Worried about throat/mouth cancer

[flygirl767]

Hi
This is my first post and I feel rather foolish posting here as I know there have been many similar posts to mine but I am so worried.

I had a throat infection in July which cleared up with anti-b's. Soon after that, I started to notice a sensation of a lump in the back of my throat. It seemed to come and go so I was not too worried. However, I made the silly mistake after a few week of consulting Dr Google and I don't need to tell you what the results brought up..eventually made an appointment with my GP who seemed to think it was acid reflux and put me on Omezaprole. This seemed to make it a bit better and again it was coming and going.

However, the last 2 weeks I can feel it there most of the time. Never when I wake up but gets progressively worse during the day especially bad when I am worrying about it! The thing that has really made me panic though is that I have lost weight without trying. Not entirely sure how much, probably about 6 lbs in the last couple of months and my clothes feel looser. I had stopped Googling but am ashamed to say I Googled it and obviously the results all come up as cancer. I am calling my GP tomorrow to see if I can get some tests done but guess I am here for reassurance and to be suitably told off for searching the net for reassurance as all it has made me do it diagnose myself with almost every type of cancer! This forum had been great and has really made me put things into perspective but I still am convinced I have a tumour.

[katesa]

Before fishmanpa, an unfortunate but brilliant expert comes here to give you advice, I just want to say that this sounds like classic anxiety chick. Look at the symptoms list to the right of this page. X

[cpe1978]

There really is no better authority on this subject than our friend Fishmanpa. He unfortunately has the t shirt in this respect.

However I am pretty confident that whilst according to google whatever you are experiencing may be one of the symptoms some people have if they have throat cancer, the problem with doc google is that he ignores the 99.9% of benign issues.

---------- Post added at 21:54 ---------- Previous post was at 21:53 ----------


Before fishmanpa, an unfortunate but brilliant expert comes here to give you advice, I just want to say that this sounds like classic anxiety chick. Look at the symptoms list to the right of this page. X

Ooooohh spooky simultaneous posting.

[nomorepanic]

This sounds like Globus Hystericus or acid reflux as your doc said

[katesa]

There really is no better authority on this subject than our friend Fishmanpa. He unfortunately has the t shirt in this respect.

However I am pretty confident that whilst according to google whatever you are experiencing may be one of the symptoms some people have if they have throat cancer, the problem with doc google is that he ignores the 99.9% of benign issues.

---------- Post added at 21:54 ---------- Previous post was at 21:53 ----------



Ooooohh spooky simultaneous posting.

Remove thyself from my mind.

Does this make us fishmanpa disciples or something?

[flygirl767]

Thanks so much for the quick replies. I would add that the lump sensation is eased by eating and drinking which is common with globus but it is the weight loss that has freaked me out. I will await advice from Fishmanpa!

[katesa]

I think what happened chick is that you genuinely have the acid issue and you've become anxious which in turn has made you notice the sensations even more. Then because you have a genuine acid issue (which can affect appetite etc) and are also anxious (using a lot of nervous energy) you have lost a tiny bit of weight.

But yeah, fishmanpa has more knowledge about this than he would have ever wanted.

Welcome to the board by the way x

[Fishmanpa]

Hi Flygirl,

Yeah... The others are correct. I have the badge to prove it too.

Typically, oral cancers (throat, oropharyngeal, tonsil, back of tongue etc.) really present no symptoms. In many cases and in my case as well, you don't really know anything is wrong until it's quite far along. My cancer presented itself as a swollen lymph node on the left side of my neck that I felt when I had a sinus infection. Several months and two rounds of antibiotics later I was diagnosed. That was actually a year ago today ~whew~ I had no pain. The only thing I felt was some pressure and fullness and that was just before a neck dissection to remove the cancer. I looked like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck. Also, if it was cancer, symptoms wouldn't come and go like you describe. Once cancer takes hold, it keeps growing until you stop it with treatment.

Chances are extremely high that what you're experiencing is exactly what your doctor is telling you. Concerning weight loss? First off, most women would be ecstatic! ;) But seriously, anxiety does some wicked things to your body and 6 pounds in a couple of months is nothing really. Heck, I lost over 50 pounds in 6 weeks during treatment!

Now concerning Dr. Google... Did you know he's being sued for giving false diagnosis to HA sufferers? I heard he never even went to medical school and that he's really a non human algorithm ;) trust your GP and contact him if your symptoms persist. he may need to adjust the dosage of stomach meds or try something else and in the mean time, seek out help with your anxiety. It's an illness just like any other and very treatable.... and the treatment is a hell of a lot easier than cancer treatment ;)

Positive thoughts!

CP & Kat... that was funny... disciples of the Church of Fishmanpa ~lol~ And when you think about it, it really is about having faith right?

[flygirl767]

Hi Fishmanpa

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to reply. I have read several of your posts and I'm sorry for what you have been through. It is amazing that you spend time on here helping us hysterical people!

I know you are right of course, I wish I had never looked at google but there is always that what if it is me, what if I am the unlucky one. I have had another sleepless night but am determined to enjoy today and the weekend. There is nothing I can do anyway and I will see a proper doctor next week, not that charlatan Dr google! I hope you have a great weekend too and thank you again. :)

[Fishmanpa]

there is always that what if it is me, what if I am the unlucky one?

This is the question of the day and the one that is the crux of HA.

"What If?" So.... "What If?" If whatever it is you worry about happens, what will you do? If you have HA you most likely will say "I told you so!" ;) AND, you'll deal with it right? Believe me, you won't be worrying about it anymore and you'll be in the midst of the fight for real so your HA will take a back seat.

That being said. The worst part about "What If?" is you forget about the "What Is", which is living your life. The chances of some of the terrible things you worry about happening are slim at best for the majority of you. Think about what you will feel like 10, 20, 50 years from now, having spent all that time worrying about a disease that never happened to you and what doing so did to your life as well as what you missed because of it. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen and there's nothing you can do to stop it other than doing what's healthy for your body... eat right and exercise on a regular basis. The rest ain't up to you believe me!

At the time of my first heart attack, I was 47 and in probably the best shape of my life. I ate right, worked out 3-4 times a week etc. In fact, the week before I hiked Old Rag Mountain, an 8 hour up and down hump of a hike with no ill effects...the next week...BAM. Tell you what... it was a glorious day and hike and one of the best days. Had I been worried about having a heart attack, I would have stayed home and STILL had the heart attack. I'd rather be on the top of the mountain and drop dead there than at home in my easy chair worrying about it I assure you :)

Anyway... enough rambling. You get my point. There is a way out of HA, Hopefully you'll look for the open door.

Positive thoughts

[katesa]

The worst part about "What If?" is you forget about the[I] [B]"What Is"


And nuggets of wisdom like this are why the Church of Fishmanpa is gaining such a following.

Wonderfully put, oh divine one.