Hi all I'm new hear

Hi Joe

Welcome to the group. Whilst it's very easy to say and much harder to do, try not to panic and try not to Google for answers. You do need to wait for your scan, if it seems to be taking too long then do chase them up.  Also don't beat yourself up. We have people on here who have never drank or smoked in their lives,  it can change the chances but you don't sound like a particularly heavy smoker or drinker, certainly far less than I used to and, in any case it doesn't help to blame yourself, especially for something that may not be cancer related it all.

Others will be along to add their points shortly I'm sure, in the mean time try not to worry, even in the worse case scenario it's not usually as bad as your imagination makes it.

JonH

Hi jonh thanks for your reply and yes like you say people that have never smoked or drank get this horrid cancer I feel for everyone that has or is going through testing it's hell but your reply made me feel better and no I never drank much at all and defo not heavy or smoking I work with a few people that will smoke 40 cigs a day drink like fish yet they in there 50s fit as a fiddle keep trying to get him to stop but they say they enjoy it to much lol I get a hangover off 2 pints that's my reason I don't do it much lol hope your well and thanks for your reply joe

Hi Joe

Worry about cancer can be all consuming. We have all been there and know exactly how you feel. Do you actually have a date for your scan? A wait of a few weeks won’t make any difference but there’s no harm chasing the appointment up with your ENT’s secretary. 
If there is anything to be concerned about rest assured the whole system will click into gear and your feet won’t touch the ground. 
Can you step back and try to relax a little? Maybe your GP might prescribe a light sedative or sleeping tablet? 
In the dark of night when all is quiet our imagination runs riot and our fear is magnified. But knowledge is power and once you know what’s going on you’ll cope better. 
I hope there is nothing to find but if there is leave yourself in their hands because it’s what they do and they are good at it. 
I was 67 when I was diagnosed with tongue cancer and nearly two years later I’m here and enjoying life again. 

Pop back when you know what’s up. There’s help and sympathy in buckets here. Hope you won’t need it. 

Hi there beesuit thanks for your reply glad you and jonh are fit and well and you both still come on here to help people like me even knowing you both came in and are now out the other side well that's an achievement to say the least true kind people. well I payed to see a private ent consultant and payed for nasoscope and ct scan but had to wait for ct cause they said on ct mri desk no one can read the ent ct head/neck scan as they only had nhs radiographers. So i had to ring my ent secretary and he only calls on a thursday and he put me down for ct on a thursday so one week gone now and i get the call as hes been away for the week he's trying to get me one booked at the nuffield that was a week ago so been 2 weeks allready so yer 2 weeks wait still non the wiser cost me  £1200 cause the pain was so bad I dident want to wait the 19 weeks so had to spend my self emplyment grant oh well. Its mainly after I eat I'm in agony it seems to make the sides of the orophranx walls so so sore they are almost ringing iv treid amatriptoline 75mg for pain no good and gabbapentin 300m iv lost a stone cause it hurts to eat iv had this problem for over 2 years now but it was never painfull all the time and over time the pain has become worse and worse and now for the last 6 months pain was all the time but only last 4 weeks pain is unbearable 24/7 And feels like the walls are getting thicker having to keep clearing throte and iv got this taste that will not go away in my mouth its horrid I'm worried as I know this is not normal by far it even hurts in my neck deeper down below my tonsils I did look up orophranx cancer on dr Google and it says it can take a few year to devolop spent some hours surfing and wow not one of my best moment 

Good evening Joe , great advice from John and Dani, i think Dani made a good point about seeing your Dr for a sedative that will make you less anxious also please try and get some strong pain killers at the same time. I drank and smoked but i try not to blame myself for what has happened as these things happen for no reason affecting people who have never drunk alcohol or smoked, things like diet can also be a cause so try not to worry about your past. Now you are on the N.H.S system you will get the best treatment available and they will find out why you are getting all these strange feelings in your throat so please do re-post once you have had the results of your scan and any test they do. All the best, take care.

                                                                            Chris 

Hi Chris thanks for your reply iv read alot of your posts too and seen your cancer has been a very big battle and you have had your share of bad luck reading some of your story wow your also a true fighter and that's why iv come on hear dident know what to expect but you are all very helpful kind people just woke up 2.20 am cause I keep having these cold sweats it feels weird not like normal sweating anyways I will try get back to sleep good night all and thanks alot 

Hi Joe

You already have had some great advice.  The waiting for things to happen can be a very trying time.  However, there is a well trodden path for diagnosis of our cancers.  Better to have things done methodically and correctly than someone jumping to a wrong conclusion.

Most of the time there is no clinical need to rush things with these cancers - I went on a 3 1/2 week pre booked holiday between being told I had cancer from a biopsy to the full work up diagnostics (on the advice of my CNS).  That was a worrying time, but having a distraction really helped get my mind in the right place for the treatment.

Your GP will be of great help and now they will often see you in person rather than phone/video if that is what you need.  Google is the worst tool to use at this time unless you are skilled in researching medical journals for proper information - and most of us don't have those skills.

Everyone's symptoms are different and nobody on here will offer you a diagnosis - only support and guidance of what worked for them.  Your clinical teams will be key in diagnosis and treatment.  You are in the right space at this point in your journey.  As an aside, I never had any symptoms of this cancer and they have never found my primary site.  It can be a mystery that confounds everyone!

You are  rightly concerned about your smoking, but I have never smoked and have cancer...  There are many different triggers that cause it so don't beat yourself up over those cigarettes!

I hope they find that it is not cancer once the diagnostics have been done.

In the meantime, stay on here and we will support you through the coming weeks.

Good luck.

Hi Joe. I hope your period of uncertainty ends quickly. Please do not blame yourself. These cancers are often nothing to do with smoking or drinking.

Hi Peter thanks for your reply I will stay on hear and keep you all updated I need to go see my doctor I think as iv suffered with real bad anxiety for years was on meds but came off them a year ago as I got alot better I was wanting to avoid them cause they tend to give me a dry mouth and would make my symptoms worse hope you are doing ok are you out of treatment now or still going though it thanks for your kind reply it means alot 

Hi Joe and welcome to the forum.

Sorry to read you've been experiencing all these horrible symptoms and also your anxiety which is understandable.

There are other causes of these symptoms so hopefully once you get the results of your scan you'll have a clearer indication of what's happening and start the appropriate course of treatment.  Fingers crossed that the results will be good but do try not to let your imagination run away with you with internet searches.  We've all been there and completely understand the anxiety you're going through but without scan results you really don't know what research is relevant to you.

All the best and hope you get some answers soon.

Linda x