Really Worried I think I have Throat Cancer

[Dino]

Hi im sorry this is my first post with no introduction but I just need to write somewhere. The past hmm 5 to 7 weeks cant remember exactly how long I got a sore throat. Thought nothing of it, but it didn't go away. Then around 3 weeks ago I got hit a bad cold, the standard kind of thing you get this time of year. So in my ignorance thought the sore throat was part of the cold virus I came down with. The cold passed and I thought with it so would my sore throat. It did not :(

I nearly lost my voice at one point but that came back, but im very horsy when speaking, and it has been sore all these weeks (my throat) along with that It feels like I always need to clear my throat as if something is there more to the left hand side (i think) around 10 days ago bringing up flem i noticed some darker spots which may or may not have been blood.

During this time I had a holiday booked to the USA for xmas which is where I am now. But my sore throat and horsy voice has persisted. Then last night went out for a few drinks. Felt okay apart from the throat. Woke up this morning and had a really strong urge to cough. Up until now coughing has not been something I felt I needed to do. So I started coughing hard to try clear my throat and then saw in my hanky blood in with the saliva / mucus (sorry to be so graphic)

I went into panic mode. And i have some symptoms of throat cancer from what I have read by doing a google.... then tonight I forced myself to cough again as it just feels like something is lodged in my throat. And weirdly looking in the mirror I then saw blood on my tongue. My first thought was ahh that means i have a cut or something on my tongue which would explain this morning. But i was fooling myself because when I rinsed the blood away (it was not a great deal but was blood) there was no cut on my tongue so it must have come from my throat with the coughing.

I have now changed my flights to go back to the UK Sunday and am making an appointment to see my Dr I hope as soon as he can next week. Im devastated by this and terrified writing this. I have an 18 year old son who needs me ... so all the worst thoughts are going through my head.

I have had no weight loss, no real problem swallowing nothing to be seen on my skin and when I look in my mouth tonsils I do see the tonsils seem red but i dont know what Im looking for or if thats how they always look.

Sorry for the long post. Im just really shook up. 48 years of age male who quite smoking 4 years ago but i do vape. Dont know what to think but have a feeling im kidding myself when saying it will be okay.

One last point I do suffer from anxiety and am on medication for that so this is really effecting me. And im terrified of doctors , they can never get a correct BP reading as soon as they try my heart goes into over drive.
Now I have to face this .....

Thanks for listening / reading.

Dino

[Stecakes]

first of all, you need to stop using google for medical diagnostics. you're guaranteed to get scary results. gerd can cause long term sore throat, and redness. coughing up blood as a result of cancer would not be ( May or May not be blood ) it would be obvious, as an ex smoker do you not think it's more likely to be tar you coughed up?
if you're worried ask your gp for an ent referral

[Dino]

first of all, you need to stop using google for medical diagnostics. you're guaranteed to get scary results. gerd can cause long term sore throat, and redness. coughing up blood as a result of cancer would not be ( May or May not be blood ) it would be obvious, as an ex smoker do you not think it's more likely to be tar you coughed up?
if you're worried ask your gp for an ent referral

Thank you for your reply Im sure its not tar as I have not smoked in 3 or more years. What I saw this morning and tonight was blood ... im sure of it. I even checekd if it was food coloring from the night before but ate nothing similar to red e.g ketchup. But again thank you for taking the time to reply ... im just so worried and currently sat in America :( dont know what to think.

You are right about googling medical stuff it gave me nothing but the worst out comes. But blood is blood :(

[Stecakes]

it doesn't have to be red to give the appearance of blood, especially when you add anxiety to the mix. tea and chocolate could look frightening. even if it is blood, you'd expect teaspoons full as opposed to trace amounts if it was something sinister

[Dino]

coughing up blood as a result of cancer would not be ( May or May not be blood ) it would be obvious,

thanks again for taking the time to reply. Can you explain if you have time what you mean by the above ? do you mean it would be allot more blood ?

this morning was probably less than a half a tea spoon full but looked more as it was in a paper hanky. Tonight it was like a streak of blood on my tongue.
Blood only came after coughing quite hard. I know no one can give diagnostics here but just typing on it kind of helps.

thanks again

---------- Post added at 01:33 ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 ----------

it doesn't have to be red to give the appearance of blood, especially when you add anxiety to the mix. tea and chocolate could look frightening. even if it is blood, you'd expect teaspoons full as opposed to trace amounts if it was something sinister

Correct my anxiety is quite high at the best of times. I take propranalol for this. But cant think why that would cause bad throat and the blood

[Stecakes]

let me clarify,I meant anxiety can make you see blood when it's in fact not blood.
however, you seem sure so...
about the amount. yes I'd expect more than a streak, that could easily be caused by harsh coughing or even an infection
I'm not a medical professional by any stretch,
but just looking at this logically, one mild symptom doesn't point to something as aggressive as throat cancer

[Fishmanpa]

I'm an oral cancer survivor. The only way to definitively know is to see an ENT experienced in oral cancers. The golden rule is it you have a node, lesion or area that doesn't resolve in a few weeks, see your doctor.

Typically, at least from my experience, OC won't present in the manner you state. Remember, cancer is an uncontrolled growth in abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

I'm sure this is something more benign. Let us know how you get on.

Positive thoughts

[Dino]

Well I went to A&E ... here in the USA. As its private they do all the tests really quick within a few hours. Its going to cost me a fortune or my insurance at least but its Not cancer! I have strep throat and some bronchitis which they think caused the blood to come up with harsh coughing.

They were more worried about a blood clot.... so checked for that with a CAT SCAN. I have taken a number of long haul flights recently which is why the worry. It came clear thank god. Only down side I do have emphasimer on the left lung caused by my years of smoking ... I stopped 4 years ago. They said its not got worse but if I smoke ever again it will continue to get worse and would kill me within a few years. To be sure I am knocking the vaping on the head from today!


Over all of course im so relieved. And hope some that are worrying as I have done can take heart from some of the above. My mistake was reading the Google links but at least it got me to see a DR. All credit to the hospital they were really on the ball and quick. Picking up my notes tomorrow to give to my UK Dr and have antibiotics ... but its a wake up call for sure to take care of the "body" more ....


Thanks to those who responded here ... just hearing someone else being reasonable helped calm me. Wish you all the best with what ever battles you all face.

Dino