feeling scared

hello all, well this week has been hell. On Wenesday I had to rush to the opthmalogist. I was sitting in front of my computer and I looked away, and all of a sudden White spots, or squigglies. I remained calm, I was so proud of myself I went into my bosses office and said calmly. I need to go to my eye doctor. I will be back. He asked why I said for some reason I am seeing white spots, and I am not sure why. Then I got in the car and started freakishly balling. The doctor said it was an ocilar migrane (migraine). OK HOPE THAT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. Then today I find out a friend of mine has lung cancer. This freaks me out because 1. she is young in her 50's, and 2. I only quit smoking 6 1/2 yrs ago, and I was 12 when I started, and 26 when I quit. Well you can do the math.  I already have asthma, and severe anxiety about my breathing, so My chest is heavy all the time. I also have major health anxiety. Thanks for letting vent. Have a great night.

[Raine9]

just curious, is your friend a smoker?

i get paranoid about getting lung cancer too.  i'm not a smoker but i was exposed to second hand smoke as a child (my father was a smoker) the chance is small but i've read of actual non-smokers getting lung cancer because they were exposed during childhood.  also i used to go to las vegas a lot and spent many hours next to smokers.  at least you stopped smoking.  you decreased your chances of getting cancer already!  there are people who smoked so much more than you and never get cancer.  my husband's two grandfathers smoked for many years.  they quit in their sixties, i think.  one went on to live to 86 and died of complications from diabetes and the other lived to be 92 and died of natural causes.  my husband's father smoked since he was 16 or 17. he is 65 now and so far so good.

but like i said at least you quit smoking.  my husbands friend has been smoking since junior high, she is 36 now and she is still smoking!  try not to worry about it.  i heard that french scientists are coming up with a blood test that will detect small cell lung cancer (the type that smokers usually get) in it's very early stages.  so hopefully doctors will start using this to detect lung cancer early and cure it.  

try not to worry.  listen to some bob marley. his music always makes me feel good.

[tke5768]

Thank-you, I really do try not to worry, the thoughts just rush in my head, the moore I try not to think about it the moore I do. I realize I have lessened my chances, but it still doesn't take away the suffering that I see these people going through. By the way she was a smoker, she quit 3 months ago. I am 32,and I have major symptoms all the time of lung cancer, so I am trying to decide weather this is anxiety or not. God I really hope that ( cbt) helps that cognative behavior therapy. Thanks again

[Giveypup]

Get an alternate year CAT scan; it will show early (and curable) lung cancer, which equates with greater survivability.  An x-ray is worthless as it cannot image the rice-size/small lesions, which are surviveable.

You will have to pay for this--300-500 dollars, unless you show a malignancy, then your insurance will pay for the CT scan and subsequent PET and CT scans.  

Former smokers, second-hand non-smokers, and non-smoking/no exposure to 2nd hand smoke women are at risk for lung CA.  My younger sister, 42 years old, never smoked and never had a smoke exposure, and was just diagnosed--a healthy runner who only eats organic.  Hers was an early finding--clean margins, no mets or lymp involvement.  I, too, was scanned since cancers in the young are considered to have a genetic component.

Good luck.