Hi everyone,

Im new here. Sorry for the long message!

I am a 32 year old ex-smoker. I started when I was about 15 years old, and was smoking between 10-15 cigarettes per day.

I have now kicked the habit (stopped last Thurs - haven't touched one since :)) but I am really scared that I may have developed or may get lung cancer later. I don't cough, get pains or have breathing problems or any other symptoms. The thing that made me get serious and kick the habit once and for all was after seeing a story about a man who got cancer.

When I was a baby I had chrinic ashma and a hole in the heart, which both healed up naturally, but I really can not seem to relax and enjoy life at the moment. i can't sleep either, with the fear of this awful desease. My doctor examined me and listened to my chest, and said everything appeared to be fine, and he let me have an xray at the hospital to put my mind at rest. I dont know if it was a CT xray - I am in England and I dont know if they are available on the National Health Service here. Does anyone else know of this?

Please put my mind at rest! I need comforting and reassuring and I am ashamed of the way I feel because society says that men shouldn't feel this way. I am scared to talk to my wife of my fears as I don't want to worry her.

Please help!

DazzyB.

If you haven't been getting bronchitus, pnemonia or been sick, why are you worried about getting lung cancer? There are people who never smoke who end up with it. It sounds like you may be wasting your time (and life happiness) worrying about something that may never happen and if it does, you deal with it. If you talk to your wife about this, very likely she will be worried that you're so worried not with the fact that you may have or get lung cancer. And, if you need peace of mind, the only place you'll get it is if you go to your doctor and ask him to do a few tests which I'm not sure they would do without warrant.

Smoking 10 to 15 cigarettes a day for 17 years would put you at low risk for lung cancer. Is there anywhere in England where you can get a CT Lung Scan? A CT Lung Scan is 6 times more powerful than an xray. Here in the USA the CT Lung Scan is easily available throughout the USA. I get one every year (I'm a former long term smoker). Your insurance may not cover the cost but if you can afford it you will have peace of mind.

Smoking 10 to 15 cigarettes a day for 17 years would put you at low risk for lung cancer. Is there anywhere in England where you can get a CT Lung Scan? A CT Lung Scan is 6 times more powerful than an xray. Here in the USA the CT Lung Scan is easily available throughout the USA. I get one every year (I'm a former long term smoker). Your insurance may not cover the cost but if you can afford it you will have peace of mind.

MichaelNYC,

I would need to contact my doctor and ask him what type of scan I had. I don't know much about these things, and lung cancer treatment, researches and awareness is very limited in the UK. I have to get the results in 2 weeks so I will ask him then. Thank you for your reply. I know that my concerns are trivial compared to others in this forum, and I feel a little selfish for being so worried, but I can't help the way I feel. Please rest assured that I am certainly not a hypercondriact! I an genuinely terrified after reading that article, and I think more smokers should be reading it too, instead of making stupid excuses like I used to. I used to tell myself that I won't get it - it only happens to other people or old people. It's just not worth it thinking that way...

DazzyB.

There's a lot of things you can do now to reduce the risks of cancer later in life whether you where a smoker on not. Look up thing on the Internet about diet and cancer and make some changes in your life now that "will" make a difference later... (and it'll help you get your mind off the fears you're having). I'm an ex-smoker too and smoked for about 12 years until i was about 32 and i too think about any damage i caused to myself, but I ride my bike a lot now and eat good and I think because of the changes i've made in lifestyle that my odds are pretty good of making it to nice ripe-old age. You made the best choice possible by quitting while you're young... just keep up the good work and everything will be fine :cool:

Hi Dazzy- It sounds to me like you are just fine, of course that is not a professional opinion. I too am 32 years old, and understand your fear. My husband is 44 and was diagnosed with small cell lung caner in December, and is terminal. However, he had many symptoms. He too smoke far more cigarettes in his lifetime (now a non smoker). As fast as lung cancer seems to grow, it seems you would have some indication of a disease, if there was one.

If you do not feel comfortable with the scan, ask you doctor to do blood work.

Good Luck conquering that fear. Just continue to fight any smoking sessations that might creep up and I would bet you will live disease free from lung cancer.