toki
22-06-13, 15:59
Hi all,
My first post here. I'm 33, gave up smoking a few months ago, started at 19. Smoked about a pack a day, on-and-off (mostly on). I've always been obsessed with cancer. When I was in my early twenties I'd constantly be at the Dr's or at A&E trying to get a chest X-ray. I coughed up blood streaked sputum a couple of times back then, and it freaked me the hell out.
Well - I've been obsessing about lung cancer again since I got a cough about a month ago. It started with a sore throat and a chest infection (coughing up phlegm with "that taste" each morning). After a day or two, that subsided, but for the past three weeks, I've had this feeling in my throat like I need to cough something up, but can't - I just dry cough when I do. Except for after eating. But I'm trying to make myself cough so I can inspect it. Each day I do this, cough onto tissue, inspect it. I've given up smoking so I'm seeing little black/grey bits - I expected that.
However today... My god... I coughed into my tissue after dinner and saw about a teaspoon full of red blood. I freaked the hell out. I almost went straight to A&E. But I haven't - yet. For the next 20/30 minutes or so I kept trying to make myself cough, and kept seeing blood stained sputum. It went away after that and hasn't repeated itself. I still feel like I "need to cough something up".
One part of me thinks I've still got a residual chest infection (I never went and got antibiotics). My glands are up a bit but I have large palpable glands all the time (I've been feeling them since I was 15 - I should know their size). I always ache too, but that has been going on for 10 years. The other part of me thinks I'm dying.
I'm going out of my mind. And rambling. Gah!
I'm going to the A&E tomorrow evening to get a chest X-ray - the only reason I didn't go tonight is I've got my kids over and I don't want to freak them out (they go back to the Ex-missus tomorrow). My partner is really supportive and is taking me to A&E.
I'm on Epilem for Bipolar, Seroquel for anxiety, and Mirtazapine for depression. I'm a big bottle of crazy, and at the moment, I'm bubbling over!
I think I'm just making things worse - forcing myself to cough, and feeling something that might not even be there. If I clear my throat I get a little phlegm. Maybe throat cancer? Gah!
:(
---------- Post added at 00:59 ---------- Previous post was at 00:16 ----------
I've been reading more and really just hope it was a torn blood vessel from forcing myself to cough for weeks.
My first post here. I'm 33, gave up smoking a few months ago, started at 19. Smoked about a pack a day, on-and-off (mostly on). I've always been obsessed with cancer. When I was in my early twenties I'd constantly be at the Dr's or at A&E trying to get a chest X-ray. I coughed up blood streaked sputum a couple of times back then, and it freaked me the hell out.
Well - I've been obsessing about lung cancer again since I got a cough about a month ago. It started with a sore throat and a chest infection (coughing up phlegm with "that taste" each morning). After a day or two, that subsided, but for the past three weeks, I've had this feeling in my throat like I need to cough something up, but can't - I just dry cough when I do. Except for after eating. But I'm trying to make myself cough so I can inspect it. Each day I do this, cough onto tissue, inspect it. I've given up smoking so I'm seeing little black/grey bits - I expected that.
However today... My god... I coughed into my tissue after dinner and saw about a teaspoon full of red blood. I freaked the hell out. I almost went straight to A&E. But I haven't - yet. For the next 20/30 minutes or so I kept trying to make myself cough, and kept seeing blood stained sputum. It went away after that and hasn't repeated itself. I still feel like I "need to cough something up".
One part of me thinks I've still got a residual chest infection (I never went and got antibiotics). My glands are up a bit but I have large palpable glands all the time (I've been feeling them since I was 15 - I should know their size). I always ache too, but that has been going on for 10 years. The other part of me thinks I'm dying.
I'm going out of my mind. And rambling. Gah!
I'm going to the A&E tomorrow evening to get a chest X-ray - the only reason I didn't go tonight is I've got my kids over and I don't want to freak them out (they go back to the Ex-missus tomorrow). My partner is really supportive and is taking me to A&E.
I'm on Epilem for Bipolar, Seroquel for anxiety, and Mirtazapine for depression. I'm a big bottle of crazy, and at the moment, I'm bubbling over!
I think I'm just making things worse - forcing myself to cough, and feeling something that might not even be there. If I clear my throat I get a little phlegm. Maybe throat cancer? Gah!
:(
---------- Post added at 00:59 ---------- Previous post was at 00:16 ----------
I've been reading more and really just hope it was a torn blood vessel from forcing myself to cough for weeks.