To be worried about what woman in x Ray said

[Member327967]

Hi, I’ve posted here for traffic and I’ll try to keep it brief;
I had a malignant melonama skin cancer in 2011, had a wider excision on my lower back and went into remission for 5 years then was dismissed. Haven’t thought much about it since.
Around 3 months ago my back started getting really painful aches from around 3am every night, and it’s got worse and worse to the stage where I can’t get into a position that doesn’t hurt.
Went to doctors before spending money on a new mattress; doc checks my flexibility (I do yoga) and said great flexibility so ruled out sciatica based problems. Then he lifted my top up, asked about the scars and when I told him about the melanoma he seemed very focused on that, going on about x Rays and how I must be worried and we need to get it checked. That freaked me out in itself as I hadn’t even thought it could be related.
Anyway, went to x ray that afternoon at local hospital, lay down and asked the woman (technician/radiologist/not sure) if I got the results now or if they got sent to doc as it’s been ages since I’ve been in hospital. She said no it’s sent to docs, I said ok and she took two x rays. Then she came up to me and said “all done, I’m going to put these on fast track as urgent to the radiologist, I’ve been where you are and I know you must be worried”.
Aibu to be even more worried by this comment? I would have thought that urgent fast tracks would be for if they can see something has shown up, not to make a patient feel better! (I’m not complaining of that is the case ) She said ring in the morning (today=Friday and if not ring again Monday, and if you are pestering them never mind). I don’t know what they can tell when they are taking them - can they see the image straight away? If so and she could see nothing was there I would have thought she would have said something like try not to worry/nothing to worry about etc (I know they are limited to what they can say though).
I think I’m a bit more emotional about it at the moment as one of my friends has been re-diagnosed with cancer and it’s spread eberywhere- has come as a massive shock.
Sorry to ramble on, would appreciate if anyone in the know could advise.

[Sugarplumfairy65]

She sounds really lovely and was trying to put your mind at rest.
Unlike one person who did a pelvic ultrasound scan on me a few years back after I'd been having problems with my bladder following a kidney op. She declared that everything was fine but that she couldn't get a good view of my right ovaries because I had too much bowel gas. 6 months and a lot of pain later to the extent that I couldn't walk and had no bladder control, a 12cm x 15cm abdominal mass was discovered . Turned out to be Non Hodgkins lymphoma

[HeyNotInMyName]

My recent experience with the NHS

• Anything that could POTENTIALLY be linked with cancer is always treated fast track. It seems that the same is true with heart issues too.
  
• the comment about worrying is coming from the assumption that YOU have gone to see your GP worried about the cancer coming back. So they are trying to be reassuring and supportive on that ground
  
• I have also found that they have actually been pretty quick in sending results back so I'd contact the surgery today and then Monday if they havent had the results. Even though I am sure they will contact you if there is anything anyway.
  

If you can get appointments via the NHS app, you'll have all your results there too.

[LightTripper]

I had malignant melanoma too (over 30 years ago - yikes!) and particularly when I was younger and it was more recent I used to get referred to specialists for practically any health worry I went to the GP with. It was a bit scary but I do think they were just trying to be careful and helpful. Similar to you on one occasion I was fast tracked for a breast lump exam but it turned out to be something benign (fibroadenoma) and eventually disappeared after I had my children.

It is difficult to manage but I also think it's most likely that she realises you might be worried and is accidentally making you more worried by anticipating that!

[Clearnightsky]

I’m so sorry must be very anxiety provoking.

All I can is from an outsiders point of view it seems very normal to fast track if there has ever been previous concerns. And it won’t be because you in particular present at the x ray.

[Member327967]

@VisibleShantiLine thanks for commenting - that's very interesting as he said it couldn't possible be sciatica because of how flexible I was on exam - he said I wouldn't be able to do it. Ps I'm not like a bendy pretzel - I can touch my toes I've been doing back pain/sciatica relegated yoga videos but it doesn't seem to do any good.
The back pain eases off about 5 mins after getting up, although that too has been progressing to a dull ache for longer and longer after I get up.

[Member327967]

@Sugarplumfairy65 gosh I'm sorry to hear that it sounds like a nightmare

[AndAnotherNameChanger]

Totally normal for things to be fast tracked if there's any possibility of cancer, I've been referred a number of times on the possible cancer pathway (never turned out to be cancer yet), everything's happened very quickly and most healthcare practitioners seem to assume you're really worried until it's been ruled out, when everything immediately slows to a glacial pace (in my experience).

[caranconnor]

I though anything to do with cancer had to be fast tracked? There are targets for this. Remember x rays will be happening for all kind of minor things that can wait a lot longer for diagnosis. If it could be cancer, then a delay really matters, hence the targets. I hope it is okay for you.

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

I'm also a little surprised that your doc ruled out sciatica as you were flexible - that's not a given, at all!

