Possible tumor and throat problems - being ignored

MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

First, a little bit of history about me - smoker of 22 years with chronic bronchitis, pleurisy and atrial fibrillation for the last 10 years. I had an M.S. scare a few months ago and it was ruled out with a brain and cervical MRI and a spinal tap.

I've had neck pain for several years, but noticed back in May that I have a very hard lump on my cervical spine. It measure 7.5cm and is only getting larger and more painful around the area. My doc ordered xrays which showed I have 2 cervical ribs in my neck and said I was born with them, which never showed up on the MRI from months before. Now I'm wondering how accurate the xrays are, and why it didn't show up on the MRI. And she will NOT give me another MRI, which I'm very upset about. I can hardly lift my head because of the pain. It is absolutely terrible! And I KNOW that ribs don't grow at 36 years old!

I also have a slightly protruding sternum that is being ignored, DEEP pain in my throat but it's not the same as the common sore throat from a cold, burning pain in the entire area of my throat/larynx/voice box (it's all in the center of the front of my neck), on and off hoarseness, pain in right jaw, swollen glands at night, problems breathing and swallowing foods and even the slightest bit of water. And now I'm developing low grade fevers and really bad fatigue.

The pain in my throat started happening after having bronchitis twice in 3 months, then had pleurisy immediately after. It's been since March. I don't know where to turn. I'm a loner and I'm ready to give up on doctors because I don't think they take me seriously. And I came here because I'm thinking the worst. Any ideas of what I should do or where I should turn? Does it sound as serious as I'm thinking? I'm sorry this is so long, but I'm so worried.

MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

Another thing I forgot to mention: my d-dimer keeps elevating, and I was checked for a blood clot in my lung, but nothing was found. Maybe I'm paranoid, but every time I look up elevated d-dimer, I read cancer as well as blood clot of the lung.

brainman

Hi MissD. I am very sorry about your health concerns. WOW, you have been through a lot!! I did copy your topic to the Lung Cancer forum since that is what you are afraid you might have. You will get a lot of support and information here. Sorry to say but I do not know what "d-dimmer" is. I can tell you that your story is so complex that you really should continue to work with your own medical team to try to figure out what is wrong.

Keep us informed. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
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MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

Thank you, brainman. I wasn't sure where to post my topic, and was actually thinking throat cancer. I did some research on that as well, and it seems the rate is higher when you're over 55. I think I read that correctly.

Anyway, a d-dimer blood test is usually ordered when a patient has symptoms of DVT, such as leg pain, tenderness, swelling, discoloration, edema, or symptoms of pulmonary embolism, such as labored breathing, coughing, and lung-related chest pain. I seem to be rushed to the hospital a lot because of lung/breathing problems.

For those that read this thread, I am praying for some help here. I [i]did[/i] get a CT scan with dye of my lungs a few months ago, but nothing showed up. The doctor at the hospital just assumed it was pleurisy because of my symptoms. Most of the tests that have been done are because of trips racing to the hospital, unable to breathe or really bad pain in my chest, and it's nothing heart related.

I made an appt today to see an ENT. If it is my lungs, I guess that would be a pulmonary doctor? Thanks ahead of time, all.

Tera · Senior User Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 186

The ENT was going to be my suggestion. Perhaps somehow it is all connected.

I'm sorry you are having so many health concerns. I wish you all the best in finding some answers. Do you have one doctor you can put your trust in, a primary care doctor who can coordinate with the others for you? It may alleviate some of the stress I know you must be feeling as you deal with them all.

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1262

Hi Miss D,

I'm glad to read that you are pursuing this through another doctor. Sometimes it takes a couple of doctors involved to get to the bottom of things. This has to be very uncomfortable and frightening to go through this level of pain without a diagnosis.

I wish you good luck in finding the source. I do know of people who have had lung cancer that had tumor activity up in their neck area -- not to scare you, but it does happen. My FIL had neck/throat cancer, but that was a long time ago and I know nothing about it other than he had a bulge on the side of his neck that he left unattended. If the lungs are looking good from the scans, that's a positive sign for you.

Best wishes on your next doctor visit and keep us posted. I'm sorry you are going through this.

PBJ
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MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

Hi Tera and pbj and thanks for stopping by to help.

