I'm terrified !!!

[BrayRevolver]

Hi I'm new to this site and from New Zealand , I have been really struggling with the idea I have lung cancer and this has been going on for some time , I'm 41 and have bouts of this fear on and off quite often , yes I'm a smoker !! Which I hate but the more anxious I get the more I look to smokes then the more I cough and the more I freak out I'm dying , 5 months ago I was so convinced I had all the signs I made my doctor give me a X-ray which came back clear , but then I think we'll maybe they missed something !! So I came right but about a week or 2 ago started feeling congested and coughing , I'm a tattooist and one of my clients a week or so ago told me our their mum died of lung cancer and how it started with a cough etc , since then my cough has got worse and I'm freaking out so much it's ruining my life , so much so that my wife and I just had a much needed 5 day break from our kids which was ruined by me obsessing about my breathing and cough !!! So on our way home we went to the doctors yet again , he listened to my lungs and seemed to think they are clear ( bizarre because I cough up mucus and wheez often , my throat is also raw and my lungs feel raw , The doc thinks I'm fine but you no how it works I'm sure he's missed something , I'm so sad this is overtaking my life again I just want to cry and cry , no one understands the fact I actully believe I'm Unwell !! My symptoms are mucus type cough , sore throat and lungs , I'm not out of breath and had a X-ray 5 months ago , I'm scared it's not going to go away and just become worse until someone realised they missed something and I have throat or lung cancer !! Please help me I can't take being trapped in this anymore

[Tracy Dixon]

Hi there, I share the same fear as you, I've had the fear for almost 2 years now! I do try to rationalise things, I tell myself over again that if I had lung cancer for the past two years I would be rapidly getting worse which I'm not although I do have a daily mucous cough, but then I'm a smoker so I guess I'm bound to, my fear began when a pain underneath my right shoulder blade didn't go away and to this day the pain is still there in the very same spot! No better no worse but very annoying, the doctor says it's wear and tear/ muscular. It's physically draining me and affecting my lifestyle, I just want a day without pain and painkillers. Hope you find some sound advice from no more panic, it helps me massively to know I'm not alone.

[BrayRevolver]

Thank you for responding im trying to stay positive and tell myself I'm fine and then the pains start that feel like lung pain and it all starts again , so I try to ignore it which is not easy , I explained it to my wife that the feeling I get is as if someone told me I actually have a terminal disease and that I just go into panic mode terrified I'm dying !! As one pain disappears another comes and just goes on and on , it's ruining my life as I live with doom and gloom hanging over me , is the mind so powerful it can give you symptoms of a real illness ?? I just want to feel happy and normal again before I loose my family due to them having enough of me :(

[Tracy Dixon]

Sounds like we are two peas in a pod! I live the same way, I now keep my fears to myself as much as I can in fear that I'm pushing everyone away, it's awful, it's draining when the thoughts are there day in day out. I dare bet if I wasn't obsessing over lung cancer it would be something else! Keep your chin up and remember your not alone! X

[BrayRevolver]

Now ive convinced myself i have copd i am trying so much to tell myself otherwise but i cant stop it, i bought a peak flow meter test my lung function and blew a good reading but then to find via google that doesnt show copd i feel like i cant get a full breath and my throat wants to close over a times, its there most of the time, but i sleep fine, so terrified i can't bare this anymore and very sad

[Vida]

Hi there. In reading your post I know the exact place you live in and I'm sorry you're going through these fears. My HA battle is not with lung ca at the moment but it's been there. If you had copd you'd be out of breath, your lungs wouldn't sound clear. You probably have a smokers cough. I would recommend to try to stop smoking but I know that's hard. Youre not alone.