Lung cancer fear just need a rant

[Tracy44 3]

Hi all newbie here

im eating myself up with worry and know I'm being bloody stupid by leaving it

In January I had to have routine blood tests and they came back with slightly elevated platelets.  Was advised to repeat the test after 1 month. After stupidly googling it said that it was a strong predictor of cancer well that has gone down well. At the time of the blood test I had just got over flu and had a really horrible cough. Dr Google had also said it could be elevated due to a viral infection so in the end managed to convince myself it was probably that. Fast forward another month and every time I went to get a blood test I felt like I had a cold so wouldn't go as I was convinced it would come back high again. The thing I need to explain is in my head for years the thought of having a chest X-ray feels me with absolute fear as I'm sure they will find something. Ridiculous isn't it. I know that leaving things are not going to help at all.

anyway now 2 months on I have had long awaited annual leave with days out with my husband to look forward to and had planned to have the blood test as cold/cough free.

On Monday we had a lovely day out by the coast -morning fine then by the afternoon started coughing.  Next day felt really tired coughing felt rubbish chest hurts.

of course not had the blood test but of course got dr Google to help out and am absolutely churned up with fear. Cough chest discomfort-which doesn't feel like it's due to congestion or muscular and so tired has lead to Lung cancer according to dr Google 

Ironically the cough after 2 days has nearly gone and the pain/ache which is not all the time is still there. It does not hurt when I breathe in or cough I can just be sitting there and I can feel an acheand still soooo tired.

By the way I'm 44 female and a smoker so know I have bought this on myself.

Im sorry for the long rant and re-reading through it I know I sound really stupid for not going to a dr. I'm just praying it goes away but somehow I think it must be something deep down as I've never experienced this chest thing before.

 

[ZenCube 59]

Nope no lung cancer there. No night sweats, no blood streaked phlegm when you cough, no weight loss. Oh, and had you lung cancer, the coughing would not come and go. 

On the other hand quitting smoking would be a wise move.

[Tracy44 3]

Oh god I think I love you lol.

your the first person to make me feel better. I'm just going round in circles feel like I'm losing the plot. I just keep bloody googling it's driving me insane. 

I have booked in with stop smoking service and will be starting champix soon. Fingers crossed this will be the one that stops me.  Terrible how the fear of cancer hasn't got me chucking them in the bin.

thanks zencube for your reply

[Iugrad91 501]

I hope Chantix helps, I worked on the discovery of that drug when I was with Pfizer. If it doesn’t, don’t give up, try something else. Quitting smoking will do so much for your overall health!

[Tracy44 3]

Thank you Lugrad91. I've tried everything else. Fingers crossed 

[Tracy44 3]

Has anyone had this chest discomfort?  It doesn't feel like it's due to congestion and it's not muscular as not hurting with any movement. It is a strange feeling as if something is there. There's no swelling it's located near heart but to the right mainly.     I can be sitting down and it just comes on. Can last minutes or this afternoon it was a couple of hours.  

[Walking Circles 53]

Out of curiosity do you suffer from Acid Reflux? I do and when it's not properly treated I will develop a persistent cough. It's something worth looking it to and is easy to treat. Either way I seriously doubt you have lung cancer, your symptoms just don't sound right.

[Tracy44 3]

Thank you walking circles for your reply. I don't suffer from reflux. I have very rarely had heartburn and it does not feel like this.  Funnily enough I did read about reflux so took a ranitidine earlier to see if it helped but no difference.

for the past 4 days been super tired and thinking back about 1 month ago I came out of a meeting and had chest pain then. It was just bad enough that I held my chest (nothing dramatic like on the tv) it lasted about an hour but this is like a little more than just an ache.

[enidoreilley 83]

Hey just wanted to pop in and say I hope you are feeling better. I am also in the middle of a lung cancer spiral and am also a smoker (I have been off and on - quit for 5 years and picked it up again last year - just in the past year I have quit 5 times). If you need to rant, I will listen. Hope you got some peace.

[Tracy44 3]

Enidoreilley thank you my lovely. It's awful isn't it. I gave up a couple of years ago for 3 months and the longer i wasn't smoking the more depressed I was getting. A friend of mine was telling me about champix and how well it works. I'm going to give it a try. 

I also hope you get some reassurance and am also happy to listen to you.