Feeling desperate- pancreatic cancer

[jojo2316]

My health anxiety has reached ridiculous levels and I don’t know where to turn. Recently I have been plagued by strange there-not-there abdominal pains, which move about. I also have all-over-the-place bowel habits and yellowish stools. I’m petrified of pancreatic cancer, but I’m SO entrenched in a health anxiety disorder I don’t know where to turn for help. My GP - who is familiar with me! - would not give pancreatic cancer a second thought. I could pay for a private CT scan - bypassing the GP - but I have had SO many tests and scans recently (for multiple perceived cancers) that I feel like my head might explode.

Feeling defeated. (Im 41 and female btw)

[WiseMonkey]

Hi,

Yellowish stools can be produced by stools that exit very quickly through the digestive system as in IBS or anxiety. Also if your urine is a usual colour, clear, yellow or greenish this is normal too.

There is a specific blood test that measures pancreatic function, so this may be helpful. My Dr told me that PC is rare and that she's never seen a case in 25 years of practice.

Your Dr would know at a glance if you had PC, which you haven't. Trust him/her.

[jojo2316]

Thank you SO much for replying. It really helps. I know it is unlikely- but I find it so hard to be rational - because it’s POSSIBLE!
Although I’m having CBT at the moment I feel as if my HA is quite out of control

[pulisa]

Yes it is possible. It's also possible that you won't survive the day but we are all in this position. No-one in the world can be absolutely certain that they will survive the day.
If your GP isn't giving PC a second thought then I would strongly advise against you chasing a PC diagnosis and exposing yourself to unnecessary radiation. Use the money to prolong your therapy instead?

[jojo2316]

Yes it is possible. It's also possible that you won't survive the day but we are all in this position. No-one in the world can be absolutely certain that they will survive the day.
If your GP isn't giving PC a second thought then I would strongly advise against you chasing a PC diagnosis and exposing yourself to unnecessary radiation. Use the money to prolong your therapy instead?

That is a really good idea (although actually my therapy is NHS ). I do have a tendency to rush to get whatever test I think I need because I am so desperate to escape the acute anxiety. But my lovely therapist has advised I allow myself to “sit with” my anxiety and not act on it immediately. When I have done this in the past it has worked. But this pancreatic scare feels SO REAL (as they all do at the time, I suppose)

Thank you so much for replying xx

[pulisa]

Do you find reading threads on here makes your HA worse, jojo?

It's not easy to resist the urge to buy private tests to give yourself reassurance but I'm amazed that you can just bypass the GP and get a private CT scan without a GP referral? This really doesn't help anyone with HA get a rational grip on their condition

[Carys]

Yellowish stools can be produced by stools that exit very quickly through the digestive system as in IBS or anxiety.

Yep, 100 percent ! Exactly what I was going to say.

Pulisa has given some great thoughts here, so I dont really want to repeat much. I agree with all she's said though and often want to say to people 'but anything is possible for anyone'....

[jojo2316]

Do you find reading threads on here makes your HA worse, jojo?

It's not easy to resist the urge to buy private tests to give yourself reassurance but I'm amazed that you can just bypass the GP and get a private CT scan without a GP referral? This really doesn't help anyone with HA get a rational grip on their condition

I find coming on here helps enormously actually. I have tried to avoid starting my own threads recently and instead joining other discussions, but I find the support and the shared experience so sooo valuable (I know that is a contentious view point but I’m sticking with it!!)

Re the CT scans. I know. You can get them without a referral in London. I do think it is a dodgy area as the only people who are going without referrals are the people who probably shouldn’t be having the scans. Also you get a radiologist report - which might say something scary - and you have no dr to discuss it with. It probably shouldn’t be allowed. But it’s a money making business

[pulisa]

Blimey. They take your cash and leave you in the lurch. That's a very dodgy business and obviously aimed at cashing in from the "worried well".
I'd only have a test based on actual clinical need. I make that a rule for myself. I don't want unnecessary radiation from CT scans. I would ask for an amylase blood test if I were really concerned about my pancreas - if my GP agreed -and if it was normal I would be satisfied and leave it. If the level was abnormal I would trust my GP to make the best decision re further investigations.

I do have HA (I am a carer for my daughter-she relies on me 100%. I know this is bad) but I have to try to keep to my "rules")

[jojo2316]

Blimey. They take your cash and leave you in the lurch. That's a very dodgy business and obviously aimed at cashing in from the "worried well".
I'd only have a test based on actual clinical need. I make that a rule for myself. I don't want unnecessary radiation from CT scans. I would ask for an amylase blood test if I were really concerned about my pancreas - if my GP agreed -and if it was normal I would be satisfied and leave it. If the level was abnormal I would trust my GP to make the best decision re further investigations.

I do have HA (I am a carer for my daughter-she relies on me 100%. I know this is bad) but I have to try to keep to my "rules")

I’m sorry to hear about your daughter Pulisa. Is she home full time? Do you have HA regarding yourself or your daughter? (Mine is totally wrapped up in motherhood- the desire to stay alive for those that need me)
Well done on sticking to your rules. Do you mind if I ask what they are?

---------- Post added at 10:36 ---------- Previous post was at 10:34 ----------

Oh I think you say what your rules are. Clinical need. In the fog of HA I find it so difficult to work out what clinical need is!

---------- Post added at 10:40 ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 ----------

Yep, 100 percent ! Exactly what I was going to say.

Pulisa has given some great thoughts here, so I dont really want to repeat much. I agree with all she's said though and often want to say to people 'but anything is possible for anyone'....

Thank you so much Carys. I feel my anxiety subsiding a bit and it is thanks to you guys. I really appreciate it. My family get so fed up with my endless parade of cancers and so I TRY not to bother them with my “latest”. (High failure rate in that department!!)

I do think I am itching though. Jaundice? Or hyper awareness?? Aaaaa! I HATE this!!!
Thank you so much again for taking the time to reply