View Full Version : I think I might have lung cancer
For the past few days I have felt a slight heaviness in my chest right behind my breastbone. It gets worse when I lie down and can make it hard to get a really deep breath. Sometimes the tightness will radiate out to either side of my chest. I've been trying to stay calm and not let this develop into yet another cancer worry, but now I'm feeling a slight scratchiness in my throat and I've coughed a few times today. I feel like if this develops into a cough it's all over....it has to be lung cancer.
I'm a 27 year old woman who eats a healthy diet, exercises daily and has never smoked a day in my life. I want to believe I'm safe from cancer for now, but what scares me is that everyone I can think of who has had cancer (and there's a lot) NONE of them have been smokers or people living a blatantly unhealthy lifestyle. None of them were really even that old. Seems like if cancer wants to take me, it will take me no matter what I try to do to avoid it.
Please please talk some sense into me.
I'm a 27 year old woman who eats a healthy diet, exercises daily and has never smoked a day in my life.
That says it all.
Positive thoughts
paranoid-viking
13-05-18, 21:13
For the past few days I have felt a slight heaviness in my chest right behind my breastbone. It gets worse when I lie down and can make it hard to get a really deep breath. Sometimes the tightness will radiate out to either side of my chest. I've been trying to stay calm and not let this develop into yet another cancer worry, but now I'm feeling a slight scratchiness in my throat and I've coughed a few times today. I feel like if this develops into a cough it's all over....it has to be lung cancer.
I'm a 27 year old woman who eats a healthy diet, exercises daily and has never smoked a day in my life. I want to believe I'm safe from cancer for now, but what scares me is that everyone I can think of who has had cancer (and there's a lot) NONE of them have been smokers or people living a blatantly unhealthy lifestyle. None of them were really even that old. Seems like if cancer wants to take me, it will take me no matter what I try to do to avoid it.
Please please talk some sense into me.
Common at this time of year. As in pollen allergy.
Does this sound like a pollen allergy? I'm not sneezing, my eyes aren't watery...it just doesn't feel like what I'd imagine an allergy would feel like. I've never been allergic to anything that I know of.
OK, you did ask for sense to be talked, those were your words....:winks:
Soooooo...
On 31/1/ you were convinced you had bone cancer.
On 25/4 you were convinced you had pancreatic cancer. (some replies on your thread not seen ?)
On 13/5 you think you have lung cancer.
So I surmise you didn't have either of the first two cancers, and won't have the third one either.
I feel like if this develops into a cough it's all over....it has to be lung cancer.Please tell me why this is the most likely outcome from the symptoms you are describing? why cancer ? There are 101, or even 1001 benign or very temporary conditions that could cause these symptoms ?
To be honest I'm not sure I'm out of the woods for bone cancer either...I still feel slight pains and twinges here and there. The other day it was in my hip. I haven't gone to the doctor about any of my symptoms. I just can't hear a doctor say the words, "You have 6 months to live." That is a fear I just cannot face.
I
Shadowhawk
13-05-18, 23:34
Honestly, aside from simple anxiety, it might be worth reading about costocondritis, which is a harmless inflammation around the sternum (and among other things, can be caused by stress, especially when you are prone to chest tightness from anxiety..)
That sounds reassuring, Shadowhawk. I'm just gonna tell myself it's costochronditis!
To be honest I'm not sure I'm out of the woods for bone cancer either...I still feel slight pains and twinges here and there.
'slight twinges here and there' - seriously - and that is bone cancer ?
I ask the question again -
Please tell me why this is the most likely outcome from the symptoms you are describing? why cancer ? There are 101, or even 1001 benign or very temporary conditions that could cause these symptoms ?
I know it's stupid. My mind just jumps to cancer everytime I feel ANYthing. Which is why I spend si much time on this board. I know there's lots of other non serious things that can cause the same symptoms. I just feel like with my luck...it'll be cancer.
I know it's stupid. My mind just jumps to cancer everytime I feel ANYthing. Which is why I spend si much time on this board. I know there's lots of other non serious things that can cause the same symptoms. I just feel like with my luck...it'll be cancer.
Your luck? All the cancers you thought you had turned out to be nothing. Your luck seems just fine to me.
Ok, I am really trying to stay calm but the pressure on my chest is getting worse and making it harder to get a deep breath. I can envision the tumor growing and pushing into my windpipe, making it harder and harder to breathe. I want this to be allergies so bad but I've never had this happen before and I don't have any of the typical allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, etc.
Of course I had to go and find this story online about a young man exactly my age (27) who went to the doctor for chest pain and turned out to have a rare form of lung cancer that had already metastasized to his bones....
I can envision the tumor growing and pushing into my windpipe, making it harder and harder to breathe.
That line alone proves the negative worst case scenario is in your mind.
