Long story short, my health anxieties went into overdrive as of March 2020, yep, right at the start of the pandemic.
Fast forward to September 2020 and I return to work and have bad bouts of indigestion to the point where I threw up my lunch on the drive home one evening. I contacted my GP who referred me to the pharmacist and she prescribed me with a month's course of Lanzoprazole. I didn't take the Lanzoprazole then and managed with Gaviscon Advance when I had bad days and was fine doing so. I did eventually start taking the Lanzoprazole but it hasn't really helped tbh.
December 2020 - My whole family comes down with Covid, I recover, a week or so later I got prescribed Amoxiclav for a nasty sinus infection (lingering inflammation from the virus apparently?). A week after my antibiotics finished (present day) and I'm having "indigestion" (constant burping, bloated feeling, hoarse throat and cough when I wake up) but more importantly, trouble swallowing (dysphagia) and am struggling to eat as I feel the food physically getting lodged in my oesophagus as it goes down. I also hear a bubbling as whatever I'm eating (not a lot)/drinking goes down. I have slight pain/pressure in the middle of my windpipe and around my clavicle area.
Naturally, I resorted to Google and the results that popped up have been terrifying. Between stomach, oesphagal and throat cancer I don't know what could possibly be wrong with me.
I've always been a skinny girl (24 and around 9 stones) and I don't think I have any spare weight to lose as I'm now afraid to eat because of the food sticking to my chest feeling. I've cut out potential trigger foods but it still hasn't eased my symptoms and I can eat so called trigger foods at other times and be fine.
I'm in the process of moving GP's as I moved houses but I don't know who to turn to or how I can get help without being fobbed off with some acid reflux medication. I suspect I have silent reflux/GERD and this has led to a stricture in my oesophagus or in the worst case scenario, some type of cancer. I called my old GP and the earliest appointment they could offer was Wednesday but I'm beside myself with worry as I know time is of the essence with identifying certain cancers, such as EC. I think I've been more anxious because I know how bad things are right now for the NHS with COVID and I'm worried I won't be referred for tests or be dismissed because of my age. I've also read that certain GI cancers mask themselves as things like indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux etc.
This is part rant/part cry for help. What should I do? Any reassuring words?
