WillG
05-04-17, 22:44
Good evening fellow sufferers!
After lurking as a guest on this site for a long time I thought I'd have nothing to lose in making an account and sharing my story.
I've struggled for the last 5 or so years with overthinking and the usual traits most of us have. Not in any other aspect of life however, only my health.
My first job out of University was harsh and knocked my confidence big time. Combined with deaths in the family and parents getting divorced. This period of about 8 months was awful. Went to ER twice with chest tightness only to be told I was fine and was more than likely a muscle strain. About this time I also visited my GP with a lump on my right testicle. He told me it was a small cyst and removing it would be more trouble than it was worth and it wouldn't cause me problems in the future.
Here is what followed:
May 2016: I started to develop bad IBS and pains in the left of my stomach. Having always been healthy I started to worry.
June 2016: Started to feel as though I was in a dream like state, or like nothing was real. Slight brain fog. Visited my GP for the first time. Told I had IBS and was given soluble fibre solution. Mental state not really commented on.
September 2016: Started feeling dizzy and experiencing vertigo. Very forgetful and was sweaty and exhausted most of the day. Found lump on me left side, about half way up my rib cage. Visited GP, told I should get exercise (anxiety) and that lump was a fatty ball and wont be a problem.
December 2016: Spin bike bought for xmas! 8 mile per day. Made me feel fitter, tiredness and mental fog/exhaustion remained however. (Still worrying about testicle, starting to doubt diagnosis)
January 2017: Started getting tension headaches, stiff back of the neck and sore skull. First headache I'd ever had in fact. Worried that cyst diagnosis was wrong and that cancer was spreading. Visited GP, examined (including testicle for a second time) and told I was fine. Anxiety pamphlet on the way out.
May 2017: For the past few months I have had a more tender chest than usual and I developed post nasal drip and congested throat. I assumed GERD which is extremely common with sufferers of anxiety.
Congestion cleared after 10 days and I was waking up without the phlegm. About 1 week later I noticed I had a dull pain in my neck and upper inner left groin/thigh. Only maybe twice a day but still concerned me.
What I assumed were lymph nodes under my ears next to my jawline felt swollen. Upper back niggling pain also present but not troublesome.
Now (April 2017): Feeling worse than ever, tired, achy chest, random pains in thigh, neck and back. What I assume are Lymph nodes: still there. Stiff neck to cap it all off. Oh, and I've had a really wet pillow lately which is just marvellous..
Cannot feel lumps anywhere else. Slight occasional earache in left ear near most prominent 'lymph node'.
Positive me thinks it'll be sinus related or some kind of infection that wont go caused by GERD. Only being made worse by worrying.
Negative me thinks it'll be developed cancer stemming from the wrongly diagnosed testicular cyst.
Most physical symptoms I have don't get bother me that much. They can both be explained by the positive and negative within me. It's the mental problems that come with them that have/are ruining my life.
I have written this for myself as a way of getting things off my mind. Being able to read this back to myself is helpful. Sorry for waffling on. I'm sure everyone who somehow ends up reading this will understand how we all feel.
After lurking as a guest on this site for a long time I thought I'd have nothing to lose in making an account and sharing my story.
I've struggled for the last 5 or so years with overthinking and the usual traits most of us have. Not in any other aspect of life however, only my health.
My first job out of University was harsh and knocked my confidence big time. Combined with deaths in the family and parents getting divorced. This period of about 8 months was awful. Went to ER twice with chest tightness only to be told I was fine and was more than likely a muscle strain. About this time I also visited my GP with a lump on my right testicle. He told me it was a small cyst and removing it would be more trouble than it was worth and it wouldn't cause me problems in the future.
Here is what followed:
May 2016: I started to develop bad IBS and pains in the left of my stomach. Having always been healthy I started to worry.
June 2016: Started to feel as though I was in a dream like state, or like nothing was real. Slight brain fog. Visited my GP for the first time. Told I had IBS and was given soluble fibre solution. Mental state not really commented on.
September 2016: Started feeling dizzy and experiencing vertigo. Very forgetful and was sweaty and exhausted most of the day. Found lump on me left side, about half way up my rib cage. Visited GP, told I should get exercise (anxiety) and that lump was a fatty ball and wont be a problem.
December 2016: Spin bike bought for xmas! 8 mile per day. Made me feel fitter, tiredness and mental fog/exhaustion remained however. (Still worrying about testicle, starting to doubt diagnosis)
January 2017: Started getting tension headaches, stiff back of the neck and sore skull. First headache I'd ever had in fact. Worried that cyst diagnosis was wrong and that cancer was spreading. Visited GP, examined (including testicle for a second time) and told I was fine. Anxiety pamphlet on the way out.
May 2017: For the past few months I have had a more tender chest than usual and I developed post nasal drip and congested throat. I assumed GERD which is extremely common with sufferers of anxiety.
Congestion cleared after 10 days and I was waking up without the phlegm. About 1 week later I noticed I had a dull pain in my neck and upper inner left groin/thigh. Only maybe twice a day but still concerned me.
What I assumed were lymph nodes under my ears next to my jawline felt swollen. Upper back niggling pain also present but not troublesome.
Now (April 2017): Feeling worse than ever, tired, achy chest, random pains in thigh, neck and back. What I assume are Lymph nodes: still there. Stiff neck to cap it all off. Oh, and I've had a really wet pillow lately which is just marvellous..
Cannot feel lumps anywhere else. Slight occasional earache in left ear near most prominent 'lymph node'.
Positive me thinks it'll be sinus related or some kind of infection that wont go caused by GERD. Only being made worse by worrying.
Negative me thinks it'll be developed cancer stemming from the wrongly diagnosed testicular cyst.
Most physical symptoms I have don't get bother me that much. They can both be explained by the positive and negative within me. It's the mental problems that come with them that have/are ruining my life.
I have written this for myself as a way of getting things off my mind. Being able to read this back to myself is helpful. Sorry for waffling on. I'm sure everyone who somehow ends up reading this will understand how we all feel.