Having been back now for just over 2 1/2 weeks, I've come to the conclusion that I will be forever cursed with paranoia. Every little twinge of my back, every symptom makes me worry that the disease has returned. That really annoying dry cough that I had right up until I arrived in Germany has returned. It actually started two days before I left. It may be asthma, it may be a chest cold. I seem to have been afflicted by it almost the whole time I've had Hodgkin's. However I have also had dry coughs that go on for months before in my life, long before Hodgkin's came along, so it may not be related. It may have something to do with my crappy immune system.
I made a discovery the other night. I took a sudafed before going to bed, to see if it helped with my cough. I get a runny nose and it runs down the back of my throat and causes me to cough. It's like when you inhale water or food. Anyway I completely soaked the bed in sweat during the night. I woke up feeling like my whole world had just crashed around me. When ever the disease has been active I suffer from night sweats.
In the morning I did some research and found that a leading cause of night sweats can also be paracetamol! I checked the active ingredients of Sudafed and sure enough it contains 500mg of it. Phew!! It also explains why I was having so many sweats in conjunction with the back aches in the weeks before I left. It may be that the pulsing back ache is my only true B-symptom as I was taking paracetamol for it.
Since then I've avoided paracetamol and have yet to have another night sweat. However I've still been waking up quite clammy during the night. Again this could have several causes. A chest infection (that dry cough) is one likely culprit. I've had no word yet on when I can expect my PET scan to take place. I had asked for early November. I'll feel a lot happier once it's done and the results come back, hopefully negative (clear).
..Ron
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