At the start of the NY I had some discomfort near front of my ribs left side. After around 2weeks I saw my GP who suggested it was probably muscle related. After being seen by my GP I experienced agonising pain and muscle contraction for over 3 hours, it was so bad my son called an ambulance. Satisfied it wasn’t my heart and the fact that the pain was subsiding a little, the crew left. I contacted my GP again and was sent for a CXR. I was told it would be 2-3 weeks for results however I received a letter stating I needed a CT scan with contrast for clearer views and it was booked for the following week. CT scan was done on 13/02/23 and I received an appointment to go to the Respiratory clinic 21/02/23. I have had melanoma back in 2010/2011 but there was no evidence of it having spread. I know that getting results back so quickly is not good news. I do smoke and have been a smoker on and off over the years, having stopped for over 20 years at one point. A few years ago (2019) I had treatment for removal of pre cancerous cells from my voice box and at that time my CXR was normal. I’ve had no further problems with my voice box. I have read that lung cancer only produces symptoms in the later stages and this is scaring the life out of me as I am a single guardian to my 10 year old grandson. I’m feeling so guilty that my smoking has lead to this situation. I’m getting more and more anxious and can’t focus on anything. I’m still getting pain and taking pain relief but the pain seems to move at times and this makes me think the cancer is spreading rapidly. I know that anxiety makes things seem worse than they are, but how can I not feel anxious.
Hi mama R welcome to the group but so sorry you find yourself here. It is such a scary time for you, the waiting to find out results is a really stressful time. It is only natural to feel anxious, and all you can do is try and keep busy.
There are so many reasons why you have been in pain, and although it could be lung cancer, there is still a possibility it may not.
When anyone has been referred for a lung investigation, they will need to carry out a lung function test. This is a simple procedure where you are asked to blow into a tube until told to stop. This is carried out at the respiratory clinic, and unless you have already had this done, I suspect this is what the appointment is. For a cancer diagnoses the letter would be from oncology. The respiratory doctor is able to tell you what he thinks is going on, but it will not be a full diagnoses.
Please let us know how you get on.
