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on the 28 day pathway for lung cancer - waiting is dreadful

CarolineB57
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hello everyone 

My name is Caroline and I'm a 66 yr old grandmother .  I retired on the 31st Dec, and on the 5th Jan I received a call from a doctor ( not my doctor - a locum) that was a bolt out of the blue.  i had been feeling fluey and a bit rough on and off since the end of November ( but so had nearly everyone else around me - so didn't think much of it - grandkids - bugs etc  ) Was okay around Christmas and then around the 1st Jan started to feel really unwell - coughing, hot etc.  I assumed it was an infection - On the 4th went to the docs and got some anitbiotics and she asked me to go for an X-ray  - which i did.  She then phoned me the same day and more or less told me I had lung cancer .... that I had a 6cm density on my lung  - and it was very unlikely that it was anything other than lung cancer and I needed to prepare myself.  I had blood tests, all normal - but of course I know that that doesn't mean anything. I have been torturing myself ever since - convinced that I have stage 4 lung cancer .... and my anxiety is through the roof.  Can't seem to stop myself from googling every 5 minutre !  I finally had a CT scan on Monday, but was told it could be another 2 weeks until I hear anything. Which means I definitely wouldn't get a diagnosis within the timeframe

 Cancer is very prevalent in my family and if anything, i expected to get breast cancer ( my mother and 3 sisters all had it )  I had a breast reduction in 2019 and they found a LCIS - a lobula carcinoma in situ - which i understand is pre-cancer - completely encapsulated .  I was then just put back on annual breast screening  - which i've been doing for over 20 years. I am up and down, all over the place emotionally - one minute - It's okay - lets just get on with it  and the next is what is going to happen... how long have I got ... how do i tell the kids....  I'm so desperate that I know how much pain this is going to cause and I have no control .... thank you for listening. 

BTW - cough is much better , and physically i feel fine ... so confusing. 

  • Offline in reply to Evertonfan

    I think all of us on here know exactly what you're going through and how you're feeling,  I bought a book called Rapid Remission and its giving me some hope and positivity,  you're not alone,  sending prayers and thoughts xx

  • Offline in reply to Evertonfan

    So sorry to read this ,yeah home is our safe place ,but it will honestly help if you try to get a small amount of fresh air honestly even a walk late at night ,I found myself out with my dog at all urs durning night and early hrs of morning , I've just had my pet scan on Thursday ,so another waiting game ,the waiting is terrible , we are all here and we will all support each other and get each other  through this , please stay positive sending love and prayers  x

  • Offline in reply to DEF

    Deborah ~ praying for as positive a result as possible for you (and everyone of course) Hopefully, you’re going to hear very soon.  So true about home being a safe space - I didn’t leave the house for 3 weeks - but of course you can end up just sitting with your own thoughts - what if’s - and usually worse case scenarios …. Hard as it is - even a little walk or a trip in a car can take you out of yourself - even for a little bit - thinking of you all x

  • Offline in reply to Rufusblue

    Where did you buy your book  please mite do a lot of us good to read this book x

  • Offline in reply to DEF

    Hi the book is called Radical Remission  by Kelly A Turner,  I just picked it up 2nd hand off ebay,  its really positive and definitely gives you hope xx

  • Offline in reply to sweets1969

    My mum has been told she has lung cancer thar has metastatised to the adrenal glands soft tissue and her brain . They've also said its treatable but we are waiting on 2nd opinion of biopsy so they can target the cancer with right  treatment but it's so hard waiting

  • Offline in reply to Mariamia

    HI Mariamia,  I'm so sorry for what you are going through - the waiting is horrendous ... absence of information usually means we fill in the gap with every worst case scenario we can think of . It does look like some potential good news though, if they are telling you it's treatable.   sending you my thoughts and hugs x

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