When to know if symptoms are concerning or not?

[GreenIsle]

I have seen a lot of threads on mumsnet regarding people diagnosed with cancer who didn't realise that there symptoms were just that. It has me thinking how do you even recognise if you feel it may be cancer or not, with symptoms such as tiredness and pain.

It seems that when you go the the GP they usual take the least invasive approach such as bloods and then fobbed off a bit. At what point do you actually say straight to them ' I'm worried about cancer', do you think it makes them take it more seriously if you do say this. Most people would be low key worrying about this deep down. Just and example I have had mild piles since the birth of my dc 9 years ago now I say very mild that I barely notice. However on occasion I do get some bleeding but I guess I would be completely fobbed off if I spoke to the GP and at what point do I become concerned if it happens in the future.

We all at times have random pains, bloating and fatigue.

When I was heavily pregnant at the start of the year I got this most sudden and sharp intense pain just underneath my ribs and I had to breathe through it crying in pain because it was so bad. I was about to go to A&E when it stopped and it had lasted about 30 minutes. It has happened a further 3 times however the pain was a lot more manageable and mild at times. I am getting niggles still. When pregnant I lost 2 stone without trying and I wasn't sick much just lost my appetite, the GP referred me for bloods of which something to do with the kidneys came back high and needed a repeat. The repeat came back as satisfactory however from the screen I can see there were a few red exclamation marks beside the bloods but Gp said all fine, I've been referred for a ultrasound but waiting list is long, it's been two months now and still no word. I do not have any other symptoms of gallstones so I don't think it's this at all but Gp seems to think it is.

What do you even do here?

When you speak to the GP you tell them that you are concerned about cancer.
Would you say that you have health anxiety ?

@DustyLee123 no not at all I'm usually the complete opposite, I've never been to A&E before and this is was the first time I had been to see the Gp in about 3 years even when pregnant. I normally manage anything at home. I'm 32 btw.

I'm just wondering in general at what point would you be more concerned I guess.

I think a general blood test would be the first flag for cancer - white cell count would show high? Not medically trained to know that however.

If you've read my thread - an incredibly swollen abdomen & legs was why I saw my gp. The first thing they did was bloods checking for ovarian cancer. It wasn't that but went through investigations for that first & a MacMillan nurse pushed for other investigations.

When I first started swelling, I had what I thought was a sick bug picked up at work, nothing to do with cancer 🤷‍♀️ but here we are.

If it'd occurred to me it'd be my breasts, then I'd have mentioned it myself, but it was my tum that swelled so they didn't cross my mind tbh.

I understand OP. I have some piles too and I'm not overly worried, but we're constantly hammered with, "if you have bleeding from this area...." But it gets better with the recommended treatment - until next time. So, take it seriously and go to the doctor or no? It's almost like confusing and contradictory messages.

@lucysmam sorry to hear this. I guess in your situation you had a good doctor who was able to do the right tests at the right time. How come they came to find it in the breasts if they were testing for somewhere else if you don’t mind me asking.

@HerbsandSpices this is what I’m talking about, so for example the adverts say oh pay attention to bloating, fatigue and bleeding. To be fair I feel like this on and off just from general life so why would a GP take it seriously on its own. The adverts say speak to your GP but sometimes they do just fob you off.

Sounds like gallstones to me or muscles twinges from muscles expanding when you were pregnant

Always get a copy of blood results. I was feeling faint, out of breath, being fobbed off by GP, was told me bloods were “normal” No, they weren’t. B12 was one point inside the range. A course of B12 injections I paid for and my symptoms disappeared. But the GP insisted it wasn’t B12 deficiency..
Always check your own results.