TW89
18-12-16, 03:24
Hi, newbie here, 27 yo male, offspring of a worrier and a stresshead. Social drinker and non smoker or drug user but borderline obese.
Up until September this year, everything was fine and I felt great. Then I went to New Zealand on a working holiday visa and everything changed. The transition was rough to say the least, and I experienced a lot of stress as I tried to settle down.
Since then, I began to have bouts of thirst and feelings of obstruction in my throat, but eventually they went away. Last month, in November I came back, but not before experiencing a massive (and quite traumatic) earthquake and going 67 hours without sleep on a flight from Wellington to London which lasted a total of 31 hours including stopovers.
I suffered from a hoarse voice and weird clicking for the first 48 hours after returning, but since then my symptoms (which seemed like anxiety) have come back, but with some more sinister symptoms which have now persisted for a month:
• The lump in my throat is now constant, since suffering a panic attack on 21 nov
• I can’t stop belching and always thirsty.
• I have minor pangs on the left side of my chest every couple of hours
• The lymph nodes under my jaw (both sides) have swollen. The right hand one has been swollen for 2 years to my knowledge, not sure about left but I’ve been prodding them alot in the last few days. I also know for a fact I have had a minor form of TMJ disorder for 5 years.
• Breathing deeply causes me to cough and my chest feels tight.
The good news is, I can swallow OK and it’s worse at night, which is more suggestive of globus pharyngeus. I know that you are 100x more susceptible to infections from flights, but it’s been over a month now and I feel there’s too many other symptoms for it to be something as simple as that.
Dr Google has suggested everything from LPR reflux (since I don’t have heartburn, just a flemmy/stuck food feeling) to the big C. I haven’t lost weight or had any big C signs – I feel otherwise fine, despite the fact my BMI is approaching 30, but that’s another issue which will be dealt with in the new year as I don’t need any other problems.
Earlier this year, a friend of a friend died from Esophegeal cancer, and (in my infinite wisdom) I let my curiousity get the better of me, and I looked at his Facebook feed..... harrowing doesn’t even begin to describe what he went through before he died (in April 2016), and he was only a year older than me. As such, I have been on my guard since then, having once been convinced of my invincibility.
In short, has anyone experienced the same as me? I had to get all this off chest as it’s been driving me mad. If it is the big one, how do my symptoms correlate to the stage (I, II, III, IV) of lymphatic or throat cancer? I feel guilty and stupid for not having a checkup earlier.
I think I may also have depression to boot. Despite having a masters and several years of solid work exp, I'm convinced I've made a complete mess of my life, even though I've done all the "right" things. I feel like I will never get settled into a "proper" job (I'm a freelancer in marketing) or have enough money to move out, or meet the "right girl", but have never been diagnosed with depression.
Up until September this year, everything was fine and I felt great. Then I went to New Zealand on a working holiday visa and everything changed. The transition was rough to say the least, and I experienced a lot of stress as I tried to settle down.
Since then, I began to have bouts of thirst and feelings of obstruction in my throat, but eventually they went away. Last month, in November I came back, but not before experiencing a massive (and quite traumatic) earthquake and going 67 hours without sleep on a flight from Wellington to London which lasted a total of 31 hours including stopovers.
I suffered from a hoarse voice and weird clicking for the first 48 hours after returning, but since then my symptoms (which seemed like anxiety) have come back, but with some more sinister symptoms which have now persisted for a month:
• The lump in my throat is now constant, since suffering a panic attack on 21 nov
• I can’t stop belching and always thirsty.
• I have minor pangs on the left side of my chest every couple of hours
• The lymph nodes under my jaw (both sides) have swollen. The right hand one has been swollen for 2 years to my knowledge, not sure about left but I’ve been prodding them alot in the last few days. I also know for a fact I have had a minor form of TMJ disorder for 5 years.
• Breathing deeply causes me to cough and my chest feels tight.
The good news is, I can swallow OK and it’s worse at night, which is more suggestive of globus pharyngeus. I know that you are 100x more susceptible to infections from flights, but it’s been over a month now and I feel there’s too many other symptoms for it to be something as simple as that.
Dr Google has suggested everything from LPR reflux (since I don’t have heartburn, just a flemmy/stuck food feeling) to the big C. I haven’t lost weight or had any big C signs – I feel otherwise fine, despite the fact my BMI is approaching 30, but that’s another issue which will be dealt with in the new year as I don’t need any other problems.
Earlier this year, a friend of a friend died from Esophegeal cancer, and (in my infinite wisdom) I let my curiousity get the better of me, and I looked at his Facebook feed..... harrowing doesn’t even begin to describe what he went through before he died (in April 2016), and he was only a year older than me. As such, I have been on my guard since then, having once been convinced of my invincibility.
In short, has anyone experienced the same as me? I had to get all this off chest as it’s been driving me mad. If it is the big one, how do my symptoms correlate to the stage (I, II, III, IV) of lymphatic or throat cancer? I feel guilty and stupid for not having a checkup earlier.
I think I may also have depression to boot. Despite having a masters and several years of solid work exp, I'm convinced I've made a complete mess of my life, even though I've done all the "right" things. I feel like I will never get settled into a "proper" job (I'm a freelancer in marketing) or have enough money to move out, or meet the "right girl", but have never been diagnosed with depression.