Pancreatic Cancer Fears

[CarlostomyBag]

Hi,

I have an appointment with my GP about this next week but, as a HA sufferer with a diagnosis of GAD and now also a Binge Eating Disorder, I need some kind of reassurance in the form of other peoples (hopefully) similar experiences...

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a weird, almost numb sensation beneath my left rib cage (in the bottom middle of my rib cage, not the centre of my abdomen). It's really hard to describe this sensation but it's certainly intermittent, more noticeable when I'm stood up and walking around and I don't feel it when I'm sat/laid down. Another way of describing this sensation could be crawling/creeping or feels like fabric is being rubbed over it (I know, that sounds ridiculous) or just a 'changed' sensation. There isn't any pain whatsoever, my bowel movements are normal (for me), I don't have any back pain, jaundice, fatigue or anything normally listed with Pancreatic Cancer but the location of this is driving my fears.

I had a colonoscopy two years ago which did diagnose diverticulosis but I'm not sure if this could be the culprit. I'm a side sleeper so again, could impact that area but I'm totally freaked out about it.

I know google is the worst thing we can do but I came across an article in The Mirror (yes, the health encyclopedia that is the Mirror) that suggested a strange sensation or fluttering in that area can be very early stages of PC. Now I know that early stages of PC don't normally even have symptoms but, as I suffer with HA, I notice every slight change in my body.

I just can't stop thinking I have PC and that's it, game over.

This doesn't even really read that well but I'm highly anxious at the moment so it's all just blurted out.

Has anyone had anything similar??

Thanks

[jojo2316]

Hello!
how long have you suffered with HA? (This does not sound at all like pancreatic cancer)

[CarlostomyBag]

Hi JoJo, for most of my life annoyingly. I'm 44 now and this started in my teens annoyingly. Feel like I've wasted my life on worry tbh, despite counselling/CBT and all that.

Thanks for replying BTW, appreciate it

[jojo2316]

Yeah. Me too. Im older than you- 48 - and still in the grip of it. It sucks. When is your gp appointment?

[CarlostomyBag]

It really does. It's next Friday so have another full week to worry about it. I guess the saving grace here is that I have zero other symptoms and the weird sensation only feels skindeep as opposed to deep inside my body, if you get what I mean.

The thing with HA, for me at least, is that I feel the older I get and the more things I worry about (I've had so many things wrong with me in my mind: testicular cancer, breast cancer, bowel cancer, brain tumours, liver cancer.... a definite theme) that eventually one thing will stick.

So it's even at a stage were I worry about the worrying. It's so exhausting isn't it.

I've been relatively good recently too and my HA manifests in things I actually do physically feel as opposed to reading something and then getting symptoms.

So bloody tedious isn't it.

[CarlostomyBag]

Bumping this to see if anyone has experienced anything similar?

[Scass]

Anything else going on in your life right now that is causing stress?

I would say to try not to focus on it, it’ll likely go away. You have no other symptoms like you say, so you have found something to focus on and you’ve dialled it up to catastrophe.

We all do it, I understand. But think about what else you could spend your time on instead.

[CarlostomyBag]

Thanks Scass.

Just got back from the GP, not remotely concerned about whatever it is/was that was causing the weird sensation that has since eased off anyway

[jojo2316]

Great news!

[CarlostomyBag]

Thanks Jojo, just another HA attack to add to the others