Hi Nick,

it's sounds like a whirlwind alright! I was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and although it is a different type, I had a similar very rapid diagnosis that took me by surprise. I had been ill for a while with anemia and my GP and some specialists couldn't figure out what was going on. Iron deficiency was ruled out after 4 months of trying and so many blood tests! Stool samples, endoscopy and colonoscopy and everything was showing as ok. Finally my gastroenterologist suggested I see a different haematologist (I was kind of seeing both specialists at the same time at one point). Anyway she suggested seeing a doctor at the same clinic she was based at as they could descuss my case easier, so I went to see this new doctor and she examined me, we talked about my symptoms, which was a long list as my anemia was really bad at this point, and she found swellings in my armpit and neck, straight away she wanted a biopsy doing and tried to get it done the same day, but I had it done the day after. The biopsy doctor did the procedure and said straight away I should have a PET scan and not wait for the biopsy results, they suspected lymphoma. so the very next day I had a PET scan. The day after that, my doctor messaged me on WhatsApp (covid-19 and all that) and said I had lymphoma and needed to start treatment The following week, they just wanted to wait for the biopsy results to know the full sub-type. So within 3 days of seeing this doctor, I was diagnosed and booked in for treatment. While waiting for the full results I also had a bone marrow biopsy and found out it was in there and was classed as stage 4, so lots of sh*tty news to take in, in such a short space of time. But I have now completed my first cycle, of what should be 6 in total. 
it's a lot to process and I hope, for you, you that you have a good support network of family/friends etc as hopefully it can help take some of the pressure and stress off your shoulders- just to have someone you know to talk it through really helps I find. 
I should say that I don't think my diagnosis, from anemia symptoms to cancer reveal is probably very normal. I am living abroad in Brazil at the moment, my husband works for the UK government out here and I used private doctors and hospital. I think in the NHS it would have been managed differently, maybe I would have got to diagnosis earlier in the UK, maybe not... but I think my care now at the hospital / oncology centre is good and I have no fears they are doing the best, but I'm just not sure if it was the quickest road to discovery... 

anyway, all that rambling helped me get a bit of my stresses out and I hope it helps you feel that you are not alone in the whirlwind of cancer diagnosis. I hope your treatment runs as smoothly as it can and that recovery goes well.

becci

Congratulations on getting everything checked and diagnosed so quickly and, obviously, early enough to do something about it. My dad was diagnosed too late for them to offer anything other than a stent to hold his oesophagus open so he could eat and drink.  Good luck with your treatment and recovery.

xxx

Thank you for replying. So sorry to hear about your Dad. hopefully I've given myself a chance of some sort of recovery  Nick xx