Tried so hard but still have lung cancer worries

[katesa]

Hi everyone,

Quick recap - 29 year old woman who beat HA once but now probably needs sectioning.

Skippy gave me some great advice last week but despite that, I am still haunted by the fear of lung cancer.

I have quit smoking (again, and this time it's final) but my fear hasn't stopped.

Friday morning I went to my doctors about having to constantly clear my throat - she took a look and diagnosed Post Nasal drip and gave me a spray. She also listened to my chest and declared it sounded clear.

So I skipped home happy with that. But then that afternoon, I started getting awful pain below my breastbone, where the ribs meet. I took some antacids which didn't help and it infact got a lot worse - I couldn't breathe in or move my leg without pain and pressure. I called 111 for advice and they sent an ambulance which scared the crap out of me.

So after a long wait in A&E I saw a lovely doctor who initially wanted to do a chest x ray. He saw the look of panic in my eyes and my husband explained I suffer from anxiety. So the doctor said he would take a look at my bloods and examine me and only do the x ray if he felt it was necessary.

So my bloods came back, in his words "absolutely brilliant". My blood oxygen was at 100% (yay for quitting the cigs). He examined me and listened to my chest and said it was all clear and that he didn't need to do the x ray. He said I might have a virus or have eaten something and said I could go home. He gave me some Lansoprazole incase the pain was caused by acid.

So I went home reassured, took the pills each day.

So by today, the chest pain has gone completely. But for the last two days I have had - well, not exactly pain, but stiffness in my right shoulder, shoulder blade and arm and I am back to panicking. Yesterday it hurt more whenever I breathed in. Today it isn't as bad, more just stiff so it has improved. I do think I've had this before and just haven't noticed so much. I tend to lay on my side to breastfeed my 6 month old (very heavy!) baby with my arm underneath him and often fall asleep for a few hours doing this in this very silly position so the logical part of my brain thinks it is that.

But I'm in the grip of HA and can't seem to get out whatever I tell myself. I'm remembering things like the fact my body temperature was 37.7 in A & E (although I had just been vomiting) and another lung cancer sign is high temperature. I keep feeling so sure that I have it that I cuddle my baby and cry, thinking I wont see him grow up. My poor husband is getting really down because of me.

Nobody on here can diagnose me, but does anyone have any advice? If I had lung cancer advanced enough to be causing these symptoms, do you think it likely that I would have perfect blood oxygen levels and blood test results? And how likely do you think it that they would miss it on examination - ie, listening to chest, prodding and poking etc?

It doesn't help that I think I'm coming down with a virus (so I can look forward to more "symptoms" I'm sure) and having cig withdrawal. How my husband puts up with me I'll never know.

[katesa]

I hate to behave like a petulant brat and bump my own post but I would really love some input...

[DaisyPolly]

I think you are very young to have lung cancer, I would have thought the chances are minuscule. Both my mother, father & father-in-law had lung cancer and none of them had the symptoms you describe.

It would have been so easy for the Dr in A&E to send you for an x-ray, the fact that he didn't shows he really didn't think it necessary.

It sounds like you are getting really worked up about this and that's what's causing your symptoms.

If I was a betting person I'd be pretty confident you are a completely healthy person. Relax hun & enjoy your baby.

Big hugs

[aggiecuttler]

I would assume that the chances of you having lung cancer would be slim at your age, if your blood work was good and the drs say your lungs sound ok i am sure they are right, try not and worry enjoy your life you are young and you are looking after yourself by quitting smoking so give yourself a pat on the back well done your should be proud of yourself so take care and blessings

[cpe1978]

Ok well I am not sure what I can do to reassure you but here goes.

You mention having a baby so I am guessing you are somewhere in your early thirties. Do you know that on average there are only 25 people in the whole uk every year diagnosed with lung cancer between the age of 30-35. That means roughly a 0.0005% chance even when you discount the fact that many of those are likely to have far more predisposing factors. So you are worrying about something that statistically has a 1 in 200000 chance of happening. Of course that doesn't make it impossible but it certainly makes it something not worth investing significant time worrying about.

Not sure if that helps but that is how I often rationalise (or attempt to) my fears. Doesn't always work though as I am going through some big HA ATM.

[katesa]

Thank you so much guys. I just got some chest pain again (after eating so probably digestive) and my cold has started properly now with a cough (talk about bad timing). Reading your posts pulled me back from the edge of a panic attack. Really appreciate it, especially as you have your own issues x

[katesa]

Just to update everyone - on Friday I got myself so worked up I went to the GP and requested medication for my anxiety issues which she prescribed me. I am also starting private psychotherapy in October.

On Sunday though, the pain in my back/right shoulder hurt so badly that I went to the urgent care centre at hospital. Once again, my chest sounded clear and my blood oxygen levels were great. I said to the doctor that I was paranoid about lung cancer because of being an ex smoker and he said "It doesn't sound like this is anything to do with smoking. Maybe in 40 years, if you don't stay off the cigs, then you will need to worry". He prescribed me some anti-inflammatory drugs and cocodamol and I left feeling reassured and happy.

The pain mostly went yesterday and I kept myself busy. Then today, before I took my pills, I started getting mild discomfort in one spot in upper right back when breathing in. It wasn't every time I breathed, just now and then for the first hour after waking. I also seem kind of "tingly" down my right shoulder/arm/back.

I keep trying to remind myself that 4 doctors have now said it's muscular, that my chest sounds clear, that my blood and oxygen levels are great etc - but then I'll feel a slight twinge in the right side of my chest or back and be back at square one. I'm scared to death sometimes and others convinced it is all in my mind.

It doesn't help that I still have a bit of a left over cough from the virus I had last week. Gah I don't know anymore.

If anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it.

[Brunette]

Serious question here - if you don't believe the doctors, who are experts, why would something someone posts on here reassure you? It doesn't make sense if you think about it.

From what you've said, you are still suffering from the effects of a virus (they can hang around for weeks sometimes). Once it has gone your symptoms will most probably disappear.

[DaisyPolly]

Sounds to me like it is muscular and possibly trapping a little nerve, hence the tingling. That happened to me, got up one morning with a pain in my back and following day I had tingling in my hands (thought I had MS or something) but then it went away.

The thing is most people probably get all sorts of sensations that they probably don't even notice on a daily basis but wnen you suffer with HA you notice everything.

Be reassured by the Drs.

[katesa]

Thanks guys, you're both stars.

Brunette, while reassurance is of course always nice, my main reason for posting here is because I am really working on my anxiety. I seemed to beat it for years but since giving birth six months ago it's become worse than I have ever had it. I am trying really hard to not go on about it to my husband or anyone in real life and I find it helpful to get feedbacl from people who are as crazy (no disrespect!) as me and understand that I'm not attention seeking or a drama queen (well I may be a bit lol) but have a messed up head at the moment. A lot of people in the real world seem don't seem to realise that, as crazy as it sounds, to us our self diagnosis is very real - that we genuinely believe we have whatever awful disease we are currently worried about. It's just nice to not have to hide these fears, if that makes sense?

DaisyPolly - you are probably spot on. I don't think I would have noticed half of these things if I wasn't so obsessed.