Extreme leukemia worries.

[BrokenAge]

Hi, I've been worried about any types of cancer ever since I was a child. Last week I was worried about skin cancer because of my bad sun burns but now I'm freaking out over Leukemia! I have this random bruise on my forearm. Lately I've been getting a lot of bruises. I've had about 4 within the course of a month but all of them I could explain but this one I can't. It's really small, just greenish and it looks like it's healing. The reason I'm so scared is because one, I can't explain it. Only thing I can think of is 4 days ago I went to a metal concert and got into a mosh pit, but I was told bruises only take an hour or a day to appear. I also have these little red bumps all around my skin. I googled them and what I found something called petechiae but I was told that those are brown and purple and very tightly packed, but mine are red little bumps spread apart. Almost like little pimples. I can't ease my mind sometimes, I feel like a child but my health anxiety breaks me down :(

[carabijoux]

Hi, I've been worried about any types of cancer ever since I was a child. Last week I was worried about skin cancer because of my bad sun burns but now I'm freaking out over Leukemia! I have this random bruise on my forearm. Lately I've been getting a lot of bruises. I've had about 4 within the course of a month but all of them I could explain but this one I can't. It's really small, just greenish and it looks like it's healing. The reason I'm so scared is because one, I can't explain it. Only thing I can think of is 4 days ago I went to a metal concert and got into a mosh pit, but I was told bruises only take an hour or a day to appear. I also have these little red bumps all around my skin. I googled them and what I found something called petechiae but I was told that those are brown and purple and very tightly packed, but mine are red little bumps spread apart. Almost like little pimples. I can't ease my mind sometimes, I feel like a child but my health anxiety breaks me down :(

Hi BrokenAge!

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I have extreme health anxiety too, so I really do get it.

I thought I'd hop on and offer you some perspective.

My Dad was diagnosed with Leukaemia 13 years ago, and his bruises were extremely large, and very very dark. He also had a whole host of other symptoms - he was so exhausted he could hardly walk, was really pale, and was generally really unwell.

From what you said, it sounds to me like your bruises are mosh-pit induced, and will be gone in no time!

I hope this helps :)

C

Ps. My Dad is still here, and is doing very well :)

[BrokenAge]

Thank you for your response! I'm happy that your dad has gotten better! I just get freaked out over the tiny little differences on my body.

[carabijoux]

Me too, for sure. It's torture.

I just hope that my post has given you some perspective. I've met many folks with Leukaemia (we ran the local branch of Leukaemia Research for many years) and bruises I saw in patients were very large, and very very black x

[jmillsg]

With regards to what you just said, do those very very dark Lukemia bruises stay dark? Or do they fade over the course of days. Thanks for any response.

---------- Post added at 16:18 ---------- Previous post was at 16:16 ----------

Carabijoux, appreciate your response as clearly you have experience with the local branch. And glad to hear your father is doing well.

[carabijoux]

With regards to what you just said, do those very very dark Lukemia bruises stay dark? Or do they fade over the course of days. Thanks for any response.

---------- Post added at 16:18 ---------- Previous post was at 16:16 ----------

Carabijoux, appreciate your response as clearly you have experience with the local branch. And glad to hear your father is doing well.

Hey!

If I remember rightly, the bruises stayed dark for quite some time. Although - I'm not sure if that is because of the Leukaemia, or just because of my dad's particular circumstances.

My manager at a previous job had bruises that turned out to be Leukaemia also (she's also absolutely fine now) - and again, the bruises weren't the only symptom. She was pale, felt really unwell, had zero energy, and it was clear to those of us around her that she really wasn't right. It wasn't just the bruises that were the telltale sign.

I do hope that helps put your mind at rest! :)

[KeeKee]

I've had this fear in past. Bruises can take a short while to appear though my partner had a MASSIVE bruise appear on his leg a while back and he went to the walk-in centre (he doesn't have health anxiety rarely goes to the doctors), turns out it was a strain from a full week beforehand and it's quite common for it to take that long to show apparently.

As for other bruising I bruise very easily and have done so for around a year. I lost around 18lbs last year due to coming off antidepressants and believe it's knocked my body out of sync as I also developed dark circles around that time, started getting PMS etc. I often wonder if these bruises are hormonal, I am definitely not banging myself without realising. I had 16 bruises on my lower right leg a few days ago there is no chance I've bashed myself 16 times without realising. I also had bruises on my left leg just not as many. I think some people just bruise easily and from my own experiences you can be one of those people who seems to rarely get bruises one day and the next day even just leaning on something can cause a bruise. As others have mentioned you generally have other symptoms alongside the bruises, I was told last year when I went to the doctors with bruising on my legs 'Leukemia doesn't present this way'. So although I despise the amount of bruises I get I no longer worry.

[jmillsg]

Thanks so much, both KeeKee and Carabijoux. Having two infants knocking me around probably has my legs quite bruised up. Nasty to look at but fortunately they are turning green and yellow after 2-3 days. I had a blood panel two months ago and doctor said all blood counts were within range. So I'd assume it would be difficult to have something cancerous develop so quickly.

Feeling great otherwise. On the treadmill every day for an hour and no desire to take naps. (once again, the little ones rule that out!) So I will disregard these ugly bruises because, as you say, Lukemia would present a lot of other issues and I probably would be feeling like total crap.

Finally, this forum has helped me tremendously. Thank you all for support and generally calming down my extreme HA worries...

[Lifelonganxiety!]

Everyone gets bruises on them, from random knocks that you don't remember. The difference is, people here tend to go looking for them. If you look hard enough, you'll probably find any symptom you want to.

Try not to worry, you sound healthy and fit. Little bruises are very common and nothing to worry about. Glad you're feeling better about it!