Worried

j92
j92 Member Posts: 20

Hello everyone,

My name is Jessica and I’ve been a member of this site for the past 10 years. I am more of a lurker, but was wondering if anybody could give some insight and help talk me off the ledge regarding my mom. In December 2012, at 44 years old my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 triple + IDC. I constantly worry about her, however I’m so thankful and grateful that she is doing well thus far to our knowledge, but I have been very worried as of recently.

On the weekend of June 9th my mom was cleaning out our garage, shed, and also sanded our deck….with no mask. It was that weekend that she developed a cough, which was noticeable on Sunday June 11th when she was finished with all outside work. I wasn’t overly concerned because this has happened to her in the past. Whenever she cleans dusty areas she usually develops a cough that lingers and is very sensitive to dusty / dirty areas. The same thing happened to her last summer and the cough lasted quite a while. I do believe she also suffers from allergies since she clears her throat often and occasionally has watery eyes. She also sounds “blocked” if that makes sense. She sounds congested but not the kind of congestion you would have with a full blown cold. She does blow her nose frequently enough as well, and at times her voice sounds raspy. I know this year in particular is bad with allergies, and the smoke from the wildfires doesn’t help either. There is also phlegm with the cough at times. I’m just very worried and have been losing sleep over this. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Can anyone shed some light or help talk me off the ledge?


Thank you for reading.

Jessica

Comments

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,504

    Hi Jessica,

    We're sorry your mom is experiencing these symptoms, and it's totally natural to worry.

    Between dust, sawdust, mold, wildfires, etc. it's not surprising that she is so symptomatic. Also, seasonal allergies possibly in the mix. That's a lot of airborne toxins/irritants. However, if the cough persists or gets worse, she should go to a doctor and get a physical exam to evaluate the possible inflammation.

    We totally understand going to "worse case scenarios". We all get it! However, it does sound like she's been exposed recently to a lot of triggers/irritants.

    We're all here for you! ❤️

  • j92
    j92 Member Posts: 20
    edited July 2023

    Thank you very much for replying 🩷 hoping and praying it’s a mix of all those things. The worrying never gets easier. Thank you for your input 🩷