Anxiety is Back

[southernbelle]

Well, I have recurring shoulder joint or bone pain that radiates down my arm...it happens with activity that is strenuous. This has been going on for two or more years. Anyway, I Googled (bad idea, I know) and everything points to bone cancer. I let the anxiety beast creep up & now I am terrified! Can someone help me back off this ledge?

[cattia]

I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the unreliability of Dr google! Every headache will be a brain tumor, every ache and pain some terminal illness etc. It sounds much more like a muscular thing if it happens with strenuous activity. I have an old injury in my leg and when I walk a long way I get pain that radiates down my hip and leg.

[southernbelle]

Thank you! I know that Google is horrid, and why I think that I cab even handle what it says, I don't know why. Having HA is tricky. I find that it pops up when I hear of another friend or acquaintance being diagnosed with something...it all of a sudden makes me more aware of my own body aches & pains!

---------- Post added at 17:04 ---------- Previous post was at 14:19 ----------

Would bone cancer pain come and go for two years? Wouldn't it just get worse, more frequent or stay constant? I'm still struggling here...

---------- Post added at 17:39 ---------- Previous post was at 17:04 ----------

And now I looked that up (can it come & go for years, etc) & it points to bone cancer, as well.... I'm freaking out...why is this so hard?

[buckeroo]

ive been told off for googling lol, ive have a bad back,and ive had osteoperosis and pretty much everything else according to mr google, x

[southernbelle]

I know Googling is bad....but now it's done...and now I'm terrified!

---------- Post added at 19:38 ---------- Previous post was at 17:51 ----------

I officially have reached my limit. I'm making an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to get an official diagnosis & face my fears straight on.... I'm so scared...how can I deal with my anxiety until then?

[southernbelle]

Still terrified of bone cancer. I have an appointment next week...but the waiting is bad. My arm is hurting tonight, along the bicep area...I hate this...

[Taffy]

About 18months ago I had pain that radiated across my right chest round to my back and down my arm. It was like a burning pain and nothing seemed to aleviate it. Like you I Googled and was lead down the road of Bone Cancer! and again like you I was scared. So after numerous visits to the Doctor, including blood test, 2 MRI's (both clear), 2 months of physiotherapy and numerous massage sessions I was still left with this pain and no diagnosis. However for some reason it slowly went after a few months an it hasn't returned.

So basically I can only put it down to stress and anxiety fuelled by health anxiety. Or possibly Costocondritis (spelling?) as this can cause similar symptoms.

So I can only say to you that I doubt very, very much that you have anything sinister going on and if you did after 2 years you would be very sick by now. It all points to muscular aches and pains brought on by a combination of different things made worse by HA.

I hope this makes you feel better. :)

[southernbelle]

I don't know why I feel as though I can handle Google. I cannot. My arm/bicep & elbow are aching today. I'm also running through what I'll say to the doctor on Monday. I hope that he can give me SOME peace of mind before any tests...because I'm driving myself nutty.

[RND2011]

Hi. I had something similar last year and it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It felt at times as if the pain was coming from inside the bone itself and went from my bicep to my wrist, concentrating itself at times in the elbow but particularly bad in the forearm. I could stop the pain if I kept my arm still but otherwise it was agony.

Turns out it was actually a trapped or pinched nerve in my neck. After three visits to an osteopath the pain reduced dramatically and eventually disappeared completely though I still get the occasional twinge. The osteopath showed me a model of where the nerves run through the neck and shoulder area and it made perfect sense.