Worried about my dp. Scans showed unexpected things

[IShouldNotCoco]

Last week, my dp had been away for work. When he came back, he told me that he had a pain in his thigh, a red patch over the top and a feeling of tightness. I told him to call 111 (thinking possible blood clot).

They did a CT scan, looking for signs of clots on the lungs but instead found two small ‘masses’ which he says aren’t more than 3mm each. But then the doctor said he would need to have an abdominal scan. This showed an enlarged prostate and inflamed nymph nodes. The doctor referred this urgently to an oncology team, apparently. He has also has a scan on the part of his leg that’s affected. The sonography told him she can’t discuss the findings but that he doesn’t have a blood clot.

My dp is saying that the doctor said they have to start with the worst case scenario and work backwards. He seems rather blasé about it all but I’m really concerned because I don’t think doctors overstate things.

He has been having problems with his prostate for well over 3 years, dating back to before our daughter was born (who is now 5).

What I’m concerned about is that he’s been suffering with prostate pains for years. He would have pain after sex and pain that kept him awake etc. the pain would go away for a while and then come back. He’s also had a long standing issue with not being able to empty his bladder. He was invited to have a camera investigation but wouldn’t go. And now this 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thanks for reading this far. Is there any possibility that this will turn out to be something non-serious?

My DH had non smokers lung cancer, has he ever smoked? They will be running genetic tests on it to see the type. Feel free to message me if you’ve any questions,

Thank you for your replies. He has never smoked. The oncologist thinks it looks like a primary lung cancer but there are two masses, one much larger than the other. So it could be MBC. Unfortunately, cancer tends to come back, doesn’t it?

Luckily, he does have private health insurance so he’s going to try to utilise it. He sounds a bit more open to conventional medicine than he did before.

They haven’t done a biopsy yet but the oncologist thinks it looks like cancer unfortunately.

We had private health but the NHS was better and quicker tbh, we’d got it all set up to kick in but didn’t use it.

Yes, he was told that the NHS may be quicker but I guess it’s there as an option.

The thing is, chemo is kind of designed to kill you... but because of that, it gets the cancer too.

If your body isn't strong enough to cope with being attacked, they won't recommend chemo. If they recommend it... I guess they expect the cancer to capitulate before your body, which can then regenerate.

Chemo treatments are improving over time though so that they target the bad cells and don’t kill good cells in a uniform way (though of course, there will be some collateral damage).

im really hoping that this has been caught early enough for surgery to be an option for him. Though of course, lung resection is a very hard thing to go through, I hear.

Depending where it is they can do keyhole surgery so not quite as bad. Have they said when the mdt is ? This will be when they have the results and work out a plan for him. My DH was an EGFR cancer so was a single tablet each day, chemo would have been a last resort as this cancer doesn’t respond well to chemo.

I would absolutely go privately especially if you’re near to a big cancer hospital with private care. In all likelihood it will open up a wider range of options. There are a significant number of treatments which are not widely available on the NHS which are available privately. It is also much much quicker in terms of getting scans, results and starting treatments. Finally privately you’re entirely consultant led and always see the same person and will often have direct access to them . He can also choose who he wants to be under and check out the best people for his condition.

It sounds like he’s very wrongly ignored alarming symptoms for years. I wish him the best.

Chemo is kind of designed to kill you? Well there are literally thousands of us having to endure it; through no choice of our own. We hope chemo WONT kill us. Honestly! 🙄

Thank you again for your responses. Yes, when I look back to messages he sent me after he just got back from a work trip, abroad, he was complaining of severe chest pain and thinking he had inflammation of the heart lining. So, yes, something was going on then and the problem is that his answer to everything is to go to bed and ‘sleep it off’.

Until he has the PET scan, I guess we won’t know what else is going on elsewhere or whether the prostate symptoms are connected at all.