Mostu
09-10-19, 12:23
It's been a while. About 5 months ago I was worried sick about pancreatic cancer, yet that was excluded with an MRI and I lived my life for a few months until now. I'll try to keep it as simple as I can.
About three weeks ago I went to my doctor because I noticed that I have a chronic feeling of mucus dripping into my throat and she told me that it's probably post nasal drip and gave me medication for it, which worked.
A week later, I developed a dry cough unlike the previous one - the previous one was more of a throat clear cough because I always felt irritation in my throat, but the new one was related to chest and it kept bugging me at night. After a few days, it developed into a wet cough and since then I cough yellowish-green mucus.
About three days ago I thought that I noticed a red streak in the mucus - my anxiety went overdrive since then. Two days ago I went to my doctor and told her about my symptoms(which she attributed to a lower respiratory tract infection, said that it might be bronchitis), but when I mentioned the blood streak she didn't seem concerned and told me that it might happen because when you cough hard you can break the tiny blood vessels and cause a little bleeding. She told me to come back if it happens more and denied my chest x-ray request.
Yesterday morning was the same as always - wake up, deep cough, spit out phlegm(which didn't have traces of blood), but about an hour later when I went to cough(since the red streak incident I tend to go and forcefully cough to see if I expel any blood) and I coughed out a yellow-red tinged fluid with red dots in it. I tried to keep calm, but in the evening it happened again after coughing hard.
Today morning I coughed out normal phlegm like always, but an hour later I felt a really annoying itch in my throat, went to cough and again - blood tinged fluid( I think it was saliva or mucus from the throat mixed with blood and red dots which resemble some kind of throat tissue, i don't know). Instantly went to my doctor, she wasn't concerned and told me that it's probably throat damage due to excessive coughing and that causes the bleeding. She might be right because my throat is sore in the place that I had the itch at. She told me to visit her if it happens again, and then she'll give me the chest x-ray referral, but even if it's cancer it won't show on the x-ray because if I had a big tumour(which can be seen on x-ray) I would bleed bigger amounts, and if I have a small tumour, an x-ray won't pick it up.
Here are some happy points that I came up with:
I'm a 24 year old male. According to the statistics (http://www-dep.iarc.fr/WHOdb/Table4n.asp?country=4230&period=2016&period=2015&period=2014&period=2013&period=2012&period=2011&period=2010&period=2009&period=2008&period=2007&period=2006&period=2005&sex=1&window=1&stat=1&submit=Execute), between 2005 and 2016, out of 196000 deaths from lung cancer in my country, only 9 of them were in the 20-24 years old age group, which makes it rather unlikely. Considering that 80% of cases are related to smoking(I don't smoke), it theoretically reduces the amount of fatalities from 9 to ~2 in my age group over 12 years. I don't have a family history of any cancer too.
The phlegm that I spit out comes from my lungs but is never tinged with blood - if I had a bleeding tumor, the phlegm would have streaks in it or it would be a little blood tinged perhaps?
The only times when I see the blood are when I forcefully cough - bleeding from throat irritation is more likely than lung cancer in my case.
Here are some sad points that I came up with:
While it's reassuring that the blood only shows when I cough hard and it points to throat damage, I can't reproduce it, like if I go 10 minutes later and cough as hard as I can, I don't bleed.
All of the above are just guesses, which aren't supported by any medical examinations. I just have to take my doctors word that I'm okay.
Sorry for the long post but I'm really anxious.
About three weeks ago I went to my doctor because I noticed that I have a chronic feeling of mucus dripping into my throat and she told me that it's probably post nasal drip and gave me medication for it, which worked.
A week later, I developed a dry cough unlike the previous one - the previous one was more of a throat clear cough because I always felt irritation in my throat, but the new one was related to chest and it kept bugging me at night. After a few days, it developed into a wet cough and since then I cough yellowish-green mucus.
About three days ago I thought that I noticed a red streak in the mucus - my anxiety went overdrive since then. Two days ago I went to my doctor and told her about my symptoms(which she attributed to a lower respiratory tract infection, said that it might be bronchitis), but when I mentioned the blood streak she didn't seem concerned and told me that it might happen because when you cough hard you can break the tiny blood vessels and cause a little bleeding. She told me to come back if it happens more and denied my chest x-ray request.
Yesterday morning was the same as always - wake up, deep cough, spit out phlegm(which didn't have traces of blood), but about an hour later when I went to cough(since the red streak incident I tend to go and forcefully cough to see if I expel any blood) and I coughed out a yellow-red tinged fluid with red dots in it. I tried to keep calm, but in the evening it happened again after coughing hard.
Today morning I coughed out normal phlegm like always, but an hour later I felt a really annoying itch in my throat, went to cough and again - blood tinged fluid( I think it was saliva or mucus from the throat mixed with blood and red dots which resemble some kind of throat tissue, i don't know). Instantly went to my doctor, she wasn't concerned and told me that it's probably throat damage due to excessive coughing and that causes the bleeding. She might be right because my throat is sore in the place that I had the itch at. She told me to visit her if it happens again, and then she'll give me the chest x-ray referral, but even if it's cancer it won't show on the x-ray because if I had a big tumour(which can be seen on x-ray) I would bleed bigger amounts, and if I have a small tumour, an x-ray won't pick it up.
Here are some happy points that I came up with:
I'm a 24 year old male. According to the statistics (http://www-dep.iarc.fr/WHOdb/Table4n.asp?country=4230&period=2016&period=2015&period=2014&period=2013&period=2012&period=2011&period=2010&period=2009&period=2008&period=2007&period=2006&period=2005&sex=1&window=1&stat=1&submit=Execute), between 2005 and 2016, out of 196000 deaths from lung cancer in my country, only 9 of them were in the 20-24 years old age group, which makes it rather unlikely. Considering that 80% of cases are related to smoking(I don't smoke), it theoretically reduces the amount of fatalities from 9 to ~2 in my age group over 12 years. I don't have a family history of any cancer too.
The phlegm that I spit out comes from my lungs but is never tinged with blood - if I had a bleeding tumor, the phlegm would have streaks in it or it would be a little blood tinged perhaps?
The only times when I see the blood are when I forcefully cough - bleeding from throat irritation is more likely than lung cancer in my case.
Here are some sad points that I came up with:
While it's reassuring that the blood only shows when I cough hard and it points to throat damage, I can't reproduce it, like if I go 10 minutes later and cough as hard as I can, I don't bleed.
All of the above are just guesses, which aren't supported by any medical examinations. I just have to take my doctors word that I'm okay.
Sorry for the long post but I'm really anxious.