snowflake293
18-12-14, 20:03
Hi everyone
It has been a very strange day... I started on Sertraline 5 days ago and feel horrible and I know there is a chance I am more anxious because of starting the new medicine but today this happened...
Basically a few days ago I was drying my neck with a towel after a shower and noticed the skin was sore... later on I felt it and it was dry and flaky and a little bump I've had for a long time (thought nothing of it) was a bit sore. I thought it was just eczema or something and put aqueous cream on it and left it at that but this morning at work I looked at it and realised the dry skin had gone but the bump was all red and unusual looking. Definitely not like a spot in my opinion.
Anyway, I started Googling pictures of skin cancer and to my horror the pictures I saw looked like what I have on my neck. I felt very panicky and on my lunch break I went to the local walk-in centre and saw a nurse. I explained to the nurse I have health anxiety and was hoping the 'usual' thing would happen (where I am worried about a mole or a spot and they take one look, say its 'ok' then I walk out feeling relieved!) but this time it was different. She spent a long time looking at it, both with a lightpen/torch and then this sort of UV light thing (with the lights in the room off). She spent ages typing at the computer and looking in a note book (I felt sick at this point) and then said I should book an appointment to see my doctor and to 'try not to worry'!! I left it at that as I felt so sick I just wanted to get out.
How I managed to get through the afternoon I don't know, but its almost like an inner sense of calm and rationality that I don't normally get has actually kicked in. I went back to work and even managed to go and have some beauty treatments done afterwards that I'd booked a while ago as its my works Christmas party tomorrow. I found it hard to relax, but something in me is just telling me to keep on like normal and not to panic. Its really strange, I thought I'd be going out of my mind but I am ok.
I called my doctors and they had no appointments so I have to turn up 8am tomorrow and wait to be seen. I am nervous as I just had a bad feeling they will think its something nasty and want to do a biopsy and/or cut it out. Something inside me though is just telling me that whatever happens, I will just get on with it.
I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with skin cancer/skin cancer worries and how you got on?
My grandmothers on each side both had skin cancer and so did my Aunty, I am quite pale skinned and have been burned badly a few times on the back of my neck (where this thing is) so I am just trying to prepare myself for the worst.
The Sertraline is making me feel so weird. My head feels all fuzzy and I've got the worst dry mouth/thirst imaginable :( Just fed up of this never ending nightmare with my anxiety and now it seems like there is a 'real risk' I can't believe it! Right before Christmas as well. I am going to be strong and get on with it all for the sake of my partner and my family. I don't want people being upset if I do get bad news about this thing on my neck.
Any advice appreciated, about Sertraline or skin cancer/skin cancer fears. Feeling pretty strange at the moment :weep:
Love Snowflake xx
It has been a very strange day... I started on Sertraline 5 days ago and feel horrible and I know there is a chance I am more anxious because of starting the new medicine but today this happened...
Basically a few days ago I was drying my neck with a towel after a shower and noticed the skin was sore... later on I felt it and it was dry and flaky and a little bump I've had for a long time (thought nothing of it) was a bit sore. I thought it was just eczema or something and put aqueous cream on it and left it at that but this morning at work I looked at it and realised the dry skin had gone but the bump was all red and unusual looking. Definitely not like a spot in my opinion.
Anyway, I started Googling pictures of skin cancer and to my horror the pictures I saw looked like what I have on my neck. I felt very panicky and on my lunch break I went to the local walk-in centre and saw a nurse. I explained to the nurse I have health anxiety and was hoping the 'usual' thing would happen (where I am worried about a mole or a spot and they take one look, say its 'ok' then I walk out feeling relieved!) but this time it was different. She spent a long time looking at it, both with a lightpen/torch and then this sort of UV light thing (with the lights in the room off). She spent ages typing at the computer and looking in a note book (I felt sick at this point) and then said I should book an appointment to see my doctor and to 'try not to worry'!! I left it at that as I felt so sick I just wanted to get out.
How I managed to get through the afternoon I don't know, but its almost like an inner sense of calm and rationality that I don't normally get has actually kicked in. I went back to work and even managed to go and have some beauty treatments done afterwards that I'd booked a while ago as its my works Christmas party tomorrow. I found it hard to relax, but something in me is just telling me to keep on like normal and not to panic. Its really strange, I thought I'd be going out of my mind but I am ok.
I called my doctors and they had no appointments so I have to turn up 8am tomorrow and wait to be seen. I am nervous as I just had a bad feeling they will think its something nasty and want to do a biopsy and/or cut it out. Something inside me though is just telling me that whatever happens, I will just get on with it.
I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with skin cancer/skin cancer worries and how you got on?
My grandmothers on each side both had skin cancer and so did my Aunty, I am quite pale skinned and have been burned badly a few times on the back of my neck (where this thing is) so I am just trying to prepare myself for the worst.
The Sertraline is making me feel so weird. My head feels all fuzzy and I've got the worst dry mouth/thirst imaginable :( Just fed up of this never ending nightmare with my anxiety and now it seems like there is a 'real risk' I can't believe it! Right before Christmas as well. I am going to be strong and get on with it all for the sake of my partner and my family. I don't want people being upset if I do get bad news about this thing on my neck.
Any advice appreciated, about Sertraline or skin cancer/skin cancer fears. Feeling pretty strange at the moment :weep:
Love Snowflake xx