Blood tests

[cpe1978]

Hi All,

I hesitate even to post this as I have done so well the past few days, but alongside the positivity I am trying to cut off any lingering doubts I have.

I have had a couple of more enduring anxieties in recent weeks. Most revolve around neurological conditions, however and bizarrely I went to see a chiropractor today as my back is shot since starting a new job who did a whole host of strength and reflex tests which pretty much convinced me that I am quite strong lol.

I have always had a lingering anxiety about testicular cancer. When I was 20 I had a lump which was just a cyst. From time to time though it aches and just makes me question myself. I don't want to run off to the doctor.

So, I had a blood test last week which was a FBC with thyroid, kidney and liver function. It was all overwhelmingly normal. Hypothetically speaking, were I to have had testicular cancer (or in fact any other sort), is it likely that some abnormality would have shown in the blood test (although I wholly understand that it would have just been a sign of something wrong).

[Chili9]

hi CPE1978

I have just had FBC tests taken on Friday and I asked the nurse what exactly it will be looking for and she said vitamin/iron levels, inflammation levels, white blood count, thyroid and I think that was it...and normally if your inflammation levels are high or whatever then they would have asked to speak to you as it could obviously indicate inflammation in the body and when I discussed this with my doctor once, he said that if it was anything to worry about then the blood tests wouldn't have been normal so please don't worry. I have a cyst (sorry on my ovary) and it comes and goes and it's been there for years. My doctor says that they are nothing to woory about unless they are causing you discomfort and need removed! :)

[cpe1978]

Thanks Chili I suspected as much but it helps to hear it from the mouth of a GP.

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:50 ----------

Actually though I did go back for an appointment to discuss the results with my GP who is fab. Even though I was paying for CBT privately she kept on offering to refer me (I like my therapist so am happy to pay), she discussed meds at length and we agreed they weren't right. She listened to all my physical symptoms and at the end asked me what I wanted to do.

I suggested that instead of feeling the urge to run to the GP every two mins that we have a standard appointment every six weeks or so for a while to monitor both my mental health and to provide an outlet for crazy transient symptoms, and in suppose to monitor how CBT is going etc, as she quite rightly said, she is there equally to look after my mental a s well as physical health.

There isa big drive in the NHS at the moment called parity of esteem which is a campaign to give mental health an equal footing to physical. Can't come soon enough, it really is luck of the draw when you get a GP.