Advice please - coping techniques

[Munchlet]

So I went back to the doctor this morning, told her how I've convinced myself I have leukemia or lymphoma and gave her my never ending list of symptoms.

Her words were "there are absolutely no red flag symptoms and nothing you have told me takes me along the lines of leukemia or lymphoma"

She then went on to say that she thinks I have a lot of thyroid symptoms and having an under or overactive thyroid can make you feel very unwell. She also said that everything I've told her just leads her to believe that I have some kind of hormone imbalance going on and she really wants me to get my blood tests done.

She offered to do the blood test there but I was so scared I said no. Anyway I also got her to feel an area under my arm where I keep thinking I have a lymph node that comes up and down and she said that pushing in as deep as she could she couldn't feel a single node so there definitely wasn't anything there.

So long and short of it is Doctor has tried to reassure me as much as she can but as she said no one can 100% say you don't have a disease but she doesn't think for one minute I do.

So I have to get the blood tests done, thing is I now I will be an absolute jibbering wreck and be jumping everytime the phone rings. I'm already thinking about how I'll cope when they ring and say you need to come to hospital your blood tests are abnormal etc etc. I just can't seem to get my head straight and don't know how to cope whilst I'm waiting for the results.

Can anyone offer any advice on how they get through these waiting phases and any distraction methods etc?

thanks

[bluetopazgirl]

Hi just wanted to send you massive hugs, you will know if you have read my posts i have the same fears.

I have just had several blood tests which was testing everything and all came back normal and i am happy to say i feel somewhat relieved.

The way i cope is mainly because i have a family so my children keep me on my toes, if i am having a bad day when they are at school, i go on ebay. i don't buy i just look and search lol.. it passes the day and keeps me sane! music is the key for me too.

good luck x

[Munchlet]

Thank you november that's really kind of you.

It's horrible isn't it, I have a 9 year old who keeps me on my toes but it's just keeping your mind occupied and trying not to think about it. I'm going to have to just bite the bullet I think! x

[JustJay]

I suffer similar anxieties about my heart, and as such have had to have a myriad of tests done, all of which have caused extreme anxiety, the worst of which was a cardiac angiogram CT. This involved taking drugs that slowed my pounding heart down and having dye pumped through my veins whilst getting put in a huge machine. As you can imagine it was harrowing, and I ended up in resuscitation, heart rate went up to 243.
BUT, all this anxiety didn't change a thing, I still went ahead and had the tests, I still took a second dose of heart slowing drugs, and clenched my teeth and went into the machine, and was told my heart is fine, if I hadn't went ahead I'd still have those doubts.
Don't let this debilitating condition rule you, get the tests, get the all clear, which you will, and take another step to getting well.
Good luck. Jay.

[Munchlet]

Thank you JustJay your post reminded me of my own heart scares many years ago, whilst waiting for an ecg my pulse was over 160, my blood pressure was 160/100 I was convinced I would keel over on the table but the ECG was absolutely normal.

It's so horrible what anxiety does to the mind and the body.

I have booked my blood test for tomorrow, I will be petrified but I'm making myself ill with worry anyway so figure I need to know one way or the other.

Thanks for your reply :)

[Mindknot]

Am having blood tests done tomorrow too, my doctor has already booked an appointment next week to talk through the results with me which I find reassuring - because I'm not just phoning the receptionist to ask them what the results were! Maybe ask your doc if they will do the same.

[3tikes]

well done on biting the bullet, i can't offer ant advise as i'm in a similar predicament/state of mind to you. I've just cancelled a blood test scheduled for this afternnon and rebooked for next week as i'm seeing the doc again on the Friday. I didn't want the test to be done today for the surgery to ring me and say the results are abnormal and then worrying for over a week before i see the doctor next week. This way they will probably ring on the Thursday and i'll only have a day until i see him.
I'm not expecting miracles as the tests i had done last week showed i had very low Ferritin levels even though my iron count was just in the normal range so now having to take 3 iron tablets a day and my Liver result was low and just out of range at 9 instead of 10. As you can imagine i'm thinking this CRP test will show up something nasty.
Good luck with it all. If your Thyroid is to blame don't worry too much, mine was all over the place last September and November but the levels have righted themselves now. x

[Munchlet]

Thank you guys, I'm just contemplating cancelling the appointmet I've been worrying myself sick all day and I've also just read (yes I've googled someone slap me) that a high WBC count can be caused by stress so my results are bound to be abnormal.

[3tikes]

Bless you Munchlet.
If you look on the flip side, you could have the tests, the results are likely to come back normal and that will immediately reduce your fears and put your mind at ease. It is horrible I know but if you don't have them you may still be thinking 'what if' :hugs:
And also stop googling lol, easy to say I know. I've spent the entire weekend and yesterday doing it and it's made my HA escalate to an all time high!!! I even googled what the whites of your eyes should look like as mine look off colour!!! I had previously managed a whole 3 months of non-googling computing action hehe.

[Gemma321]

I had a blood test for lymphoma back in april after feeling little glands in my neck and even thougb the doctor has reassured me that they were nothing and that he was only sending me for the test for my peace of mind... I still worried!!! I found my family a big help, they kept me busy and kept reminding why i had been set for the test, and it came back all clear... Staying busy is the key and look forward to having healthy results as i am sure you will.... Doctors know from touching a lump or bump whether it's a concern to them... They knwo their stuff, it's just hard to trust them with health anxiety xxxx

[Munchlet]

Thank you for your replies this forum is so much help, just to know others go through the same things makes me feel that I'm not completely alone.

I've cancelled the blood test, the doctor has given me beta blockers to try and calm me down but I'm in such a state my allergies are through the roof and nothing is alleviating them and that can increase WBC so coupled with that and my stress levels I feel sure that the WBC will be all over the place and that's just going to add to my anxiety.

I feel like I need to try and get my allergies under control and just take the beta blockers for a few days to try and calm myself down!

I know I have to get the blood test done and I will I just need to be in the right frame of mind if that makes sense.