Cancer Research UK main site

ENT appointment - I suspect cancer of throat

EDS_and_cancer
Offline

I have Elhers Danlos Sydrome, which affects my esophagus, so am only on blended liquids and have been for about 10 years.
In January 2022 I developed pharangeal swallowing issues and soreness. Today as I write this I am about to go into a ENT appointment (actually in a few hours) in which I strongly suspect I will be diagnosed with cancer of the throat as soon as they take a look.

I have soreness in a specific spot on right hand side. Can feel a scab or roughness when I swallow. Have specs of blood in my spit - more so in the morning.

My last hope, though I think it is in vain, is that my coughing has cause some damage.

I am underweight due to my other health issues, so I am doubtful that any treatment would be offered. I have also noticed some more fatigue and headaches in the past 2 or 3 months. All bad signs I think.

So, in essence, I am about to find out if I am going to die a lot sooner than imagined.

My wife will be there with me, but has just lost her father to another sort of cancer, so this will be really hard on her.

Reaching out in there for any support of experiences that may give me some strength.

 

 

  • Offline in reply to EDS_and_cancer

    OMG - amazing news - so so chuffed for you ! Made my night 

  • Offline in reply to joc0jo

    Still coughed up the usual blob of bloody green mucus this morning though. Guess the problem is not in the throat but elsewhere!

     

    Be watching this thread to see how you get on. By the way they didn't let my wife in. I had to go in on my own due to covid restrictions.

  • Offline in reply to EDS_and_cancer

    Mmmm , so did the Doctor refer you to ENT based on what you are coughing up ? Did ENT suggest anything else to look into for that symptom?

    Yes , no doubt I will be lingering here in coming weeks.  I think my main symptom is post nasal drip and now i am wondering about deviated septum , my left nostril is completely  blocked at night when I lay in bed and my OH says i have  started to snore in past 4 weeks which i never did before :confused:

  • Offline in reply to joc0jo

    I have a deviated septum. ENT's love to point that out as if its something they really want to fix. Personally I don't notice it. My wife has issues with her nasal passages getting blocked, but uses and over the counter nasal spray which seems to work well.

    I've dealt with post nasal drip before. Check your bedroom temperature and humidity over night. Also make a diary of what you eat in the evening (particularly dairy based items). I have to prop myself up with pillows at night too, for other reasons, but worth a try.

    The ENT wasn't very interested if it wasn't anything he could see. He wanted me to see him again I suspect because of the horrendous private fee I had to pay on the way out. It was 3 times what I was expecting. Can't help but think the NHS queues would be shorter if these consultants didn't spend half their time in private appointments. I was sorry to have to do it this way, but under the circumstances I had no choice.

     

  • Offline in reply to EDS_and_cancer

    Well, I think maybe I am just clutching at straws and perhaps trying to find symptoms other than Cancer.  

    All i do know is i am constantly swallowing what feels like goop! Which on research is known as post nasal drip. When I press my right nostril in,  I struggle to inhale through my left nostril but can breath out through it a little better.  Never noticed this before but how can that just happen.  I am not blocked up with catarrh and I dont have a cold.   My throat is is swollen and red on the left side.  I  bought a humidifer at the weekend and have had that running when home with woodburner and heating is on.  I dont have heating on in the bedroom , I prefer it icy cold lol with window open but i bought another smalll diffiuser/humdifier whcih I have had running by the side of my bed for the past few days .

    I dont eat in the evening as i follow a keto style diet and have for a few years.   I have ordered a saline nasal spray and will start using that in left nostril later today when i get home .  

    My ENT appt seems to be very quick as the hospital rang me yesterday but i was at work and didnt pick up but they left a voice message ,  it simply said they were booking me and a letter with my appt was in post.  So wow! hosptial calling day after my doctor reffered.  Which oddly scares me even more .. lol ..

    I had no ideas that these NHS specialists were doing private assessments too.. this seems s a little crazy and as you say,  just adds to the choas of he NHS waiting lists .. 

     

     

  • Offline in reply to joc0jo

    Well, I had my ENT today .  The lump to my soft palate needs investigation so I am told a MRI scan will be next procedure followed by a biopsy of the lump under general anaesthetic within the next 6 weeks.. A long wait ahead to knowing what I am dealing with .  Specialist said no way of giving answers untill the other investigations are complete  - I cant help but think it is cancer

  • Offline in reply to joc0jo

    Sorry to hear you're going through this, the process I'm going through is very similar and I'm just awaiting my biopsy results and going crazy with anxiety and worry. How are you doing now?

  • Offline in reply to As2607

    Hi There

    I am now prepping for cancer treatment .  My results were squamous cell carcinoma, but I think I pretty much already knew my outcome from my own investugation .  I am not sure where your biopsy was but please do not take my result as a verdict for your own - 95% of biopsy in ENT are not  cancer I have watched and seen so many in my short time here come back with positive unrelated to cancer outcomes.   I know the wait is hell but as i say i reserached heavily so the shock was in essence not so  unexpected 

    x

    Jo

  • Offline in reply to joc0jo

    Oh gosh I'm so sorry to hear that

     I also have done my own investigations on my situation and from the signs I'm getting from the consultant - I don't have a lot of hope. 6 days to wait xxx
     

     

  • Offline in reply to As2607

    Oh I am sorry ! What area do you have problems with ? 6 Days can feel like a life time .. I know

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.