Hi,
Not entirely sure where to start.. I guess the beginning would make sense :laugh:
So in April 2022 I noticed a small lump in the right side of my neck but didn't really think much of it, I'd been feeling really run down and fatigued and just put it down to that. In July 2022 I went to my GP about it as the lump was still there, I felt really fatigued, like I had a lump in my throat when I swallowed, my voice was really hoarse and had been for a while and just felt something wasn't right. She expressed that it could be to do with my thyroid and sent me for blood tests. A week later I hadn't heard anything so I called the GP and they said they came back normal so I booked another GP appointment with a different doctor as I still felt things weren't right, he agreed that it didn't sound right and referred me for an ENT appointment.
3 weeks later and I had my ENT appointment, the specialist only asked me 2 questions (If I was still experiencing the same symptoms and if I smoke) he then proceeded to do an ultrasound, spoke to his colleague in a different language, then ushered me out of the room saying it was fine and would go away on its own.
Fast forward to January 2023, still with the same symptoms but with a much larger lump on the right and a slightly smaller lump on the left. I booked another GP appointment and he agreed there was another lump and the original one had got much bigger, he seemed concerned and referred me for another ENT appointment.
April 2023 I returned to the GP getting increasingly concerned about my symptoms as they are getting worse and breathing when lying down and swallowing food was getting increasingly more difficult, he sent a letter to the ENT specialist asking to rush my appointment through however this did not happen and also asking them to do more investigation such as a camera down my throat.
Now I'm less than a week away from my appointment (24th May) and I'm terrified. All this has had such a big effect on my mental health that I'm currently signed off work and it's all I can think about, I feel so poorly all the time and it's so draining that I've been left to feel like this for over a year with no explanations as to why..
What kind of things should I ask at my appointment next week? As I know I need to be more assertive to find out what is wrong with me.. Can anyone give any advice on how to navigate this whole situation and how to keep my mind off things in the mean time?
Sorry for the super long post!:laugh:
