Scared of lung cancer

[nicole97]

I went to the doctor two weeks ago for a few things, one of which was tightness in my chest and when I cough (not actively COUGHING, just the odd cough here and there), I could taste blood. He seemed to think it was from an illness I just didn’t get a full blown version of (wasn’t sick). When I went, that has already been going on well over a week. Now it’s been 2 weeks since and that is still going on. Then, on top of that, had lunch a few days ago with my biological sister (am adopted) and she mentioned that my birth father had lung cancer before. UGH. So now I’m really scared!!!

[ankietyjoe]

There're a million reasons for coughing, and lung cancer is just one.

Do you suffer with reflux, for example?

[nicole97]

Recently yes. Kind of out of the blue for the last two weeks. My gastro gave me something to take until my next appt with her which is helping a lot with that. My main concern isn't the coughing. It's not even often. It's that when I do cough, I can taste blood. That is what is really getting to me. I'm not coughing UP blood, but I can taste it. And I'm not coughing enough to have irritated anything.

[ankietyjoe]

A very common symptom of reflux is persistent coughing, and persistent coughing and irritation of the airways can leave them raw. I've actually coughed up blood with a chest infection. Again, you're attaching benign symptoms to a worst case scenario.

The reflux alone can cause what you're describing.

[nicole97]

Hopefully you are right. I was only mildly anxious about it when I saw the doctor. I didn't hit full blown until my sister mentioned the lung cancer which is something I did not know about it. I've never had an occasion where i tasted blood like that so it alarmed me quite a bit.

[nicole97]

Well, my breathing is still tight and still worrying me. I went back to the doctor to follow up and she gave me an inhaler and some meds, seeming to think maybe it was just bacteria settled in there. She could hear wheezing all up and down one side. She said if it's not better in the next few weeks, we will do an x-ray, but of course I'm still scared that it's something worse. My mind is TRYING to be rational (sometimes) - like oh, you had asthma as a kid and then spent many years smoking (quit 5 years ago), probably asthma coming back. Or you probably have reflux and that's doing it (but that hasn't bothered me in over a week at least) or maybe it's because you've put on a few pounds (but then I've lost 7 lbs in the last 3 days!!). But then I circle right back around to - oh your biological father had lung cancer. WARNING. Ugh. It doesn't help that my adopted dad, a guy that's been my hero my whole life, was just diagnosed with esophageal cancer and there isn't much they can do to help him.

[nicole97]

Anyone?

[AMomentofClarity]

I'm assuming from your username that your 22YO?

If so, the odds of having lung cancer are practically 0.

And sorry to hear about your dad. That's a terrible situation and would absolutely trigger anyones HA.

[nicole97]

I am not, I am actually 42. '97 is when my daughter was born

[Beachlady]

Lung Cancer isn’t thinking you taste blood when you cough; it’s coughing UP blood. Which you are not.

[lofwyr]

By the time you are coughing up blood from lung cancer, it is profoundly obvious something is very, very wrong. One of my best friend recently lost her elderly father to lung cancer and there was no mistaking it for anything else when he was at that stage.

[nicole97]

I've heard that. I think that's why the 'tasting' of blood has me concerned, because I don't want it to get to the point of coughing up blood. The meds and inhaler from the doctor seem to have stopped the blood taste, but my chest is still tight, still have some wheezing. I'll probably give that another week or two and then call them back, just to get to the bottom of the wheezing.

[nicole97]

Well, I did get diagnosed with GERD, which my primary said can cause some of this. Still tasting blood though. She put in for a chest xray to see if anything is up or see if the GERD is affecting my lungs. I'll be doing that later today.

[fidgetninja]

How did your xrays turn out?