still worried about cancer still no scan letter :(

[Alamie]

i posted a while back about how i've been having real bad heartburn and i'm on 40mg pantoprazole but it's still there. it's no where near as bad as when i don't take it tho. i've been losing weight (granted i havent been eating as much as i used to and i do have weight on me to lose) lost just over a stone in 2 months. and i've completely lost my appetite and feel sick 24/7

but for the last week i've been getting really bad pains in my stomach, my sides and around my back. i'm constantly bloated and feel really itchy :/

i have a three year old daughter and i'm almost certain that i'm dying and i'm frigging terrified of leaving her :( been waiting 6 weeks for endoscopy but i'm so scared of what they are going to find :(

[Pepperpot]

Hi,
I am so sorry you're going through this. Do you think the itching is a symptom of the anxiety? If you have weight to lose then a stone in 2months isn't an awful deal to lose (I don't mean that in a funny way - I just mean it is easily doable if you have no appetite). What does your doc reckon it could be?

[Alamie]

thank you. i'm not sure i mean i do have eczema and i'm thinking about it a hell of a lot atm but it's literally all over including my head etc. it could very well be my anxiety.
i typed the other symptoms stupidly into google and it has came back with stomach/pancreatic cancer i am actually so scared i can barely function :( having to take my daughter to nursery etc i'm also at college doing higher education and i am really struggling. my doctor isn't sure :(

[Pepperpot]

Bloody Dr Google - I do this and it really doesn't help. Itching can be a symptom of anxiety - I have had it - it is awful. The pains can be IBS, which can stem from worrying about things - it's a viscous circle. Go back to the doc and see if he can hurry along the scan - I know you're nervous but when it comes back negative (I'm sure it will), you can relax a bit x

[Alamie]

thank you pepperpot. do you really think the chances are slim? i do have every symptom tho and my biggest worry is that i smoke (i know it's ridiculous a smoker with health anxiety) but i've always had a really shit diet too and worried i've caused cancer from all the bad stuff i've done/do to my body :( xx

[Pepperpot]

I think it's unlikely yeah - I mean I'm not a doctor or anything but I am assuming you've had blood tests etc if you suffer from health anxiety, and they would pick up. I know how you feel - I smoked 30 a day til about a year n a bit ago, and don't get me started on how much I drink (I am not so bad now as I used to be but I had years and years of drinking every night). And my diet is a joke - healthy eating tomorrow!
I stopped with an ecig by the way x

[Alamie]

well i am only 23 and my doctor said based on that fact alone it's really rarely but she then turned to me and said if you were over 50 and presented with these seems i'd be worried :( that of course made me worse because young people still get bloody cancer. i had blood tests done a month before these symptoms started and they came back perfect but that was a month before and i haven't had any since so what if they have changed? arghh :( well done on quitting i really take my hat off to you for that. it is the only way to ease my anxiety a little by smoking, but then i worry i'm killing myself so not all that helpful really lol. xx

[Pepperpot]

Aw I know - they do my head in sometimes cos they assume cos you're young you are immortal from it. To me, symptoms should be checked out regardless of whatever age you are.
You've done what you can, you're waiting for tests to determine you're ok, so try and treat this as a hypothetical worry now. Have you had treatment for the health anxiety such as CBT or meds? Cos my betting is that once this has cleared up you'll find a new worry. It's never ending - I am in the same boat but I have ten years of eating/smoking/drinking on you :(

You should try the ecig - I should be on commission for the amount of times I have said that to people on here ;) x

[Traceypo]

If you're doctor suspected what you're thinking, you'd be an urgent referral hun, the fact that it's taken so long may be a good sign that your doctor doesn't think it's too urgent.
I know that doesn't help you in your situation, and that you want answers to your problem.
Give them a call and chase it up, the receptionist may be able to tell you the priority it was marked with.
Xxx

[Alamie]

i've had health anxiety as long as i can remember. still on medication been on it since i was 15 :( had loads of councelling etc but about to start cbt soon :) and yeah a couple of months back i was convinced i had lymphoma. i have still got the lumps in my neck but i seen a hamotologist and stuff.
my doctor read out the list of symptoms i had to have to be referred within two weeks. she told me they have certain criteria and can only refer if you fit a certain amount of worrying symptoms. i'm due to see her again wednesday so will find out about my appointment hopefully then. thanks so much xx

[Traceypo]

Can I also say, when I got myself in a state over oral cancer, I didn't eat, my husband made me meals and I had to force a quarter of it down through guilt that he'd prepared it for me. As soon as dentist said it was nothing I ate the biggest lunch (footloose subway). Anxiety can make us lose appetite. Xxx

[Alamie]

did you just not feel hungry at all? like i feel full as if i have actually ate :/ xx

[Traceypo]

Yes hun, felt like I couldn't manage another bite, I ate small bits out of necessity and to please my husband, but I didn't feel hungry at all, I also felt nauseous, those feelings disappeared completely after visiting dentist. I've had health anxiety for about 7 years, I've had good times and bad with it, when it's bad, and I'm totally convinced that something terrible will happen to me, I don't eat. Ring your doctors tomorrow to see what is happening with the referral, it may be it's been marked as non urgent, if a doctor suspects cancer I believe they have to follow nice guidelines which I think treatment needs to start within 8 weeks. If that's the case, the fact you haven't had the tests yet looks positive xxx