Cried at the doctors

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi everyone,

For the past few days I've been sure I've had appendicitis and been to A+E and my GP twice now, and no doctor I've seen thinks it's appendicitis. And also since yesterday my fears of pancreatic cancer have came back, because of the location of the pain, combined with my previous symptoms.

I went back to my GP this morning because he wanted to see me again, I told him about the pains location, he prodded me a few times again, and said you think it's appendicitis still don't you? I said yes, and he went on to explain if it was then when he prodded me in certain places I would have been in so much pain and also the muscles around the appendix would be tight trying to protect the area, and he said they're still quite soft, and because I've had this since Saturday the pain would have be curled up on the floor by now.

Then in my head I was telling myself if it's not appendicitis then it must be pancreatic cancer, so I got up the nerve to tell him and he looked me in the eye and said 'you don't have pancreatic cancer, it would be completely unheard of in someone your're age' he went on to ask why I thought I had it, and I just said the symptoms all fit and burst into tears.

When I'd calmed myself down a little, he said it would be totally unheard of again, and said if I really wanted he could get a scan on my liver, pancreas, and gallbladder; and he wants to see me again on Friday where we can talk about my pain and fears, and then maybe organise a scan.

I feel a little bit better, but not totally because for the last few days I've been googling 'pancreatic cancer under 30', and have found quite a few stories :-(

I just wanted to get all this off my chest basically, he asked me if I could see the pattern of health anxiety, and I said yes but I can't always put things down to anxiety because anxiety isn't going to kill me, but cancer etc will, so I want to rule out the most serious first.

He's put me on Sertraline, because I said that Citalopram didn't ever really help me.

I just hope that I can survive until Friday and this pain goes away, I'm on so many tablets already that I'm scared to start the Sertraline. (Currently taking Co-codamol, Ibuprofen, Buscopan, Senna and Lactulose liquid).

I'm sure many of you can probable relate to what I've said, and I wonder if anyone can give me any advice to last till Friday relatively panic free?

Jim

P.S. Sorry for the long post

[justina]

To last until Friday relatively panic-free... no, I don't know how to do that:whistles:
Physical exercise like walking, running...usually helps a little..?

[swgrl09]

It sounds like you have a good doctor who is very understanding. I think you just need to try to take it one day at a time and only focus on what is in front of you. It is so hard to do when you are convinced you have a terminal illness, I've been there myself many times. But remind yourself each time a fear pops into your head that your doctor is aware of everything, is not worried, and is following up with you. Also remind yourself that you are taking medication now to help you in the long run.

I had a therapist tell me that when my thoughts start to get carried away to picture a stop sign and force my thoughts elsewhere, which is not so easy. But you can do it. You will make it until Friday. Your doctor would not have sent you home if you wouldn't.

[Zingything]

Try using some distraction techniques - when you feel anxious about your health watch a DVD, read a book, go for a walk etc.

[Annie0904]

Your doctor has more or less told you that you have nothing seriously wrong with you and he is seeing you again and sending you for the tests just to reassure you about what he already knows that it is nothing serious. You seem to have a very nice, caring doctor. I am lucky to have one the same who understands my worries and does more tests just to reassure me. Try to be positive and tell yourself that you are getting the reassurance that you need to tell you that you are fine :hugs:

[ElectricAlice]

I'm glad your DR seems to understand health anxiety a bit :)

And that's great your appendix is fine! You can definitely stop worrying about that too :)

I can seriously, seriously relate to your worrying. Last year I convinced myself I had a rare type of breast cancer. I was constantly checking for the symptoms and actually started convincing myself fully in my head. I went 3 times to the DR's and each time she told me there was nothing to worry about. The last time I went she said she'd send me for a scan, of course this just made my fear worse, because I was thinking 'she must think something is wrong'.

In the run up to the scan I spent hours and hours searching the internet. Everyday would be spent looking for stories and symptoms and just everything related.

When the day of the scan arrived reality and logic sort of set in. I realised the chances of me getting breast cancer, at 22, with no family history was... well almost null.

I was of course, absolutely fine.

But I learnt my lesson: NEVER GOOGLE.

You may think it's helping you. But honestly, if you can spend the week until Friday staying off Google, it will help you - so SO much. Use the forums to express your concerns, but just make a promise with yourself and all of us at NMP that you won't google anymore.

The chances of you having pancreatic cancer are so, so small. The DR wouldn't even have said that if he had any doubts. He's only sending you to the scan to reassure you.

You will be fine :) I would bet my bank account on it! (You wouldn't get much though :P)

I know this is a weird way of looking at it; but sometimes an acceptance is helpful. When I was freaking out about my tonsils (thinking I had tonsil cancer). I actually sat and thought "if I do have it, I have it - worrying won't solve anything and the survival rate is so high at the moment!" - weird thinking, but sometimes that helps too.

Besides the point anyway - because you are going to be just fine :)

Just stay off Google.

Or google "ways to cope with health anxiety" look into CBT methods, exercises to prevent worrying. Start a hobby this week to distract yourself. A good computer game. Just block out all negative thought - accept you have health anxiety, acknowledge your fear and just say "no" and move passed it.

