A new fear..Sarcoma

[khaleesifreakouts]

A couple of months back I put up a post on here convinced I had oral cancer due to a red swollen lymph node. The lovely people on the forum did ease my anxiety whilst I waited for my doctors appointment..the doctor confirmed my nodes had swollen to fight infection & I had a particularly nasty insect bite nearby that has caused the swelling. Nevertheless I feel that I have been missing a far more genuine cause for concern. A few months back I noticed a lump on my lower arm, it seemed a bit like a dry patch but I realised there was a moveable lump underneath. Id also been experiencing a lot of pain in that arm. In any case I forgot about it until now, due to noticing the pain again a lot. I felt so relieved as the last issue was a false alarm but I'm now utterly convinced I have a rare and deadly disease. Don't know how to keep things together!

[Wanderlust]

Bouncing from one thing to another is normal, .. frustrating ... but normal.

First thing, book the docs, get it looked at (if you havnt already), a quick check will have that cleared up, they are very very good at distinguishing nasties like that.
Second thing, have you done/are you doing and kind of CBT or behavioural therapy? really can help control the worry cycle when you learn how thoughts and behaviours interact.

Right at this moment it wont curb the worry, but remember how you forgot about it?
something else distracted you, when that worry that was more important went away, you noticed it again and I expect as you think about it more it will become more noticeable and perhaps you will be far more sensitive to that part of your body and you may feel like it gets worse, seeing that pattern can really help to allow you to believe that it is psychological and not physical.

[khaleesifreakouts]

I've got an appointment booked & very nervous. I'm arranging CBT at the advise of my GP but yet to attend a session. It is true that I did forget about it, it may have been in the back of my mind but didn't preoccupy my thoughts. The pain wasn't so bad during that time which I think is the reason I forgot..I was even lifting weights for a while. I'm a little scared as some people are claiming I brought up an arm lump up a couple of years ago ( this I don't even remember) if it is true, I'm surprised id ignore it for so long.

[Wanderlust]

I cant think of anything major that you could have done that would be a major cause for concern from what you have said, and the doc will rule anything out quickly.
Definitely attend that CBT, and stick with it... often people don't see the relevance at first but it really makes a lot of sense when it all comes together.
Good luck :)

[khaleesifreakouts]

I heard CBT can feel awkward & uncomfortable at times but worth a try! Knowing my doctor, if they suspect my symptoms to be partially due to anxiety again then they will certainly emphasise the benefits of CBT again, so it's something I must brave!

[khaleesifreakouts]

Just thought id update everyone on this, the doctor identified the lump as a lipoma & confirmed anxiety as a culprit for my consistent worrying