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Lung CancerArrow
Aged 61-70
Interview LC26  

Interview LC26

Age at Interview: 70
Sex: Male
Age at Diagnosis: 69
Background: Manager of textile suppliers (retired), married, 1 child.
Brief outline:Lung cancer diagnosed December 2002, waiting for radiotherapy and chemotherapy.


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He becomes very breathless, particularly when walking uphill or climbing stairs.

 



I mean even coming away from the supermarket there's a bit of a slope up on to the main street and I stand there and puff and blow like a bit of a whale and I say to people when I answer the phone, "Don't think I'm doing heavy breathing I'm just, just gasping." I have thirteen stairs to go up and quite frankly I wait until I have to go up to go to the toilet. At night I go up and get undressed and do my gasping and come down and then I go up again and go to the bathroom and get into bed and I gasp again and then it quietens down. And I'm propped up, which is a farce. My wife has brought a triangular pillow and I sit there in all my majesty and [my wife] says she wakes up in the night and I'm flat on my back, I've slithered down, but at least I start propped up which helps. Which makes me wonder why if I gasp when I lie down when I'm awake, why don't I gasp when I'm asleep, and flat on my back? I honest don't know the answer, perhaps everything is relaxed. 

Have you been given any tips or suggestions from the nurse or the doctors how to manage the breathlessness?

No. My doctor gave me a spray when he thought it was angina, I've never, I've used it once, whether it was right or wrong I don't know. And if this friend who rang up and had breast cancer said she went even more breathless when she was having the radiotherapy. At that stage I shall certainly ask for some help to see whether I can have something to free the airways but I certainly don't want to get dependent on anything, if I can manage I will do. 
Karol Sikora - Lung cancer
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