Ellarwe
18-05-12, 14:42
Hi. I'm new here but I've been browsing for a while and think maybe you can all help me set my mind at rest :)
I've recently been seeing my doctor for a lump sensation in my throat that is ongoing, it feels like when you are trying not to try and is situated near the base of my throat. It first popped up around March time after a singing session I was participating in, and I've had it on and off since then. I stopped signing for a while fearing my vocal chords had been damaged, and the sensation went. But then a couple of weeks after that I had quite a stressful time at work and the sensation came back even worse during that time. I felt for a physical lump, but there's nothing there out of the ordinary... my speech isn't hindered, I can still swallow and eat fine.. I did notice quite a bit of mucus draining down my throat, but I've had that for years and its never caused me problems before.
I got so worried that I went to the drs about it lots of times, and the Dr sent me for blood tests as I'd experienced heart palpitations last year. After examination he said there was nothing there in my throat, suspecting that the sensation was caused by worry. He said he would speak further with me when my blood tests came back. The feeling disappeared, and then I called to get my test results and as soon as I'd made another appointment to see the dr, guess what... the lump was back.
The tests came back fine and there was nothing medical causing this feeling. He then tested me for depression and anxiety, and concluded that I had quite bad anxiety centred about health and a lack of self confidence... but not depression. He said that I should consider some cognitive behavioural therapy sessions to improve my outlook towards illness and life in general to stop me from being so focussed on health problems. I felt immediately better after that, just knowing it isn't medical made everything better.
A month has passed since, but at the beginning of this week the feeling is back, I've been off work with a sickness bug and since that's cleared up the lump sensation has returned.
I know it probably is just anxiety as I dont notice the lump feeling when i'm distracted (like reading or out with friends for example), but I (like so many other people I presume) just convince myself that it's something worse like cancer and that the dr has missed it. I suffer from a permanently swollen glad in my cheek, that I saw a specialist for my entire childhood and i convinced myself recently that this was cancerous, despite the fact it's not changed shape or become painful in years. I also get a swollen gland in my groin that came up last year (specialist said I may get more), but that gland disappeared after 4 days.
The dr said to me that most people do assume that it is cancer when they feel something in their throat, but it very rarely is. I feel immediately fine after seeing the dr, then the doubt creeps back in. I haven't done this cognitive behaviour therapy yet, but I think it's time I do it...
I'm not depressive at all (i'm actually quite an upbeat person when i'm not worrying!) but I seem to have convinced myself that I'll die young...I can't think about the future because i don't believe I have one... does that make sense?
My mother has a lot of health problems (none cancer) and they are hereditary, but those don't bother me as they are treatable with medication. My grandad on my mothers side died of cancer (caused by the conditions he worked in his entire life) and his sister died of cancer, my gran (mother's mum) has skin cancer caused by sunbathing when she was very young... So none of these cancers occurred on their own, they all had a reason for occuring.
Does anyone else suffer from this lump sensation who can try and snap me out of this, or at least give me advice? I'm sorry about the essay.. :roflmao: I tend to go on a bit!
I've recently been seeing my doctor for a lump sensation in my throat that is ongoing, it feels like when you are trying not to try and is situated near the base of my throat. It first popped up around March time after a singing session I was participating in, and I've had it on and off since then. I stopped signing for a while fearing my vocal chords had been damaged, and the sensation went. But then a couple of weeks after that I had quite a stressful time at work and the sensation came back even worse during that time. I felt for a physical lump, but there's nothing there out of the ordinary... my speech isn't hindered, I can still swallow and eat fine.. I did notice quite a bit of mucus draining down my throat, but I've had that for years and its never caused me problems before.
I got so worried that I went to the drs about it lots of times, and the Dr sent me for blood tests as I'd experienced heart palpitations last year. After examination he said there was nothing there in my throat, suspecting that the sensation was caused by worry. He said he would speak further with me when my blood tests came back. The feeling disappeared, and then I called to get my test results and as soon as I'd made another appointment to see the dr, guess what... the lump was back.
The tests came back fine and there was nothing medical causing this feeling. He then tested me for depression and anxiety, and concluded that I had quite bad anxiety centred about health and a lack of self confidence... but not depression. He said that I should consider some cognitive behavioural therapy sessions to improve my outlook towards illness and life in general to stop me from being so focussed on health problems. I felt immediately better after that, just knowing it isn't medical made everything better.
A month has passed since, but at the beginning of this week the feeling is back, I've been off work with a sickness bug and since that's cleared up the lump sensation has returned.
I know it probably is just anxiety as I dont notice the lump feeling when i'm distracted (like reading or out with friends for example), but I (like so many other people I presume) just convince myself that it's something worse like cancer and that the dr has missed it. I suffer from a permanently swollen glad in my cheek, that I saw a specialist for my entire childhood and i convinced myself recently that this was cancerous, despite the fact it's not changed shape or become painful in years. I also get a swollen gland in my groin that came up last year (specialist said I may get more), but that gland disappeared after 4 days.
The dr said to me that most people do assume that it is cancer when they feel something in their throat, but it very rarely is. I feel immediately fine after seeing the dr, then the doubt creeps back in. I haven't done this cognitive behaviour therapy yet, but I think it's time I do it...
I'm not depressive at all (i'm actually quite an upbeat person when i'm not worrying!) but I seem to have convinced myself that I'll die young...I can't think about the future because i don't believe I have one... does that make sense?
My mother has a lot of health problems (none cancer) and they are hereditary, but those don't bother me as they are treatable with medication. My grandad on my mothers side died of cancer (caused by the conditions he worked in his entire life) and his sister died of cancer, my gran (mother's mum) has skin cancer caused by sunbathing when she was very young... So none of these cancers occurred on their own, they all had a reason for occuring.
Does anyone else suffer from this lump sensation who can try and snap me out of this, or at least give me advice? I'm sorry about the essay.. :roflmao: I tend to go on a bit!