Good luck - you'll do great :)

[Pipkin]

Jim,

I think I've said before that your problem is anxiety, not the other illnesses you think you have. I know it doesn't always help to reassure you but you've got to try your best to listen to what your GP's telling you. Dr. Google can't examine you or listen to your individual symptoms and, of course, if you search for 'pancreatic cancer under 30' you're going to get some hits which your mind will then match with all the symptoms you have. You've got to stop googling! Seriously.

If you don't get some help for your anxiety, you'll be here in 10 years' time, still alive and kicking, wondering why you wasted all those years when you should have been enjoying yourself. I'm talking from personal experience (not HA but GAD) and I really hate to see others heading down the same path. If I could give you some advice, it would be:

Take the meds your GP has prescribed and talk to some people on here who've been helped by sertraline - there are loads of people here who will be more than happy to share their experience.
Get a referral for some therapy.
Make some fundamental changes in your life - do more exercise and eat healthily (more fibre and you won't need senna or lactulose - no wonder you have stomach pains) and it should also help with the cramps.
I don't know if you work but a job, or an engaging hobby, is about the best distraction there is, if you can manage it.

These sound like obvious things but if you're prepared to put in the effort, I absolutely guarantee that in a couple of months' time, you'll feel so much better and will look back and realise where you were going wrong.

I'm not saying it's always that simple and that it's the cure all - if it was, there would be no-one on this site. What I'm saying is that you will feel better and be in a better position to get things into perspective so that the next time you feel off colour, you won't be typing 'am I dying' into google everyday.

I'm really trying my best to help you and hope you'll consider this seriously.

Take care

Pip

[nomorepanic]

Jim

Does the GP know about all the medication you are taking - in particular the Buscopan, Senna and Lactulose liquid?

Some excellent replies from people to you though.

[Anxiety Jim]

Thanks for the messages everyone, and it's helped knowing that I'm not alone. I think I do have a very good doctor, he told me that it's OK to come and see him if I'm worried about a symptom, but that he thinks the main thing that needs sorting is my health anxiety.

He also said it's not just his job to look at symptoms and arrange scans it's also his job to protect me from scans I don't need because they will make me more anxious than I already am.

I'm going to write a list of everything I'm worried about and take it on Friday when I see him I think. And it will give me a few days to write everything down so I don't come out of the doctors and think I forgot to mention such and such a symptom, I must have that.



Does the GP know about all the medication you are taking - in particular the Buscopan, Senna and Lactulose liquid?


He prescribed me the Buscopan yesterday and the Senna and Lactulose today, so I guess he knows...

I've managed to stop googling appendicitis and pancreatic cancer, but I've now been googling about these white bumps on my upper leg, which have been growing very slowly over the last 6 months. So that's going to be second on my list after the abdomen pain for Friday I think.

I'm going to stay away from google as much as I can, starting with changing it from my home page.

I've going to play a few games on my phone and put a DVD on I think, and I'm going to make sure it's one without many deaths/disease in!

Thank you everyone so much for you help over the last few weeks. Reading about people having similar things, and worrying about a lot of different things has helped, but I still can't get the "It's rare, but what if I DO have it..." questions out of my head.

Thanks again everyone.

[ElectricAlice]

Great to hear :) You can do it! Such a good idea to stay off Google, well done for making a plan to do something. It's a brilliant, positive first step :). It'll pay off and you'll be fine!

[angrry]

Hi Jim, I'm really glad your visit to the doctor went well. I agree with the other responses, stay off google, it doesn't help. Are you seeing a therapist or psychologist at all? They can be really helpful with health anxiety. After many years I decided I needed to see one. I have my second visit tomorrow.

My trip to the doctor yesterday went well too. I got the same answer from my doc as you did. It isn't pancreatic cancer. I am still waiting for my abdominal scan but he did send me for blood tests to check liver function and all enzyme levels. I really hope you feel better soon. I think that soon both of us will be over our current fears and can look forward to long healthy lives. Take care Jim.

[Elle-Kay]

I'm glad your Dr is being supportive of your health anxiety. That is good.

On the query over the senna, lactulose etc. from experience I can say those are needed if you are taking co-codamol for any length of time (e.g. more than 2-3 days). I take co-codamol for my migraines, and if I get a bad attack where I have to take it regularly for a few days the codeine element causes terrible constipation! This would only add to Jim's abdominal pain which I suspect is why the senna etc. has been prescribed.

[Anxiety Jim]

My trip to the doctor yesterday went well too. I got the same answer from my doc as you did. It isn't pancreatic cancer.

That's great news from the doctor angrry.



My constipation started a day or two before I started on the co-codamol, so could be related to the abdominal pain I started having on Saturday and not just the co-codamol which I only started yesterday.


The pain is not so bad when I'm sitting still or lying still, but as soon as I try to stand up it's almost crippling, and it always feels like I need to stretch my abdomen somehow, and when I push my belly out it hurts a lot too. I just wish I new what this pain was, and how to end it.

Also my Dr did say that he understands how I must be feeling, and said that together we will be able to overcome my health anxiety.

[Anxiety Jim]

The trying not to panic until Friday isn't going so well. The pain is so bad when I stand up I now yet out a small yelp and I've never had pain like it, the pain feels very tight all over the lower right abdomen.

It feels like I need to stretch it, and once I've been standing for a couple of minutes the pain is a lot less than what it was, but still quite bad.

I'm worried the pain on standing is going to become so bad I won't be able to get up at all.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? Something that's at it's worst on standing? I'm trying to avoid google at the moment.

Thanks everyone,