ish state. Doctors switched me over to Vicodin at one point, and I felt much more “with it.” My mom said she hadn’t seen me smile once while I was on Percocet, but I was able to be a bit more lively on Vicodin. Those powerful pain meds aren’t good for your spirit if you take them regularly. If you end up needing something, try to find a med that keeps you feeling alive.</p>
<p>Corranged, I am not even sure that’s what it’s called. It’s at home, and I am at work…no medicine bottles allowed at work, it’s bad karma - my office is a “cancer free zone” anyway, chemotherapy can threaten to zombie-ize me, especially when on four chemos at one time. But I don’t let it - or at least I haven’t let it so far…</p>
<p>Interesting, for some reason your post reminded me of something, this morning one of the nurses came in and asked me a bunch of questions about how did my speech go, what am I doing regards this, some other questions about that - at the time I was wondering, why does she care about this? - 25 questions later she revealed she was evaluating me following the wbr and all of my faculties seem to be functioning properly…</p>
<p>By the way, I hope you are now fully recovered from surgery and done with pain medications for a very long time…</p>
<p>LTS, thank you for the update! I’m glad to hear that your doctors are fighters, and that you are feeling better today. Whenever I have really bad stomach problems and can’t keep anything down (not that it happens often), my grandpa’s trusted remedy - a cup of very strong black tea works miracles for me (do not recommend taking it before bedtime). I suspect ginger tea would work even better. And I second corranged’s suggestion that pain meds can wreak havoc with one’s brain. One pill of Percocet was all I needed to know that I would never touch that drug again.
Keeping you in my prayers.</p>
<p>LTS:</p>
<p>Funny about the nurse. I was asked who was Pres. of the US. to verify that I had all my faculties.</p>
<p>Latetoschool, in addition to assessing cognative function, some of us in nursing are generally fascinated with the human lives we are privileged to come in contact with. Those conversations about the details of varied people’s experiences are my personal joy, give me the best and most memorable parts of each workday. Some are less fascinated by stories, some of us live for them. </p>
<p>Wishing you the best in your amazing personal oddessy against this disease. Healing energy to you, every day.</p>
<p>LTS, This is perhaps the most critical treatment that you have faced so far. Best wishes and my prayers.</p>
<p>Just catching upp after some time away.</p>
<p>Best wishes, LTS, for this new challenge.</p>
<p>By the way, if the pain med you have at home actually is Percocet, I hope you are aware it is a codeine derivative.</p>
<p>Vicodin is also a codeine derivative, FYI… I’m violently allergic to codeine and was nearly halfway out the door of the ER once before the attending came sprinting after me to yoink the Vicodin scrip out of my hands. If you don’t tolerate codeine well, vicodin <em>and</em> percocet are probably not going to go well…</p>
<p>Wishing you a good day!</p>
<p>O.K. - I don’t understand - is codeine a bad thing, compared to other options?</p>
<p>Back in post 3131 you said it bothered your stomach. Just want you to be aware if the derivatives do so as well.</p>
<p>Oh, you’re right. I’m hoping that somehow I won’t need any pain medication. Today the doctor said I might, not that I definitely would…fingers crossed…</p>
<p>IMHO … codeine compared to major pain is NOT a bad thing. Codeine mixed with ‘other stuff’ can be bad. Codeine is actually a good drug for coughs. I had pneumonia when I was pregnant with DS and coughing as you described. And the OB (who retired <em>just</em> after I had son) said take the codine cough syrup. It doesn’t affect the baby and this coughing and exhaustion does!</p>
<p>I had shoulder surgery, threw up percoset, vicodin, but then tolerated the acetamine/codine mix (at least the 2 I took for moving first thing in the AM).</p>
<p>I got chills from the ‘bring it’ comment LTS. We are sending you LOTS of energy and hope and good vibes. This will keep you supported for this round of bringing it …</p>
<p>I’ll second the ginger for quesyness. I’ve used it for motion sickness and you can use any kind. I’ve taken dried ginger ‘candy’, so you get the ginger affect and some sugar as well.</p>
<p>LTS, I can’t wait to see you on the talk show circuit when you’re pushing the book you write after this whole debacle is behind you.</p>
<p>Did you happen to notice the number of replies to this thread (over 3,000) and the number of views (over 182,000)!!! There are a lot of people out here who care about you and I think we all feel as if we know you by now. At any minute during the day imagine how many people are thinking of you!</p>
<p>Good luck tomorrow, we’ll be with you.</p>
<p>My husband, during chemo, became very fond of an organic ginger ale, can’t remember the name, but I remember it tasted strongly of ginger and smelled wonderful. </p>
<p>I tolerate codeine in all its forms well but find they make me slightly queasy and slightly lightheaded–with the exception of oxycodone, which works better, with fewer side effects. Hydrocodone, codeine, oxycodone are all slightly different forms of the same basic drug, but they differ in their chemical structure and thus may cause different side effects. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>