So worried about my mum's health it's untrue, can't cope anymore

[Toby2000]

Hey,

Well some of you may know that I'm literally so obsessed with my mum's health and I'm currently fixated on thinking that she has lung cancer.

She gave up smoking about a week ago and now has a cough, which I assume is a smokers cough because she's coughing up all nasty stuff from her chest and her nose is blocked, which is normal when her chest/sinuses are clearing out all the bad stuff.

But I can't stop thinking that this could be cancer! She went to the doctor's 2 months ago now and he listened to her chest, saying it's all fine and then I'm told that they can pick up problems really easily with a stethescope. Could anything have seriously changed in 2 months.

This cough of hers keeps changing like from getting better to getting more ad more like when she keeps on and off smoking. It'll just vary. Now she's quit it's obviously more of a cough and sometimes she even coughs at night towards 5am-6am (yes I do stay up worrying so I hear). It's chesty.

The good thing though is that she isn't wheezing, she can hold her breath easily, she hasn't coughed up any blood, her lymph nodes aren't swollen, no chest pain or anything, no shortness of breath.

But I'm seriously so irrational about this, I put a lot of stress on her checking her forehead, feeling her glands and I sometimes go into her room at night to check on her so that keeps her up and then she finds it difficult to go back to sleep. She also gets up from any time between 4:15-8:00, usually around 5:30-6:30 but this morning she got up at around 4:30. So she has a nap most days due to the combined stress of me and also being a single parent, worrying about me (she's also on anti-depressants) and loss of sleep so she has naps, sometimes unsuccessful ones because I worry that she's fatigued due to lung cancer taking up all her energy.

Like deep down I sorta know she doesn't have lung cancer but I feel like she will in the future and it's horrifying to think that.. my mind can't escape that fact that she could have some discreet form of lung cancer right now.. it's absolutely horrible and drains me completely.

I'm seeing CAMHS sometime this month about this but I feel like nothing'll change. I wanna start changing now so does anyone have any reassurance or advice on coping to give, like any strategies.

Please guys, I'm desperate.. :(

Toby

[uru]

Dunno if this helps?

http://psychcentral.com/lib/tips-on-tolerating-uncertainty/

[Toby2000]

Dunno if this helps?

http://psychcentral.com/lib/tips-on-tolerating-uncertainty/

I've read through it, thanks Uru. I do need to learn not to worry about the future.

[Danny 74]

Hi,
It's great that your mum's giving up smoking and completely normal for a cough to worsen for a few weeks after giving up. This is the bodies normal response of getting all the gunk out now she is no longer adding to it by smoking!
Try and focus on your own response to your worry rather than your mum's cough ; easier said than done I know but there's loads of good resources out there ; search the net for overcoming anxiety / worry materials!

[Masonn]

I'm the same. My mums been a smoker ever since she was young and she tans every weekend out in the sun for several hours, and has been a big tanner since she was young too. It terrifies me how she's even still alive sometimes, and I just worry it's a matter of time.

I think you answered your own question there, if her lymph nodes are fine, no chest pain and all that she's most likely fine, especially with shortness of breath which is apparently the first most noticeable symptom. If she doesn't get better, you can always just tell her you're very worried and ask her if she can get an x-ray.

My dad has been a smoker since he was young too, way heavier than my mum, with a packet a day for decades. He was wheezing like crazy for years, got an x-ray and all that and he came out clear. He still wheezes and coughs now, I'm scared for him also. Sadly both my parents still smoke. I have great-uncles who have been heavy heavy smokers since they were basically teenagers and they're in their 70s still somehow remotely healthy. Although it seems like it sometimes, smoking doesn't guarantee lung cancer.