Hi x Am in a similar situation myself...its very scary isn't it? I hope someone can help ease your mind on here....I too am awaiting a response to my post.

Much love to you 

Tracy 

Yes, yes and yes, to all of them.

My husband was recently diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. NOw in treatment.  He describes emotions exactly like yours and like you we have young kids.

Me= Wow, what a roller coaster of emotions.  Anger has been a big one.  I think our brains like to get us worrying about stuff and i always imagine the worst.!.

When we got the actual official diagnosis as stage 2 with no spread, my 1st thought was " phew, it could have been a lot worse"!! I mean, it is not good, but i had been worrying about it being even worse,

Since diagnosis the spagetti mush of thoughts in my head has settled down a bit.

I don't think there is any special or bests ways of switching off busy, anxious brains.  Sure there is load of stuff like relaxation, mindfullness, running, cycing etc, etc- or just go with the thought and know why it is there and do nothing with it. But you sound very normal to me.

Thanks Hilts.

My brain seems to have settled down a bit during the day - yeah what a roller coaster. 

I flip flop between 

Glad to get feedback from another dad so I'm not going mad!

My warmest wishes and luck to you both for a successful treatment for your husband.

take care

D

Hi, l went to my GP 2 weeks ago as l have had a cough for months. He thought perhaps asthma. Had an xray, 2 days later he rang, it showed a slight shadow on lung,he was surprised as l was. A weeks antibiotics haven't stopped the cough. Another x ray in a months time. I am 69, feel well, never smoked, do zumba, dance , walk. Lost my husband to lung cancer 17 months  ago. He was a smoker but not in the house. He went through chemo, radiotherapy, more radiotherapy when it went to his brain, lasted under a year from diagnosis.  I have no wish to go down that road. I am imaging the worse then anything else is a bonus.

. 

So since the tests I seem to be developing other symptoms.

I seem to be getting random pains in my shoulders and upper back. They do not worsen under breathing and they are very intermittent.

This has to be anxiety surely?

Symptoms dont change this quickly do they?

I've tried talking to my partner but she is very busy with her work (or using it as an excuse not to discuss).

Had anyone tried any of the helplines? I feel like I am barely functioning at the moment.

Thanks in advance,

D

Hope we are both clear !

Touch wood. 

My bloods came back with elevated cholestrol and the chest x ray was all clear.

Interestingly, all of the other symptoms which seemed to appear suddenly disappeared. 

I didn't post a follow up (and I probably should have done).  It felt somehow wrong to post that everything was OK when for many here, it is not.

The fingernails continued to bother me a little bit, but I had read that it can be idiopathic for a very significant number of people. I also had some intermittent shoulder discomfort as well as numb fingers during the night.

I'd spoken with GP about shoulder/numbness and she thought it was maybe health anxiety and carpal tunnel. So I managed to move myself on. 

Fast forward to early February  and I coughed up some blood on a Sunday morning (only happened 3 times and was a very small amount - pea sized).

I'd had a molar tooth extracted the previous Wednesday (i.e. 4 days prior) and also had some dried blood in my noise that morning (sorry if TMI).

That said I went through 111 and was advised to go to A& E.

Doctors there were brilliant - really really thorough. I went through ECG's, x-rays and several blood tests.

The conclusion after several hours was that it may have been caused by the tooth extraction, however, my x ray showed a slight prominence on the left hand side hilar area; and so I was referred for an outpatient CT scan.

Had the CT on the Wednesday and spoke to GP soon after who ytold me nothing to worry about, suspected infection and I'll be invited back for another CT in 3 months to make sure its cleared up.  

At end of February, I got an unexpected call from the chest clinic at the hospital saying they wanted to go over my results. Receptionist on phone couldn't tell me why so had another 2 week wait.

2 weeks went by and I spoke to chest consultant.

Turns out the CT showed I have ground glass opacities in both lungs, and two 4mm nodules.

I've to go and have a lung function test  as well as a sleep test, and then a follow up CT in 3 months to see if there is any change.

In the meantime I was told any persistent cough or shortness of breath I need to call them back.

That was beginning of March, and since then I've been a bit up and down really.

I've taken a positive step in that I've organised to talk to someone about health anxiety so I'm hopeful that will help somewhat.

On the other side of things though, I'm finding that I have discomfort in my chest on the left side, particularly when laying down on either side.

The finger numbness is still there, and I seem to have a few "new" symptoms:

1) Either my hands are getting very hot, or my arms/body are cold 

2) I have a strange feeling in my left armpit. Nothing is swollen or sore to the touch, I couldn't even describe it as discomfort - its as if your clothes are a little tight over the area. Move around and it goes away

3) My mouth often feels cold when I breathe in 

I'm thinking of phoning chest clinic tomorrow about these things, particularly the discomfort when laying down. I know the doctor said persistent cough or breathlessness, but surely she would mean any kind of symptom rather than just those 2?

Part of me is worried that it is anxiety related (and in my head) as it seems to have happened before, the other part of me if mindful of the advice to get to these things early if there is anything untoward.

Psychologically I seem to just get random flashbacks on things that happened in my life - all of them with me in a negative light - never any of the good ones.  I'll talk to the anxiety people about that but seem to be having very odd thought patterns.

Apologies this is a long post. I should have replied earlier to the original one as I realise people do want to see outcomes (ideally positive).

I'll try and keep the thread up to date with whatever happens.

I had the follow up CT at 3 - 3.5 months ish.

The ground glass is still there, so unlikely to be an infection.

However the opacities haven't grown in between the two scans so that is a positive.

Am now being line up for a PET scan in the next fortnight - see if anything lights up I guess.

They don't seem to be rushing about this (which I hope is a good sign!), 

In terms of any symptoms for myself, difficult to say:

i) No real cough to speak of, a bit of throat clearing from time to time.

ii) Left shoulder sometimes gets a twinge - strangely I often feel the need to burp shortly after - I do have a hiatal hernia so whether that is related. Interestingly the respiratory consultant thinks it more likely to get symptoms on my right as right lung is worse.

iii) No shortness of breath under normal activities.

iv) I did find some old photographs of me where I can see my fingernails - to be honest I think they may have always been that way. Not sure I mentioned but my mother died of pulmonmary fibrosis and had badly clubbed fingers - I think that's what triggered my thinking on it.

Anyway, should have an update in few weeks. In the meantime I am trying to get myself in shape, eat well and all that stuff. It's a good thing to do anyway.

Peace to all,

D

How was everything with you? 
 

lou