Will my doctor just simply dismiss me?

[imfineokay]

This is just a general question, If you have seen my latest posts I've been concerned about getting leukaemia and bowel cancer. I want to get a stool test or a colonoscopy and another blood test. Except I think my gp will just dismiss me and il be left waiting to see what happens in the coming months.

[Fishmanpa]

If he feels the tests aren't warranted (which IMO they aren't), he may very well refuse to order them. It's a waste of time and resources. That leaves you paying out of pocket privately to find out something he, and deep down you, already know.

Positive thoughts

[imfineokay]

Ah Ok thanks, don't really want to be costing time and resources Anyways.

[HopelessWorrier2011]

If you have genuine symptoms and are becoming increasingly concerned, there is no harm in you discussing this with your GP and a good Dr will not dismiss you. They could even recommend therapy if they believe there is nothing physically wrong with you. Please don't be scared to access what is available even if you believe you are being silly. They will not order tests that they believe are unnecessary thus you will not be wasting any resources.

[Fishmanpa]

If you have genuine symptoms and are becoming increasingly concerned, there is no harm in you discussing this with your GP and a good Dr will not dismiss you. They could even recommend therapy if they believe there is nothing physically wrong with you. Please don't be scared to access what is available even if you believe you are being silly. They will not order tests that they believe are unnecessary thus you will not be wasting any resources.

Review the OP's post history. Tests have been done. There is nothing physically sinister that requires further testing. As far as wasting resources? Here's a "what if" to consider.... a person who truly is in need of tests and is put off due to unnecessary tests that are not needed is wasting time and resources. Asking for psychological help is prudent and recommended IMO.

Positive thoughts

[Alice1]

I think the absolute best thing to do is to 'take a break' from trying to figure out what is wrong.
This may sound absurd and terrifying, I know, but if tests have been done and doctors aren't worried then even if it was something it is not an immediate threat to your health. Taking a break and distracting yourself will help you to retune your reactions to your body a bit more.

If symptoms persist in a few months, get significantly worse or additional symptoms occur go back to the doctor and/or get a second opinion.

For now I would recommend therapy for sure.

[HopelessWorrier2011]

Review the OP's post history. Tests have been done. There is nothing physically sinister that requires further testing. As far as wasting resources? Here's a "what if" to consider.... a person who truly is in need of tests and is put off due to unnecessary tests that are not needed is wasting time and resources. Asking for psychological help is prudent and recommended IMO.

Positive thoughts

Yes and if you read my post, my advice was to present their symptoms/fears to their GP and let the professional make judgement on the best course of treatment and not to take the opinion of members here as a deterrent to access services that are available. Unless any of us are medically trained or have experience in the psychological field, I can see no harm in people accessing the services available more so in this case for Therapy which I believe may be of benefit here

[Fishmanpa]

Yes and if you read my post, my advice was to present their symptoms/fears to their GP and let the professional make judgement on the best course of treatment and not to take the opinion of members here as a deterrent to access services that are available. Unless any of us are medically trained or have experience in the psychological field, I can see no harm in people accessing the services available more so in this case for Therapy which I believe may be of benefit here

100% true... let's see what his GP says.

Positive thoughts

[imfineokay]

Thanks for the advice, Im feeling reluctant to go but i have decided I will forget the blood test as they are rarely wrong and rarely fail to pick up signs of cancer. As for the bowel worries, Il ask advice on that with my gp. Once this is done I need to think to myself "do you honestly think that anything bad is going to happen now? After all of these symptoms youve been having and all the anxiety over nothing, and you expect this to be any different?" (Me talking to myself lol)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes and if you read my post, my advice was to present their symptoms/fears to their GP and let the professional make judgement on the best course of treatment and not to take the opinion of members here as a deterrent to access services that are available. Unless any of us are medically trained or have experience in the psychological field, I can see no harm in people accessing the services available more so in this case for Therapy which I believe may be of benefit here

Totally agree...and for another reason too - the OP is worried about blood in stools and has stated they have piles. So, a GP can look at that (not the poo :blush:) and determine whether the description matches to an expected outcome from a patient with a history of piles.

I've had piles since my early twenties and some of the things people have worried about on here, I have had too but because I don't have HA, it wouldn't bother me at all. This can be the problem, people don't know what they can experience with many conditions and a GP has a greater level of knowledge to make a diagnosis aside from the fact the most likely thing a HA person will be concentrating on will be far & above the real issue.

[Fishmanpa]

IFO... you're 16... 16! Do you parents know how bad your struggling with health fears? Maybe they can help you get some help? You're too young to be consumed with this.... btw... positive self talk is a good thing. Talk back to the irrational thoughts as deep down you know you're Ok as all tests and doctor visits thus far have proven.

Positive thoughts

[imfineokay]

Yeah they've known since I started worrying back in late February about mouth cancer (I've overcome that fear now). They have gotten me help and councilling didn't do anything so I'm on cbt now, but I'm getting really convincing symptoms and it's annoying. And yeah I'm 17 now lol (still no difference). I've stopped asking my parents because they are easily aggrivated by my fears :/. It's weird to think a year ago today I was having far far better days than I am now. So unlucky to be worrying this early about my health, but that's what I get for what I did when I first worried about mouth cancer (googling).

[Fishmanpa]

Glad to see you're doing CBT. It's good stuff but you have to work at it! What's one of the techniques you've learned would help you with this fear?

Positive thoughts

[imfineokay]

Well there is the obvious one that I figured out ages ago which is not to google but now in Cbt I see that I'm supposed to try and keep myself from seeking reassurence and its so hard because of a couple of symptoms I have are soooo convincing and scary. I can ignore minimal things like a stomach cramp or a backache but when There's a symptom I actually see I freak out a lot.

[Fishmanpa]

I'm supposed to try and keep myself from seeking reassurence and its so hard

No doubt it is! One of the ways you can do that is to stay away from the forum. In many ways, when you post about a fear, you're giving it life. Then as you stay logged on waiting for reassurance, the fear grows and who knows what other threads you're reading that could be feeding the fear.

One of the techniques I used from a CBT workbook was making a list of positives and negatives. Like why you think you have XYZ and the logical reasons you don't.

Like for example, a recent blood test and doctor visit that proved all is well for that totally trumps having some deadly illness that popped up in a couple of days....

Just some food for thought

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think you need to keep your therapist in the loop over your use of this forum because it will obstruct your treatment. Whilst it may not be as simple add unplugging if you have the opportunity to then seek reassurance offline or simply the anxiety will be too great at this stage, it will be necessary at some point and it does help people.

Thought Records are a good tool for HA. Have you seen them?

[imfineokay]

Okay il try, The sooner I can go back to normal the better. Thankyou for the advice 👍🏻

---------- Post added 05-11-15 at 01:58 ---------- Previous post was 04-11-15 at 23:21 ----------

what I am going to try and do is not make another post for the rest of this month and il probably post an update in December sometime. I'm gonna go to my gp just once tomorrow and I if he says I'm alright then I'm alright.