When you have real symptoms??

[sel123]

Hi there -

I’ve struggled with health anxiety for a long time and while I’ve ben worried about a number of things my biggest fear has been BC.

Last month I felt something that I hadn’t felt before but I also don’t do manual checks because I have fibrocystic breasts and will always find something. So to be honest it may have been there for a while and when I had my mammo in November but I don’t know.

I tried to manage my anxiety and not run to the drs but my anxiety has been terrible as I feel like IÂ’m facing my biggest fear. I went to an urgent care yesterday and the dr on call pretty much yelled at me for coming in saying this wasn’t as emergency etc etc

She felt the area I was worried about and did feel the bump (so now I know I’m not making it up) but the only thing she said was “this is moveable” and then she seemed annoyed.

She then told me that as an emergency dr all she can do is send me for an u/s OR I can see my family GP who has all my history and my recent mammogram (which was clear in November). She was not at all sympathetic to my anxiety and the fact I was quite emotional. I said I’ll see my Dr and she said good idea and that was it. It was a huge reminder to not see urgent care drs for me.

So obviously I would like her to have said that it was fine or that she couldn’t feel it, but now I know that my GP is probably going to send me for an U/S and that will be more waiting. I feel like a zombie. I’m crying all the time and so not engaged with life. I can’t sleep and I’m actually thinking I may not be able to work as I feel so terrible.

I hate this so much. I am speaking to a couple of OCD therapists this week as clearly I need some help.

How do you manage your HA when symptoms present that are not anxiety?

[Scissel]

I hope you are able to get some benefit from these new ODC therapists this week. Good luck!

Sal

[Lencoboy]

I tried to manage my anxiety and not run to the drs but my anxiety has been terrible as I feel like IÂ’m facing my biggest fear. I went to an urgent care yesterday and the dr on call pretty much yelled at me for coming in saying this wasn’t as emergency etc etc

She felt the area I was worried about and did feel the bump (so now I know I’m not making it up) but the only thing she said was “this is moveable” and then she seemed annoyed.

She then told me that as an emergency dr all she can do is send me for an u/s OR I can see my family GP who has all my history and my recent mammogram (which was clear in November). She was not at all sympathetic to my anxiety and the fact I was quite emotional. I said I’ll see my Dr and she said good idea and that was it. It was a huge reminder to not see urgent care drs for me.

Sounds like your Dr has been rather dismissive. While I totally understand that time and money is often rather tight for the medical profession (and many other 'services') these days, I personally have a feeling that certain 'professionals' often 'milk' this current situation in order to justify their jobsworthiness, perpetual laziness, and 'can't be bothered' attitudes, plus I believe the recent pandemic also exacerbated such attitudes even further.

And not just in the medical profession, but virtually across the board.

[Fishmanpa]

Sounds like your Dr has been rather dismissive. While I totally understand that time and money is often rather tight for the medical profession (and many other 'services') these days, I personally have a feeling that certain 'professionals' often 'milk' this current situation in order to justify their jobsworthiness, perpetual laziness, and 'can't be bothered' attitudes, plus I believe the recent pandemic also exacerbated such attitudes even further.

And not just in the medical profession, but virtually across the board.

That's not the case here. Urgent care is for 'URGENT' issues. This was not 'urgent'. Clear tests and a history of fibrocystic breasts affirm that. If the OP was that concerned, a call to her doctor and not rushing off to 'urgent' care would have been in order. I'm with the urgent care doctor on this one and depending on how busy the clinic was, she had actual cases and patients to see. The pattern of HA sufferers that visit urgent care clinics, ERs, getting unnecessary tests and such due to their fears and ramping up the dragon with Dr. Google is well documented here and has nothing to do with the things you mentioned.

Getting help for the real issue (anxiety/HA/OCD) is the best solution.

FMP

[sel123]

This is all so true and believe me I wonÂ’t be taking that route again.

IÂ’m seeing my GP which I agree shouldÂ’ve done in the first place. It was the panic that sent me to Urgent Care but agree not the best thing to do.

[Sparkling_Fairy]

I undestand it though. Hindsight is 20/20.
I went to the out of hours doctor last week but my first instinct was to go to the emergency room. Panic was just sending me that way. I thought rationally and realized it wasn't an emergency and I would be using up resources for other people. But when you're in a state of panic, that's not something you think about.
Lesson learned, don't be too hard on yourself.
In terms of managing your HA when you have an actual physical issue, there's not much to say other than you just do. You do like you always do. People always think they're not managing their anxiety, but the fact that you live with it every day no matter how crippling it is, means you are managing it. You get through each day, one day at a time. And that's what you'll do with this one

[sel123]

Thank you!!!!

The panic can be so intense. I read and re-read a book called “Needing to Know for Sure” which addresses how to stop this need for certainty.

I did end up seeing my doctor and the comfort of seeing someone who is compassionate and cares reminded me why I won’t be doing any more urgent care trips.

He did a full exam and doesn’t think that’s it’s anything to worry about - he must’ve said it 4/5 times. He’s sending me for a non-urgent ultrasound which sounds like protocol. At first I was feeling a tremendous amount of relief but then the adrenaline quickly faded and I fell back into worry land again. As is the case with HA! I was hoping I wouldn’t need any more tests but I’m sure if he didn’t order an U/S I would’ve questioned that too. My brain doesn’t stop and waiting for tests is agonizing.

I’m just going to try to keep busy, keep moving and doing whatever I can in the interim.

Thanks for reading

[sel123]

I am so sorry for the double post!! I’m hoping writing this helps clear my head as I have a lot I need to do today and right now feel awful.

I can’t sleep and then wake up with terrible dread. Of course I fell down a rabbit hole last night and read bad stories. All I can think about are my kids and how much they need me.

I wish I had started medication. I can really see now that without it I’m just not going to get out of this. I’ve suffered from HA most of my life but this last decade has been the worst and I’ve wasted so much time.

I honestly thought I would be OK this week after my Dr’s appt and that I would be able to relax until the ultrasound. It’s not happening and now I’m terrified that they will send me for more tests. I honestly can’t believe I’m here again.

Thanks for reading.

[Lana]

Hello ,

To have something after clan mammogram in November is almost unheard of. You should not worry. Really.

[always scared]

Have you seen your doctor?
How are you doing?