Need a handhold (health, cancer scare myasthenia gravis) **Thread title edited by MNHQ**

[Steeve]

I've been having issues swallowing for some time - feeling things getting "stuck", problems swallowing things - needs several "attempts", throat "pain", and some other shit I'm too upset to remember.

Saw the GP on Friday, he said the symptoms mirror oesophageal cancer and has referred me on the two week cancer pathway... I'm 41 ffs, I'm all over the place and have a very limited support network.

I will be replying intermittently in blocks, I'm knackered (not slept since) and been given diazepam today so I will sleep I'm told... I feel like I've been hit with a baseball bat multiple times.

Finally, my lovely, darling, narcissistic bitch mother smoked like 60+ a day throughout my childhood. I'm actually wondering if almost 22 years of breathing that shit has affected my health...

Thank you for any replies.

There are other reasons for this too.

Hand holding anyway.

I’ve found a lump, fast tracked to see consult next week but I’m struggling to be bothered by it to be honest.
It’s either a cancer or it’s 100 other things that it could be.
I’m a bit like that though, hard faced bitch too tired to be bothered by much.

Hand hold from me. I recently had a breast lump and went through the 2 week wait. It was extremely hard and I only got through it because of support from friends and I must say, MN! Post on here whenever you need to and I know you will receive lots of virtual support. Please make sure you tell people in RL too. It makes all the difference and it will help to make it seem more realistic, with many possibilities other than the worst case scenario you are imagining. I hope you get some sleep today xx

Yanbu.
I'm just dealing with my second lump, and because the consultant can't say for certain what it is yet, he can't get funding to remove it. So I have to wait and see even though that doesn't give the best outcome.
I'm sick of being asked if I can afford to go private, if I could I wouldn't have used the NHS.

It's horrid waiting

You might want to post on the Cancer Support thread in General Health (it's for people waiting for results too). The posters there are lovely and very reassuring.

Op, I had exactly that and I'm a light thats a lie i smoke 16 a a day smoker with parents who smoked heavily around me as a child. Convinced myself i had throat cancer. Was 42 at the tine. Put on cancer pathway and had scans etc. Choking, food getting stuck, liquids even difficult. After investigations nothing found but symptoms persisted. I finally had an exploratory operation by ENT specialist to see what was going on and they found i had a vallecular cyst. Very rare in adults. More common in babies. It was removed, biopsied and all fine. I was also suffering with bad acid refux, now under control.

Incidentally i have also had a number of breast lumps over the yrs and each time put on cancer pathway. Each time they have found to be lipomas. Innocent fatty lumps.

Please don't worry as more often than not it will be innocent causes.

Needless to say i am very grateful for our wonderful NHS and staff. All of whom have been brilliant over the years.

So sorry you're freaked out but your gp is a twat who should never have suggested cancer it's not his job to tell you it's cancer without any diagnostic tests. As a fellow lump in the throat sufferer this could be any number of things the most common being acid reflux and anxiety. Oesophageal cancer in someone under 50 is incredibly rare so the odds are definitely stacked in your favour.

It's standard practice to have a 2 week referral as a precaution but until a gastro or ENT consultant tells you so you do not have cancer.

You will probably be offered an endoscopy which sounds frightening but really is nothing to worry about at all (I have them regularly) and if you opt for no sedation they will give you the results there and then which is great. I know it's hard not to worry but just keep telling yourself it's probably nothing and you're dealing with it.

I had dysphagia caused by untreated acid reflux, culminating in my oesophagus going into spasm and a muscle relaxant in A&E

It really, really could be something else. I know it's hard but don't borrow worry.

Xxx

Forgot to mention I've been told I "likely" have myasthenia gravis but the couple of blood tests have come back negative (although I "tick" many boxes for it, and blood testing isn't particularly sensitive)...

Wow, will reply individually later, these diazepam are making me very ditzy and drowsy.

Endoscopy? They'll need to give me a general anaesthetic for that.

Will also post on the cancer support sub forum when I wake up!

Thank you, this is why I love MN, been here five years now as a bloke, and I adore this place 😊

I have chronic acid reflux so I'm at high risk for this, thinking of you

So many other things it could be. Do you generally get anxious about your health? I'm generally very anxious and before Xmas decided I def had oesophageal cancer as struggled to swallow, throat pain etc. Doc told me it was globus, which is a psychological lump in throat. Within ten mins of doc telling me that, the lump was gone and I was swallowing normally. Will keep you in thoughts but sure it's all ok

I had the same symptoms, similar age and I'm a GP so knew exactly what the possible diagnoses were (even though I also knew logically I was low risk, it was hard to hang on to that!) - had scope within 5 days of seeing my GP and it was all just acid reflux / oesophagitis. Much better now with the right meds. Was a bit of a wake up call about lifestyle (especially my caffeine habit). I refer lots of people for dysphagia (the technical term for swallowing symptoms) and the vast majority are non cancerous (often even ones I really think might be!)

The symptoms threshold for a 'cancer suspected' referral is set at about 3% - so 97% of people who meet the criteria DO NOT have cancer.

Hope you don't have too long to wait. They will offer you sedation for the scope, do take it! Best wishes.

Have heard back. Scan and biopsies under general anaesthetic next Thursday/Friday. No family support and am shitting myself, so scared :(

Oh bless you. Do you want to talk about it? Discuss you specific fears?

Do you have friends who can support you? X

*your

Just wanted to update. Scan clear although waiting on biopsies. Likely Myasthenia, waiting on neurological appointment now.

Good luck OP
I hope it all goes well