I am a young (I still class 32 as young), married, father of 2 (both boys aged 4 & 9).
I have a hectic lifestyle as a pub/hotel manager working a light 60-90hrs a week. I wouldn't change it for anything (except maybe winning the Euromillions).
I managed to inherit a chest infection from my overworked staff in December 2015, but as a typical male I didn't think much of it and was more concerned with making sure that the business ran smoothly over our busiest months of the year.
On New Year's Day (after being hounded by my wife) I decided to visit the out of hours doctors. No sign of infection, but I also had what I thought was a pulled muscle in my chest (I put it down to racking barrels) so was told to take strong ibuprofen and if my cough didn't clear up return to my GP on the Monday!
So, not wanting to change my natural habits, Wednesday came and I was no better (yes, two days after I was told to contact my GP). I called my GP, explained the situation and she prescribed Amoxicilyn over the phone (she gave me the choice to come see her but I said a prescription would suffice).
Amoxicilyn gone, cough not! In fact, cough worse, and pain I'm chest now pain in ribs to the lower left hand side. A return to my GP was ordered (again by my wife, can you see a pattern evolving?).
Upon being checked over, my GP decides it must be Pleurisy, prescribes stronger anti-biotics and arranges a routine X-ray. She offered to sign me off work there and then, but it was Friday and I had no work until Monday, so let's see how we get on!
Monday comes, no better! But I will work anyway..... Tuesday, okay I will get my sick note.
Stuck to my sick note was a note saying to contact my community hospital for my X-ray. So while I'm in town anyway, I popped in and was seen instantly. Great I thought (am I boring you yet? Sorry I can ramble on). Well, X-ray done, front facing chest X-ray, I was told to wait in the meeting room! Two minutes later I am called back in, can we take another? (now I know something isn't right). The questions then begin, have you lost any weight? Coughed up any blood? Etc, etc...... Turn to the side so I can take a side on X-ray. I knew then what they were looking at! A phone call later that day with my GP confirmed my fear, a 16cm (yes a large grapefruit) sized mass on my left lung! Err....... Okay, what next? I am suddenly on the Urgent CT scan list - oh dear, how do I tell the wife?
Well, 7 days of puzzling over all the things it could be I had my CT scan - it is a 16cm Mass (or tumour as my consultant called it) and further tests will ensue.
This is where I am up to, my Biopsy booked tomorrow, PET CT scan on Tuesday and I'm sure a million and one other tests to follow.
MOTO OF THIS - GO AND SEE YOUR GP, REGARDLESS OF HOW PETTY YOU THINK YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE! (I hope my wife doesn't see this, it almost an admission of her being right, almost!)
