What do you do for an acute health spiral?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you do not get the scan and the pain persists are you going to worry it’s cancer anyway? If that’s the case it’s probably better to get it so you aren’t dealing with what ifs. And odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that it’s not pancreatic cancer.

OP, I agree with the above. Look, you are going to worry no matter what about the unexplained pain. So at least know what you are dealing with, or hopefully rule it out. Do you have a friend or family member you can enlist in helping you to get the CT scan done?

This is exactly the WRONG thing to do for someone with health anxiety who almost certainly does not have pancreatic cancer. A negative scan will reassure her for about 10 minutes. Then she will remember that she read that one article about someone whose PC was missed on a CT scan, and she will be right back where she started. Ask me how I know.

Op - I’m not sure that’s true. I don’t ever question the scan results I’ve had.
My fear is of being told I have something untreatable. It’s like where cancer is concerned, my brain no longer has an ‘it’s unlikely’ setting.
To another poster’s point I think there is a great deal of doubt in my mind about my ability to handle a worst case scenario. I did not handle a pretty highly treatable cancer all that well (I muddled through and the kids were fine but I was certainly no beacon of fortitude), so I can’t believe I would deal remotely well with a terminal diagnosis. Clearly I’m not dealing well with even the idea of one!

OP, when did your weird left sided abdominal flank plain start?

[Anonymous]

OP, what are your symptoms?

[Anonymous]

I think you have a kidney stone or diverticulitis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you do not get the scan and the pain persists are you going to worry it’s cancer anyway? If that’s the case it’s probably better to get it so you aren’t dealing with what ifs. And odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that it’s not pancreatic cancer.

OP, I agree with the above. Look, you are going to worry no matter what about the unexplained pain. So at least know what you are dealing with, or hopefully rule it out. Do you have a friend or family member you can enlist in helping you to get the CT scan done?

This is exactly the WRONG thing to do for someone with health anxiety who almost certainly does not have pancreatic cancer. A negative scan will reassure her for about 10 minutes. Then she will remember that she read that one article about someone whose PC was missed on a CT scan, and she will be right back where she started. Ask me how I know.

Op - I’m not sure that’s true. I don’t ever question the scan results I’ve had.
My fear is of being told I have something untreatable. It’s like where cancer is concerned, my brain no longer has an ‘it’s unlikely’ setting.
To another poster’s point I think there is a great deal of doubt in my mind about my ability to handle a worst case scenario. I did not handle a pretty highly treatable cancer all that well (I muddled through and the kids were fine but I was certainly no beacon of fortitude), so I can’t believe I would deal remotely well with a terminal diagnosis. Clearly I’m not dealing well with even the idea of one!

OP, when did your weird left sided abdominal flank plain start?

It started 2w ago on vacation in Central America. I got a typical bug and then 3d after the bug kicked in, the weird left sided pain started. At first it was upper abdominal and back, then left flank for a while, then kind of goes back and forth (sometimes it hurts above my hip at the back even). It’s not there when I stand or walk- or lie flat - but hurts when I sit. I also got super achey generally for a while. It’s about a 3 on the pain scale so not debilitating but also not nothing. I ruled out kidney infection fwiw.
Also I got reflux with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you have a kidney stone or diverticulitis.

Op - I’ve had a kidney u/s in the last 2 mos and have had a colonoscopy before (not sure if that rules out diverticulitis)

[Anonymous]

I wait to worry until 3 plus weeks for something intermittent and only a 3 on pain scale like that. I am sure you've heard if you are a HA sufferer that "the body is noisy". As I age, many things do not go away immediately so I try not to focus on things like that for a few weeks. Obviously if it was constant and/or intense, the analysis would be different!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wait to worry until 3 plus weeks for something intermittent and only a 3 on pain scale like that. I am sure you've heard if you are a HA sufferer that "the body is noisy". As I age, many things do not go away immediately so I try not to focus on things like that for a few weeks. Obviously if it was constant and/or intense, the analysis would be different!

This is really excellent advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wait to worry until 3 plus weeks for something intermittent and only a 3 on pain scale like that. I am sure you've heard if you are a HA sufferer that "the body is noisy". As I age, many things do not go away immediately so I try not to focus on things like that for a few weeks. Obviously if it was constant and/or intense, the analysis would be different!

This is really excellent advice.

Op - I had not heard ‘the body is noisy’.
I think it’s hard bc you hear so many stories of people who ‘wish they’d got diagnosed earlier’ but pc is one of those where you almost can’t be, seemingly. Altho I suppose it is unlikely I could have developed stage 3 or 4 pancreatic cancer in 20 mos since I had abdominal u/s - but maybe not!
The ‘catch it early’ mantra leaves the door open for so much hyper vigilance.

[Anonymous]

I definitely get it op. Getting scans and then waiting for the results is hell for me too after health issues.

[Anonymous]

Have you been to a doctor since getting the bug?

[Anonymous]

Op, I don't know if this will help you: look up Matt Bencke. Read his pancreatic story. He had stage 4--and was So Sick. The poor man. There was no doubt of what was up. You honestly do NOT seem remotely in this position. Take solace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to a doctor since getting the bug?

Op - yes several. Gastro did endoscopy and ordered stool samples. PCP did labs and urinalysis. Lots of people have prodded my abdomen. Waiting for results for the stool samples and endoscopy to test for h pylori. It’s just the ct that is paralyzing me bc I’m a crazy person (or maybe legit fears - no idea at this point as starting to unravel and lose all perspective).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to a doctor since getting the bug?

Op - yes several. Gastro did endoscopy and ordered stool samples. PCP did labs and urinalysis. Lots of people have prodded my abdomen. Waiting for results for the stool samples and endoscopy to test for h pylori. It’s just the ct that is paralyzing me bc I’m a crazy person (or maybe legit fears - no idea at this point as starting to unravel and lose all perspective).

Has any dr. actually urged you that you need to get one?

[Anonymous]

Do what your (hopefully trusted and reasonable) doctor recommends and then work on treating the HA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to a doctor since getting the bug?

Op - yes several. Gastro did endoscopy and ordered stool samples. PCP did labs and urinalysis. Lots of people have prodded my abdomen. Waiting for results for the stool samples and endoscopy to test for h pylori. It’s just the ct that is paralyzing me bc I’m a crazy person (or maybe legit fears - no idea at this point as starting to unravel and lose all perspective).

Has any dr. actually urged you that you need to get one?

When I went to the dr and told him my symptoms and concerns he said he did not suspect pc but recommended we test for all eventualities (also it could I suppose be intestinal which would require a ct) which included upper endoscopy, stool samples and ct.