Positive thoughts
utrocket09
15-05-18, 01:19
Ok, I am really trying to stay calm but the pressure on my chest is getting worse and making it harder to get a deep breath. I can envision the tumor growing and pushing into my windpipe, making it harder and harder to breathe. I want this to be allergies so bad but I've never had this happen before and I don't have any of the typical allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, etc.
Of course I had to go and find this story online about a young man exactly my age (27) who went to the doctor for chest pain and turned out to have a rare form of lung cancer that had already metastasized to his bones....
You don't have to sneeze, or have watery eyes to allergies. I have allergies and don't have any typical symptoms.
Ok last night I was starting to feel more calm about the whole thing. But this morning...ugh, I'm panicking again. Every morning I wake up hoping this nightmare is finally over but no. The chest tightness is still there. I can feel some soreness in my upper back and sides too. This is day 5...I feel like it will never end! My morning workouts have been completely wiping me out too the last couple days. I feel like my body is weakening from the cancer.
I know you are probably thinking, if you're that scared just go to the doctor! But as I've said, I am deathly afraid of facing a doctors diagnosis. I'm not ready to take that step. I need to be able to hold on to a sliver of hope that this might not be lung cancer.
So what can anyone here say that would help? :shrug:
Positive thoughts
I want someone to tell me that these symptoms don't sound anything like lung cancer.
I want someone to tell me that these symptoms don't sound anything like lung cancer.
They don't sound anything like lung cancer. There ya go! :D
Positive thoughts
Do you mean that or you're just saying it?
Did you have bone cancer? Have you actually had any of the serious illnesses you feared you had? There's your answer. Ohhhh... and the fact you're posting in a HA forum.
FMP
ThroatGoat
15-05-18, 15:12
Ok last night I was starting to feel more calm about the whole thing. But this morning...ugh, I'm panicking again. Every morning I wake up hoping this nightmare is finally over but no. The chest tightness is still there. I can feel some soreness in my upper back and sides too. This is day 5...I feel like it will never end! My morning workouts have been completely wiping me out too the last couple days. I feel like my body is weakening from the cancer.
I know you are probably thinking, if you're that scared just go to the doctor! But as I've said, I am deathly afraid of facing a doctors diagnosis. I'm not ready to take that step. I need to be able to hold on to a sliver of hope that this might not be lung cancer.
This is day 5...I feel like it will never end!
5 days? I've been suffering with whatever's wrong with me for 6-7 weeks. 5 days and you think you're terminal? Just wondering/trying to figure out where you're coming from.
Have you had brown phlegm like me? Or even blood in your spit/phlegm? If not, it's probably just your anxiety.
(I'm not a doctor of giving you medical advice).
You seem to have put yourself in a worse case scenario for dealing with it too.
You've convinced yourself you have cancer, but aren't willing to go see a doctor who will more than likely tell you that you haven't?
Go to the doctor!
Maybe get a chest X-ray, they're pretty much harmless despite the fear mongering in the media, and get your life back on track! :yesyes:
Heck even the ER can do chest Xrays, just drop in and tell them you feel like you can't breath, and that'll be one of the first things they will suggest. They'll probably do an ECG too so you can find out that there's nothing wrong with your heart. :D
Eerrrrrr, small point of order...
My morning workouts have been completely wiping me out too the last couple days. I feel like my body is weakening from the cancer. You are doing morning workouts and yet are 5 days into a terminal diagnosis of cancer ?
The lack of logic here is amazing. Really, you are dying of lung cancer (that has come on within 5 days) and are doing workouts. Sorry but :roflmao:
I need to be able to hold on to a sliver of hope that this might not be lung cancer.Hey, I reckon you have much more than a sliver.....I reckon you have a massive wadging full sponge cake of hope. As for not seeing a doctor, well thats your choice, but if your chest is really hurting that much then you should go find out what is causing it. They aren't going to be saying LUNG CANCER, doctors actually start with all the likely benign and treatable simple things first !
utrocket09
15-05-18, 15:40
Ok last night I was starting to feel more calm about the whole thing. But this morning...ugh, I'm panicking again. Every morning I wake up hoping this nightmare is finally over but no. The chest tightness is still there. I can feel some soreness in my upper back and sides too. This is day 5...I feel like it will never end! My morning workouts have been completely wiping me out too the last couple days. I feel like my body is weakening from the cancer.
I know you are probably thinking, if you're that scared just go to the doctor! But as I've said, I am deathly afraid of facing a doctors diagnosis. I'm not ready to take that step. I need to be able to hold on to a sliver of hope that this might not be lung cancer.
If you had lung cancer you wouldnt be working out. My great uncle has lung cancer. You don't have it
Thanks everyone. That does give me some reassurance. I thought maybe I was in the early stages and that was why I could still do my workouts (though as I said...it's been getting harder.) The pain is not bad. It's mild but it's definitely there. I'm going to try to just ignore it and move on with life. Thank you!
And to move on from it you may need to talk to your dr about your HA and get some help and there is no shame in that :) ATB
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