Tera, no, my primary doctor is horrible, and I know I need to find another. When I went in to see her and had pleurisy, she told me she thinks I need a shrink. Of course I've gotten depressed. Who wouldn't?! I had Fibromyalgia since I was 14 years old and that's how long I've been mistreated and thought to have everything "in my head". It took "another" ER visit to have someone diagnose me with Pleurisy. It seems to be the only way I ever get answers.

Anyway, I did go to see a shrink who gave me Lexapro for the depression, but I really don't think it's doing much. My pain is so bad, that I went to bed at midnight and woke at 12:30pm. I never sleep that long! I'm just so exhausted from all this mess! I also called and set up and appt at Orthopedics in hopes to get more answers and another MRI of my c-spine.

pbj, I went to google last night and saw these tumors you speak of by looking at the images. Most of them are on the side of the neck or in the center, so I'm praying these "so called ribs" in the back of my neck isn't a tumor, but I'm not feeling very positive. If they were there since I was born as the doctor said, then it wouldn't make sense that they started growing and causing me pain as of May, and never showed up on the old MRI.

What's even more strange about all this, is that I have a burning sensation when I breathe in through my nose. It burns my throat and the front of my neck/throat/chest. Smoking makes it worse of course, but I wouldn't know where to start when it comes to quitting with all this crap on my mind. I did notice that I've slowed down. It's just too painful at night.

Again, thank you all for your response and thoughts and prayers. Hugs.

mililani · Regular Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 14

You could have gastroparesis and acid reflux. I had that too, and it caused the same kind of symptoms that you have. See if you can get an acid inhibitor, like Nexium, and try that for a month. You should also get completely scoped out by a G.I. to check for ulcers, inflammation, and maybe possible CA.

MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

Hi, mililani!

I was diagnosed long ago with gastritis as well as acid reflux, and I've already been on Nexuim, which did nothing for me, and I gave it a good two months. Ulcers have already been ruled out as well. I have no idea what CA is.

My mother and two daughters have the same as me, but there symptoms include burping up food and even water, and vomiting at times. I don't have any of that, but do have pain in my solar flexus at times.

This week I seem to be going more downhill with the fatigue, and now I'm developing sores in my mouth. I'm afraid I put things off for too long, but at least I have an appt with the ENT on Friday.

Thanks for stopping by. Hugs.

MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

Oh, the CA - I was totally confused by that. You mean the cancer antigen?

Strange, I get a copy of all my blood work done every time I go. For the first time, my doctor ordered the CA 125 test. I haven't a clue why she ordered it because she never brought it up, but did look it up on the web. I was shocked to see what it was about.

Are the doctors normally calm when they order this test? She didn't show any concern or bother to tell me what she tested for. Now I'm worried that she suspects something. I've been sick for many years, and now wonder why this test is being done NOW.

I got my blood work done on Friday morning. I should get the test results by mail at the end of the week. Ugh...so worried. Sad

mililani · Regular Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 14

CA means cancer. You know, i've been diagnosed having some weird stomach and gastro problems in the past month: loss of appetite, weird gas--can't burp, sore throat, on and off mild hoarseness, inflammed nasopharynx, pressure on the throat that feels like a necktie -- makes me want to vomit, and random stomach pangs that come and go. I once threw up water that I tried chugging down cause my throat was really irritated. I think it was just stress. I had lots of stress in the past months, and the worry about cancer definitely aggravated it. I also had weird fatigue and weakness too. I also had these weird penile rash lesions that I thought was penile cancer. I was just so stressed out from that, I think it made my immune system go nuts. It looks like it turned out to be lichen planus. The steroid cream is clearing it up.

You should definitely get a full endoscope done by a GI specialist. This will help rule out stomach or throat CA.

MissD · Regular Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

mililani, we have 'some' very similar symptoms, and worrying is so bad for us, but knowing my history as well as family history, how can I not!?

Anyway, my family doc said that she wants the ENT to do the Endoscope. I know so much is going to be done in the next month, and it makes me sick even thinking about it. I have no clue how they're going to put me to sleep because they always have a hard time, and I don't even take pain killers except for tons of Advil, so it's not from any addiction.

Have you been diagnosed with cancer?

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