I recently treated a lady (deep tissue massage) who had bad sciatica - she had a dreadful car accident some years ago and has a lot of scar tissue in her hip/buttock area. The doctor had sent her for MRI, and for nerve conduction tests - came back that there was nerve damage/entrapment somewhere between where the sciatic nerve branches (lower back) and the back of the knee. Physio and stretches weren't helping it. So I did the treatment and discovered a hard band of tissue running directly below the lady's buttock scar - releasing that helped with the sciatica immeasurably - was 9 days ago and she's only just now starting to feel it again, so will come back for another treatment.

So there is a possibility that scar tissue might be affecting underlying tissues and having an impact on your sciatic nerve too but without knowing the exact location of your scars, and being able to feel your back, I wouldn't be able to say that for sure. Something else to think about though.

[Notagainnow]

If it helps op I have exact same symptoms without the scary history and they haven’t x-rayed me , just a blood test and soon I’m off to physio so I’m sure they are just being extra cautious given your history rather than anything about your back raising alarms.

[Member327967]

Thanks everyone for being so nice. I'm a terrible one for overthinking anyway! I've called docs and no results today so will try again on Monday. Will let you know how I get on.

[Member327967]

@Notagainnow fingers crossed you find out what's wrong and it's an easy fix. I am so tired from the lack of sleep, just want a good nights rest. I put ibuprofen gel on my back last night and that eased it a little. If the x Ray is clear then I guess I'm getting a new mattress for Christmas
If you don't mind I'd be interested to hear how your testing goes if you've got the same symptoms, no worries if not though xo

[Member327967]

@ThumbWitchesAbroad thanks for the information, guess it's definitely something else I can look into then. My scar is to the right hand side of my spine, quite low down my back. I was pregnant at the time so the scar spliced quite a lot though xo

[Bluetrews25]

If you think it's your mattress, do you have a spare duvet that you can put under your bottom sheet? Then you will be cushioned a bit better. If it doesn't help, you've not lost anything.

[Swisskit]

My DD is a radiographer and has done this for people if she thinks they're really worried, not because she is. If she had seen something sinister she would probably still have fast tracked the results, but not told you that.

[Miljea]

My interpretation is that, seeing as you thought the radiographer was nice, you probably came across as nice, and obviously worried, so she's slipping your images across the the radiologist to minimise how long you're anxiously waiting.

It was my understanding that bone pain from metastases was with you pretty much constantly, not coming and easing like your pain has.

Keeping everything crossed for you, but be aware that if these xrays- presumably of your lower back- come back negative, your GP might either send you to a physio, or to a specialist who can request a CT scan of your abdomen, and/or MR scan of your lumbar spine, purely given your history. GPs can't request those scans, to the best of my knowledge.

[Notagainnow]

I will also add that I spent a fortune on a fancy mattress thinking my old one was the problem and it didn’t fix it :(

[Lovemenorca]

* My DD is a radiographer and has done this for people if she thinks they're really worried, not because she is.*

Out of curiosity - on what grounds has she fast tracked?

[Miljea]

Swisskit The moment you said that, I knew you'd get posters demanding to know why she did this!

I know why I do it!

[Spied]

Well, I actually think she has been thoughtless.
What a thing to say! Obviously if worried anxious patients are told they are being fast-tracked they are going to start ruminating that something has been seen on the x-ray.
Best if she'd kept her mouth shut.

[Lovemenorca]

No I’m genuinely curious is as to whether extreme worry is sufficient reason to fast track

[Lilonetwo]

I'm a Radiographer. Most of us take the x-rays, we have a good idea of whats going on but don't report/diagnose- this is the radiologists job.

(Although the Radiographer role is expanding and more and more of us are beginning to report x-rays!)

Your Radiographer probably saw that the request form stated you had a history of malignant melanoma and fast tracked your images to the radiologist to report

[Miljea]

Lilonetwo yes, I imagine the OP's understandable worry, given her medical history, and, just maybe her pleasantness towards the radiographer got that fast track.

Remember, the vast, vast majority of low back pain xray referrals are for people who've 'pulled something' with zero worrying back story. These people almost always are fine with a '7-10 day wait' to get their results. They won't be spending the next few days in paroxysms of fear. (Then not bothering with the physio til they 'pull it again'! )

'Extreme fear' (and justified worry, given a back story involving melanoma), to my mind, is a good reason to fast track a report.

[Member327967]

Thanks again everyone who has replied. I wasn't worried when I presented to the doctor with lower back pain, as I didn't relate the two things, however I suppose I probably projected worry in the x Ray room without realising as the doctor had put it in my head that morning. Without meaning to drip feed I know that this doctor is the same one who diagnosed my friend a few weeks back, so my mum pointed out that it's maybe playing on his mind a bit too. You've all been lovely and have made me feel a bit more chilled about it, which is good considering I've got to wait til the weekend is clear to see if it's come through xo

[Member327967]

@Lovemenorca this is why it worried me at the time- I didn't think extreme worry was a good enough reason to fast track (although of course it's a very good reason to the people who are anxiously waiting!)