Chest fullness / Chest discomfort

[DamnIHaveCLL]

Hello all-

Second post here and trying to keep the hypochondria in check.

For the past week or so I have head a fullness or discomfort in my chest. I would describe it as right underneath my sternum, and maybe moves out a little on either side of the sternum. It doesn't hurt....it's just there.

I have been "sinusy" -- pressure in the sinsuses and ears are clogged. I also have what I could best describe as a "feeling" on my neck. Not where this layman thinks the nodes are, but on either side of my trachea -- the spots where you put your finger to take your pulse. This also doesn't hurt, but it is not a normal feeling.

Any thoughts?

-D

[cllady01 Former Volunteer]

With your sinus situation and clogged ears, you would do well to go to your GP/PC to be checked out. We are susceptible to pneumonia because of our immune systems involvement with CLL.

Please let yourself be seen by a Dr. when you have such a situation going on and feel uneasy about your health. Even if it proves to be less dire than your imagination can make it, you can have some peace of mind and begin to trust in your medical team as well as yourself as you deal with CLL.

In other words, it may not be anything, or it could be something. Worrying won't make it go away either way and could make matters worse. Getting it checkout and having it treated or having it be less than hurts no one and helps you greatly.

Best wishes, and please let us know how things go.

[Jemorgen]

Hey D - there are all sorts of nodes all over/in our bodies I have swollen nodes on either side of my trachea too. I have SLL so my blood is normal and all my nasty lymphocytes are hung up in various nodes. Nodes generally ebb and flow, especially if we’re fighting something but sometimes just because.

I can’t speak to the feeling of chest fullness you describe without being able to “look” inside, but I have lots of enlarged nodes in my midsection and almost always feel like I did when I had pneumonia except none of the rest of the illness. I attribute it to the enlarged nodes pressing up on my diaphragm. My hem/onc says this is a reasonable theory.

As long as you don’t have a fever over 100.4 (I believe that’s the magic number) and you can breathe ok (note: breathlessness on exertion is kind of to be expected) I wouldn’t worry too much.

This idea of getting used to our bodies as the CLL potentially advances during wnw is challenging. Our “new normal “ is a moving target. Try not to panic; take a deep breath. Try to distract yourself with the things you love. Rarely is anything acute unless it’s an infection. Watch for other signs of illness - especially that fever.

You’re in good company here. Most of us can relate to your concerns. Check in when you need to.

[Jm954 Administrator]

HI, I know this is your second post but welcome and I love the humour in your name.

If you haven't yet had a CT scan then I would ask for one and it will almost certainly allay many of your worries about lymph nodes here and there pressing on various bits of you. When that is excluded then you can get back to thinking about the common reasons why something might be feeling wrong rather than the CLL reason, if that makes sense.

You will feel calmer as the time goes by and I'm pretty sure that you will be around to pay for those college fees.

Have a look at the Pinned Posts, to the right of your post, for information about immunisations etc that was mentioned in reply to your last post.

Take care

Jackie

[cllady01 Former Volunteer]

Not trying to scare, but to validate my statement of concern re: there being a possibility of having chest infection (even pneumonia) without development of a fever.

"Symptoms may vary in certain populations. . . . Older adults and people who have serious illnesses or weak immune systems may have fewer and milder symptoms. They may even have a lower than normal temperature."

lung.org/lung-health-and-di...

Getting the jump on any sinus infection is a good practice. One of the allergy seasons is upon us in the US.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer]

My temp runs low, and usually goes down when I'm sick. Good advice from Cllady. Pay attention to your normal. The symptoms you are describing could be caused by several things. One is GERD, or acid reflux. It's best to get checked so you can rule things in or out, deal with any issues, and move forward.