Pancreatic cancer

[rathmannm]

Hi,

I'm a 43 year old male and seemed to have developed some sort of health anxiety that has taken hold of me completely. I all started with a dull pain on the right hand side of my upper abdomen. I wasn't too worried at first but then started to get back pain in my middle back. I went to hospital and made the mistake of looking at the notes from the doctor he asked me to pass on as I went to see another department - it did mention pancreatic cancer and since then I have convinced myself this is what I have. My back pain went about a month ago for 4 weeks but has come back since and I am beside myself. I never get back pain so it is very uncommon for me and it is predominately on the left hand side. I had two regular blood tests that were clear, a gastroscopy and an ultrasound none of which showed anything. This should have calmed me down but given the pain is still there and there isn't an easy explanation I am more worried than ever. I am hoping with writing this it might help me a little and I am also looking at the other tips in this forum!

Thanks,
Tim

[NancyW]

I had two regular blood tests that were clear, a gastroscopy and an ultrasound none of which showed anything. This should have calmed me down but given the pain is still there and there isn't an easy explanation I am more worried than ever.
Tim

Truth is Tim, often once drs clear you of the most serious reasons they usually sent you off... with what it's NOT, but not what it IS.

That leaves our HA mind wide open.

I highly doubt that they missed pancreatic cancer that is advanced enough to cause you a backache with the tests you had.

Think about that for a minute. How big would a tumor have to be to push on your spine?

[rathmannm]

Thanks for replying Nancy. I can see your logic but I can't seem to put my mind at rest with seemingly logical arguments. The pain seemed to have gone worse during the day and it's right in the middle of my back and shoulders. Painkillers don't seem to touch it but hopefully I'll get some sleep and see how I get on tomorrow...

[Fishmanpa]

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

Positive thoughts

[Hypomania]

Hey man,

You should search my posts on this topic. I was convinced I had this last year as well, for similar reasons. Needless to say, I'd be dead by now if I actually had PC

[WiseMonkey]

My back pain went about a month ago for 4 weeks but has come back. I had two regular blood tests that were clear, a gastroscopy and an ultrasound none of which showed anything.

Thanks,
Tim

Hi, I'm 62 and have had stomach issues on and off for years and anxiety does make it worse. I have stomach issues at present and also recently had an ultrasound which was clear and a gastroscopy 20 months ago.
I'm amazed at the accuracy of the latest ultrasounds, when you read the breakdown of what is recorded it goes into measurements of millimetres, so it's highly unlikely that anything cancerous would be missed (that was causing symptoms as NancyW said). Sometimes if I'm feeling stressed about it, I get the u/s report out and re-read it.

A lot of the stomach discomfort is caused by digestive issues, stomach acid (too much or too little) and gas. Mine is much better after I've eaten and also when I go to bed and rest. These stomach issues can stick around for a few months then disappear for a year or more!! Antacids can help and also slippery elm powder in hot water. I get discomfort under my ribs on the right, middle and left and this is where the large intestine wraps around the border of the abdominal cavity from the right side of the body, across the top of the abdomen and finally down the left side. So lots happening in this area.

Something that can cause pain in the back between the shoulder blades is esophageal spasms, which can be caused by digestive issues, autoimmune issues and anxiety. They can be very painful and can come and go also.

[BadCompany]

I'm going through the same thing.....really scared

[WiseMonkey]

I'm going through the same thing.....really scared

Once you have had a reassuring ultrasound, you have to accept that everything is fine.

[gailveronica]

I went through this 2 years ago. Woke up night after night with intense left-sided abdominal pain that left me winded. I couldn't catch my breath. I had to lay in hot bath water in the middle of the night to ease the pain. First I thought it was my heart but that was cleared. My doctor took one look at me and my completely clear bloodwork and said... "you have heartburn." A week of omeprazole later, I didn't have one of those episodes again. It was that simple. Of course, to my anxiety-riddled mind, pancreatic cancer was the only thing that it could be... but, it wasn't.

[Neverending_story]

Hi,

I'm a 43 year old male and seemed to have developed some sort of health anxiety that has taken hold of me completely. I all started with a dull pain on the right hand side of my upper abdomen. I wasn't too worried at first but then started to get back pain in my middle back. I went to hospital and made the mistake of looking at the notes from the doctor he asked me to pass on as I went to see another department - it did mention pancreatic cancer and since then I have convinced myself this is what I have. My back pain went about a month ago for 4 weeks but has come back since and I am beside myself. I never get back pain so it is very uncommon for me and it is predominately on the left hand side. I had two regular blood tests that were clear, a gastroscopy and an ultrasound none of which showed anything. This should have calmed me down but given the pain is still there and there isn't an easy explanation I am more worried than ever. I am hoping with writing this it might help me a little and I am also looking at the other tips in this forum!

Thanks,
Tim

Hi there

A family member of mine has passed sadly from Pancreatic cancer Stage V - it took from diagnosis to death 6 weeks!
An ultrasound picked up the mass with stage V liver mets! Jaundice and weight loss were one of the few symptoms they had.....

You have had all the tests which are thankfully normal!
Please get on with your life