Worried its Pancreatic Cancer...

hi Laylalou

not sure if this will help or not...but it was the blood tests that pointed my docs in the right direction...tho to begin with it looked like my liver...took 3 blood tests and an ultra sound and 3 weeks in total to get a confirmed diagnosis of pancreatic cancer ...

I sincerely hope for your sake that your symptoms prove NOT to be PC and that they can put your mind at ease 

huggz 

Hi Rox55, 

I am at 13 weeks now with so many symptoms.. I've had that many blood tests as well  Ultrasound, 2ct scans, endoscopy, stool tests.. 

I've got another appointment with consultant tomorrow evening as he is weighing me weekly now and going through my blood results  I know blood results don't often pick up pc but he checked for vitamin defiency as well because I've had smelly stools for 11 weeks I thought I might be lacking in vitamins somewhere  I really am so lost and alone with this all. My husband isn't supportive because of how many doctors, hospital visits and consultants I've seen and my consultant is stilll saying musculoskeletal, fibromyalgia, ibs, anxiety...

Just feel like I've had to fight so hard and still no diagnosis but yet with more and more symptoms.. 

Thanks for replying. Hope you're doing OK?

Hugs sending your way, Laylalou

Just thought I’d jump in but hope I don’t muddy the waters... I had similar symptoms and my bloods kept coming back clear - it took nine months to finally diagnose my cancer. BUT (and it’s a big but), it was obvious very early on that something was wrong with my pancreas as it showed up very inflamed in my first scan (ultrasound) and continued to do so in all the subsequent scans (2 CTs, 2 specialist MRIs and an EUS). I also had bouts of pain so bad I could hardly breathe. My bowels were normal as well as my bloods - all that ever showed up was a slight inflammatory response and that was put down to the pancreatic swelling. I finally became seriously ill with jaundice and biliary sepsis and an emergency CT showed a mass in my pancreas which was confirmed as cancer via an ERCP and biopsy.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that although PC is hard to pin down, I would think that after all these tests and scans, something would show up but of course, I’m not a doctor so I’m not going to give any definitive answer. I can only relate my own experience. All I can say is that it was very obvious early on that something was definitely up with my pancreas, the cancer just took its time revealing itself. I was lucky - surgery followed by voluntary chemo has got rid of it. Just have to hope it never comes back! Take heart that so far, despite your symptoms, things are clear. Worrying about things will definitely make them worse but it’s hard not too. At least you have found a doctor willing to probe further but if he finds nothing you may have to accept that you may not have anything physically wrong with you at the present time. Funnily enough, even though I suspected I had cancer long before it was diagnosed I didn’t actually worry about it as such - I just wanted answers! 

Hi

How did it go with your consultant last week?

x

Hello  

Sorry its took so long to reply. I had neck, chest and upper abdomen ct scan with contrast on 30/8 as I thought my lymph nodes were swollen and am really worried about my veins being so visible all er my body and they hurt, not all the time  So my consultant said he would do another scan and everything is clear. I'm so lost as to what to do now. I still have this pain in upper left through to  back, loose smelly stools etc etc. I saw my consultant last night and he is 100% saying no pancreatic cancer due to my scans and blood tests, stools test. He said ibs but it's this rib pain that's iving me mad. Pain is far worse when I eat 3 meals a day. I'm having colonoscopy on the 25th and that's it. We are at week 15 now. He's saying for how long it's been and discomfort I am in ct scan wldn't miss it and it would of spread.. Have never suffered from anxiety but I do now. I'm on antidepressants because I can't cope daily. He asked me last night what I would want doing so I said Eus d he said he can't send me for one as ct scans are clear and he thinks there is enough evidence that I've not got pancreatic cancer. So he can't send me for it. Am I going into this too much? Shouldaccept what he says? It would help if I felt well but I feel awful and the pain never goes away but is more comfortable in bed, if I don't eat alot. Anybody got any advice or anything....

Sorry to hear you’re still in pain but I’m going to be blunt. You have to accept what your doctors are telling you - at this moment in time you do NOT have pancreatic cancer. You may very well have some other physical problem but it sounds like you’ve got yourself into a complete pickle over this which will certainly make any symptoms you do have worse. 

I’m not unsympathetic to how frustrated and upset you must feel but at the moment I don’t think this particular forum is helping you in that it’s probably keeping your fears active. Also please be aware that there are people on here who are dealing with this disease, be they patients, former patients or carers of PC patients and may find your posts distressing, particularly when you have no diagnosis. I realise you are now on antidepressants - have you had counselling or spoken to anyone about how you feel? If you still think it’s your pancreas that is the problem (despite all evidence to the contrary), I’d suggest ringing a specialist nurse at Pancreatic Cancer UK and have a chat to them. Also maybe find a dietician to speak to if food is causing you problems. Remember, sometimes the internet doesn’t do us any favours!

I am sorry if I have upset anyone on here.. I will remove myself from the site.I only asked if anyone had ever been through similar and found it hard to get a diagnosis, it was never meant to upset anyone. I just thought I may be able to talk to someone as I am so alone in all of this. Once again I'm sorry. 

You’re obviously very distressed by all this and not getting answers is beyind frustrating. I’ve seen quite a lot of stories such as yours on  here and on other forums but personally I think they actually make things worse in a lot of cases as people seek reassurance but just end up in a spiral of worry. I truly believe speaking to someone face to face or on the phone is better. If not someone close to you, then maybe someone who is not emotionally invested and can give you advice. I’m not a medical person but I’ve had both pancreatic cancer and anxiety so I can understand. Weirdly, having cancer seems to have cured my anxiety - I certainly don’t fret like I used to!

Hi

I'm sorry to hear that you're still convinced that you have pancreatic cancer even though all the doctors are telling you that you don't. Although you ask has anyone got any advice, unfortunately I don't think you'll be happy with any reassurances you get here.

Your consultant has said that he's 100% sure you DON'T have pancreatic cancer so I think you should be very happy with that and now concentrate on getting your health anxiety sorted. A lot of the symptoms you attribute to cancer could be because you are so anxious.

I'd give anything to go back in time and be told I didn't have cancer. Hopefully, with the right help you can see that being told you don't have cancer is a positive thing and not a negative thing.

Wishing you all the best that the colonoscopy is also negative.

x

Hi

How did the colonoscopy go on Tuesday? When will you have the results?

x