New here- should have been a long time ago

[Neochiq]

Hi everyone.

I'll just start out laying it all out there. I am a 30 year old female, have a 14 month old and a wonderful husband :-) I also have had severe anxiety since I was 13. It's awful to live like this. Every day I worry horribly that I have cancer or some other deadly thing.

Nobody really gets it do they?

Right now my latest thing is that I think I have a spinal tumor. I have numbness and tingling in my extremities (especially my right leg) and back pain....I try to make myself feel better by telling myself that a)my breasts are a size H and I'm breastfeeding and b) my son is 27lbs and not walking yet so I carry him all over!

Sometimes I get shooting pains down my arm and legs... Etc...

I have a lower back X-ray tomorrow but it won't help me because you can't view spinal tumors on an X-ray!

What do you all think? Thanks... And glad to have found support

[aggiecuttler]

anxiety is not joke, tingling can come from anxiety and panic its the lack of oxygen. shooting pains could be siatica, i have that very painful, at least with the x-ray they can check you have not hurt your back from carrying your baby etc. I am sure you do not have anything to worry about i think a spinal tumour very unlikely

[owlkeeper]

Hi Neochiq,

Oh my... Yes a 14 month old that doesn't walk yet and still breastfeeding really really puts a strain on your back. (But awesome that you still feed your baby yourself!! It is really the best milk they can get!!) It's the combination of all of it. I wouldn't really be afraid of a spinal tumor, but if money or insurance allows it I'd still have my back checked out if I were you.. Sometimes it can be fixed with some muscle exercises, but sometimes you can also have a trapped nerve which can be massaged out etc.

Next to that some tips from when I was still breastfeeding my kids:
*Calcium!! And plenty of it! (In Cheese, Green vegs, yoghurt etc.)
*Sleep while "hugging" a pillow if you sleep on your side. It helps support your posture and if wanted you can also place it between your breast to support one when on your side
*Use pillows while feeding to support your child and rest your arms
*Learn your child to cling on to you (clamp their legs around you) That way it puts less strain on your arms while holding your child
*Ask your partner/friend/relative to lift your child for you every now and then

I hope you will feel better soon!

[Neochiq]

Thanks everyone. The back X-ray came back clear (lower back) of course now I am telling myself that it's in my central back and they couldn't see it.

I have been seeing a counselor for my anxiety and its not that she isn't helping but we've only had 4 sessions so that's my only issue.

Anyhow- more so than that I've moved on to thinking the numbness or tingling is due to an ovarian cancer or something and that a tumor is pressing on my nerves. I have some abdominal pain and of course in my head it is not as simple as a muscle strain... I'm convinced it is ovarian cancer. Sigh. I hate living like this. It's not fun

[newartriot]

I'm 29 and I've always been a worried and this week alone I've been through every worry and cancer that exists. I'm driving everyone around me crazy. Wish I had an answer for you. All I can say is you're not alone. :hugs:

Nick