Post RT lung damage, anyone had it?

I had IDC (and DCIS) with involved margins after surgery, had another surgery, margins still involved as there was to quote my surgeon “nothing else to take, I scraped your chest wall’.

Radiotherapy was advised with a boost to the chest wall. Unfortunately the tumour was in my left breast a 9 o’clock right up against my chest wall, which is a pretty shitty place to be.

I had radiotherapy using imaging and was told it would hit my lung but damage would be minimal.

I’ve been struggling with my breathing and it’s getting progressively worse. I finished RT 6 months ago. I initially thought I had reflux, but then I started coughing and wheezing - when I breathe my left lung crackles.

I visited my GP who read my post treatment scan notes and said it looks like about 50% of your left lung is opaque, that would explain why you’re struggling and referred me for some lung function tests.

I feel mildly ill all the time, slightly feverish and like I’m just about to get a chest infection. If I cough I wheeze for ages afterwards. I was a marathon runner before this happened, now I can’t really run anymore, I did back off training during treatment but this is diffident to being detained. I am at a loss to how I can run again, I can cycle a bit but running is too hard on my lungs.

Has anyone here had significant lung damage from RT and recovered from it (or not) because it’s really depressing. I don’t expect to be like I was before, but I didn’t expect to be this broken either.