Apparently I don't quite meet the criteria for the two week turnaround or the shit we think you have cancer turnaround but

[travellingwilbury]

I am freaking out , I have had a weird feeling in my throat for weeks now and today got the courage together to go and speak to the dr about it .

She wants me to have a camera put down to see what is going on but as I don't quite meet the quick turnaround she doesn't know how long it will take .

I have no pain but I know something is wrong .

It has however gave me the push I needed to stop bloody smoking , I am an idiot .

Be calm, my friend, you are being affected by smoker's guilt. Good idea to see a doc, but wait and see what they say and don't panic.

You're not an idiot at all, you've gone to see the doctor for a start and an idiot wouldn't do that, they'd just keep burying their heads in the sand until they had no choice but to be taken to hospital.

Although you're not on the quick turnaround, isn't there something that says that all patients must be seen within three months? I know that sounds like a lifetime, but it's usually quicker than that.

I really don't have any advice for you but I didn't want to read and run. I hope you get it sorted out soon

Thank you , both of you ,especially for not shouting at me about the smoking , I have had some bloods taken today so I suppose if it was something really grim then maybe that would give a clue ??

I have no idea really , this time last year my brother was in hospital with a heart infection and ended up with open heat surgery and valves replaced , he is well now (fingers crossed , we are waiting for a scan result) and I was really hoping for a calmer christmas this year .

Yep, smoker's guilt - really, odds hugely on the side of nothing to panic about!

First, well done (majorly) on quitting smoking - or deciding to. Its not easy, no matter what the motivation, and hats off to you.

Second, I've had 'weird feeling in my throat' that doesn't hurt, and similar worries (ex-smoker, though very ex iyswim), and I went to ENT-Man. He had a look, did a barium swallow and diagnosed me with reflux - which is now under control, and weird feeling has gone. I would never have guessed it, before I saw him. Apparently very common, as is post-nasal drip which causes weird feelings in throat too.

Your dr is probaly not all that worried, if you don't quite meet the quick turnaround crit, and you've acted pretty fast - all good.

Good luck on staying away from those ciggy toxins

elibean Can I ask how long you had to wait for appt ? I know every place varies and she is going to say it is urgent .I think if she had said I didn't meet the criteria I would be feeling better but it was the not quite and she is not sure that has freaked me out .

My neck feels swollen to me on the right hand side but not to her .

I am not normally a drama queen honest

Could be something to do with thyroid, perhaps? Both hypo and hyperthyroidism can cause goitre-sometimes swelling is small. I had a nurse tell me that I should have my thyroid tested 10 years agoas my thyroid looks a bit swollen, never did til now and I am borderline hypo according to my results.

She is doing a blood test for thyroid and infection and something else . I just hope the appt comes through quickly so I can find out sooner rather than later .

Smokers guilt is alive and well here that is true . She has given me a prescription for patches so I am going to collect them tomorrow and sort myself out .

Um....well.... it was just before the summer holidays (going away) so I panicked and went privately.

I think your doc probably knows you will worry, and will try and get the fastest possible appointment for you.....try not to read too much into her words, they are going to sound ominous to you when, tbh, they don't to an objective bystander

You would not believe how many swellings I"ve thought I've felt, over the years, that docs have (rightly) not really felt. Honestly, the odds are SO high that you have reflux, or thyroid issues, or post-nasal drip, or something similar - but its good that you are getting checked out, and even better that the whole thing is stopping you smoking!

Thank you , you have made me feel a bit better , I just need to calm down and get back to moaning about how many christmas presents I have to buy .

May well think of the private thing if it doesn't come through quickly , which would also save the worry about what christmas shite to buy as I couldn't afford to do both

You can probably blame the whole thing (weird feeling) on the time of year! Of course, if you do feel stressed enough to go private, you can console yourself with how much money you will be saving on the no-smoking front.....

Also could be any sort of not sinister things like polyps or veruccas (had that).

Yes, cancer markers would show up in a blood test I think

My mum had a bad feeling in her throat for ages and she has some rare condition where her throat muscle tightens overtime and every now and then she needs to have a special balloon put down there and inflated to stretch everything out.

Well done for giving up the ciggies, NEVER START AGAIN.

My blood tests should be back tomorrow , I am scared , but will ring them in the afternoon and see if they can tell me anything .

And veruccas in the throat ? You learn something new every day .

It could be a lot of things. It's great you saw your doctor and even better that you've decided to quit smoking but you don't have to panic. Hopefully you have one of the myriad of gastric thingies that turn up as we age. :)

I like the sound of a gastric thingie , hard to stop panicking but I am trying ,this is a crappy week for me anyway (my sons 10yr anniversary on friday , he died when he was 14 mths old so optimism isn't my strongest point atm)

Thanks Dr Shiney , fingers crossed for globus then . And "related to stress" sounds a goer too .

I have to ring them at half four for blood results but tbh I am not really sure what they will tell me .

Keep your fingers crossed for me x

Yep, I'm in on the globus diagnosis

And I'm very sorry to hear about your ds, travellingwilbury....what a painful time of year this must be

It goes slowly

Just counting down till half four and hoping they can at least give me some ideas . I have decided that if I haven't heard from anyone about the hospital appt by monday then I am going to go back to the drs and speak to my usual dr and tell her how freaked out I am . She knows me well , and she knows I am not a drama queen type so I am sure she will hurry things along if she is able .

I am just really pissed off with the dr yesterday , she actually got out a load of plastic cards with tick boxes on for cancer symptoms , I could have just gone on bloody google for that . And then to use the "not quite" phrase but she wasn't sure has spun me out a bit .

I am officially going a bit round the twist .

You did ask

You would think so wouldn't you ?

No I am now waiting for them to ring me back .

I am not known for my patience .

Going to try and cook tea now , I figure if I start doing something then that is when they will ring .

I reckon shiney is right, try googling globus hystericus, I have it and its a pain, comes about because of stress/anxiety. Try not to worry.