Waiting for tests

You're welcome! Take care of yourself & let us know how you get on. You are not alone! I have to say my health scare has helped me to put things in perspective & realise how much people care about me. You are probably in shock at the moment so you need to be kind to yourself. 

Bless you hun... everyone on here has been thru, will go thru or is going thru same or similar. This will not help you as it will feel you are in a bubble and on your own! 

I was diagnosed with Neck & Throat cancer 11th November.  I was signed off work and have been until 3 months time.  Your family may be hurt more if u dont confide in them,  TBH,  they can be a great comfort to you on your low days. 

My first test was camera in nose, painless but weird!  Then Ultra sound scan with neck aspiration biopsy,  not painful as local anaesthetic is given,  then MRI with infusion of dye, then CT scan with infusion,  then another operation for biopsy of internal tumour,  throat was a bit sore fir couple if days.  Then a few meetings with consultant, oncologist and now going to have more pre op checks this week ready for my neck dissection and laser tumour removal plus part of tongue. After which, histology will find out how much and how long Radiotherapy and chemo i will need. 

Every stage is mapped out and planned for you. The nursing staff so far have been marvellous. 

Life just seems to revolve round appointments and treatments for a while.  My hubby has beginings of memory loss, but he has been a rock to me as have my 2 sons, also writing my story has helped too, the biggest help is my sense of humor... keep positive, keep strong,  sit with  your partner first and just pour it all out! U will find it such a relief not to hide anything... u need a clear head and stress free as possible to stay  determined.

You WILL do this... 

Hi

How are you this morning? I hope you managed to get a good night's sleep after talking through your worries with your partner.

x

Thanks for getting in touch. I didn't sleep well but I feel a bit better this morning, though I suspect that will change over the day. Even as I type this I can feel tears welling up.

I haven't spoken to my partner yet - too late when I got back and too hectic in the morning. We both have time off on Friday so I'm planning to take a deep breath and talk to her then. 

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better this morning .

I know I've already mentioned this but I do think it would be a good idea to speak to your GP to find out why they are sending you for tests as this is causing you such great anxiety. You could tell them that you are worried that you have oesophagus cancer.

x

I've been thinking about this and I don't know what to do. I'm not sure how she can say something that will make me feel better and be less worried but she could confirm my worries which would make me feel worse. 

I agree that this is a difficult one that only you can decide but you said that you don't know why your GP is sending you for tests. I presume that you have some unexplained symptoms that the GP is trying to solve. What sort of tests are you being sent for?

The fact that you're being sent for tests is making you extremely anxious and I just thought that if you knew what you're being tested for that might help as lots of people say that they feel better when they know what they might be facing but, again, only you know whether you prefer that approach or not.

When you feel up to it, it would be really useful if could pop something about your journey so far into your profile as it helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar diagnosis. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Edit Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

Just got my appointment date for the gastroscopy - Weds 12th Feb so another 3 weeks to wait.

Well that's 2 pieces of good news . You no longer need to worry about when your appointment is going to be and you know that you're having a gastroscopy. If you take a look at the link I've created you'll see that this procedure is used to investigate all sorts of problems, most of them not cancer related.

I personally know 3 people who have had this test in the last 12 months, my sister and two close friends. None of them were diagnosed with cancer and they are now taking medicine and have changed their diet to control their symptoms. Obviously I don't know that this will be the case for you but I'm just trying to reassure you that you won't necessarily have cancer.

The next thing you need to do is put some coping mechanisms in place to turn down your worry and anxiety to an acceptable level which will allow you to function in the run up to the test and while waiting for the results. In my first reply to you I listed a number of things you could try but, if you don't think these will work for you, then I'd urge you to see your GP so that she can get you some help.

x

Many thanks for this and for your support, it's really appreciated.