Valley Fever

[Gordon]

I have T-2 diabetes, or maybe borderline T-2 and have been through a
recent bout with melanoma chemotherapy. This was completed December
30, 2013 but I still haven't gotten back to normal. I feel very tired
and lethargic most of the time and my vision is blurred a lot.

Recently I read some on-line information that indicates Valley Fever
could be the cause of my lethargic feeling and blurred vision. The
gist of this is that Valley Fever, once a person gets it, is always in
their body but the immune system keeps it under control unless
something interferes with the immune system.

The articles that I read point out that chemotherapy can and often
does impair the immune system enough to allow Valley Fever to become
active again.

When I was in high school I worked in the grape vineyards near
Bakersfield, California. I may have had Valley Fever at that time but
don't remember any such. I understand that it is often very mild and
usually passed off as a mild cold or some such.

Does anyone here have any insights on these matters? Gordon

[Dr. Lexus]

Post by Gordon
I have T-2 diabetes, or maybe borderline T-2 and have been through a
recent bout with melanoma chemotherapy. This was completed December
30, 2013 but I still haven't gotten back to normal. I feel very tired
and lethargic most of the time and my vision is blurred a lot.
Recently I read some on-line information that indicates Valley Fever
could be the cause of my lethargic feeling and blurred vision. The
gist of this is that Valley Fever, once a person gets it, is always in
their body but the immune system keeps it under control unless
something interferes with the immune system.
The articles that I read point out that chemotherapy can and often
does impair the immune system enough to allow Valley Fever to become
active again.
When I was in high school I worked in the grape vineyards near
Bakersfield, California. I may have had Valley Fever at that time but
don't remember any such. I understand that it is often very mild and
usually passed off as a mild cold or some such.
Does anyone here have any insights on these matters? Gordon

I'm pretty sure I caught was is known as "Valley Fever" during an
ill-fated desert road trip in the 1990s. From what I've read about it,
it is a fungus present in desert soil that gets kicked up in the dust
from motor vehicles, inhaled, leading to a horrible respiratory
infection that can last for weeks. Which is exactly what happened to
me. The near-lethal sunburn I got walking 15 miles to the main road, in
the middle of June, didn't help either.

What you describe doesn't sound like Valley Fever, though I am not a
medical professional. What I had was a massive respiratory infection
from hell, not generic symptoms of lethargy and blurred vision. There
was the ultra-violet radiation poisoning on top of it, but I still
remember coughing my lungs out. For two weeks at least. Any drugs you
are currently taking, especially chemotherapy, should be the primary
suspects.

Fungal infections are not known for their "dormancy": They either kill
you or are defeated by your immune system. You may very well have had
Valley Fever when you were young, but since you are still alive this
means your body successfully defeated it, meaning whatever symptoms you
are currently experiencing have absolutely nothing to do with it.

[Gordon]

On Thu, 31 Jul 2014 02:38:42 -0600, "Dr. Lexus"

Post by Dr. Lexus

Post by Gordon
I have T-2 diabetes, or maybe borderline T-2 and have been through a
recent bout with melanoma chemotherapy. This was completed December
30, 2013 but I still haven't gotten back to normal. I feel very tired
and lethargic most of the time and my vision is blurred a lot.
Recently I read some on-line information that indicates Valley Fever
could be the cause of my lethargic feeling and blurred vision. The
gist of this is that Valley Fever, once a person gets it, is always in
their body but the immune system keeps it under control unless
something interferes with the immune system.
The articles that I read point out that chemotherapy can and often
does impair the immune system enough to allow Valley Fever to become
active again.
When I was in high school I worked in the grape vineyards near
Bakersfield, California. I may have had Valley Fever at that time but
don't remember any such. I understand that it is often very mild and
usually passed off as a mild cold or some such.
Does anyone here have any insights on these matters? Gordon

I'm pretty sure I caught was is known as "Valley Fever" during an
ill-fated desert road trip in the 1990s. From what I've read about it,
it is a fungus present in desert soil that gets kicked up in the dust
from motor vehicles, inhaled, leading to a horrible respiratory
infection that can last for weeks. Which is exactly what happened to
me. The near-lethal sunburn I got walking 15 miles to the main road, in
the middle of June, didn't help either.
What you describe doesn't sound like Valley Fever, though I am not a
medical professional. What I had was a massive respiratory infection
from hell, not generic symptoms of lethargy and blurred vision. There
was the ultra-violet radiation poisoning on top of it, but I still
remember coughing my lungs out. For two weeks at least. Any drugs you
are currently taking, especially chemotherapy, should be the primary
suspects.
Fungal infections are not known for their "dormancy": They either kill
you or are defeated by your immune system. You may very well have had
Valley Fever when you were young, but since you are still alive this
means your body successfully defeated it, meaning whatever symptoms you
are currently experiencing have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Thanks. My respiratory problems seem to have cleared up and I feel
fine, now. You probably hit the nail on the head so to speak by saying
the kind of respiratory problems I had are most likely the side effect
of the chemotherapy. I had just finished a round of Yervoy and since
this is a new drug the side effects are not yet very well understood.
Anyway, I seem to have survived. My name hasn't been in the obituary
column....yet. Gordon