Post natal health anxiety out of control

[Leah88]

Hey guys,
I'm being irrational with health anxiety about bone metastasises ( again) and I lay awake all night crying thinking my husband or myself will be taken away from our daughter due to bone cancer. It scares the hell out of me as it is so un treatable. Is this anyone else's theme or just my own?... I wish science would hurry up and find some better treatment options. Don't know exactly where this post is headed but I'm a bit delusional with anxiety at the moment so just wanted someone to talk to. Any posts appreciated

[Hypomean]

Hey guys,
I'm being irrational with health anxiety about bone metastasises ( again) and I lay awake all night crying thinking my husband or myself will be taken away from our daughter due to bone cancer. It scares the hell out of me as it is so un treatable. Is this anyone else's theme or just my own?... I wish science would hurry up and find some better treatment options. Don't know exactly where this post is headed but I'm a bit delusional with anxiety at the moment so just wanted someone to talk to. Any posts appreciated



How did this come about?

[Leah88]

Well I have seen bone cancer in a colleague in the final stages and it was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. I always try to find hope in medicine when I'm worried ie. ketura for melanoma ( which is my 2nd biggest fear after bone), stem cells and immunotherapy for other cancers but I'm just so frightened about the things that, at the moment still seem hopeless in the medical world. I do try to only look on the bright side and convince myself treatments are good these days if my loved ones or self ever fell Ill. It is just so hard not to be in contstant fear at the moment with a new born. The world seems so frightening and filled with bad possibilities. I keep repeating my cbt and have kept my meds up but at the moment my brain seems to be letting anxiety win. I have a problem with my need to control things as much as possible. I am probably quite difficult for my husband to live with as I am very strongly into healthy eating and lifestyle choices. ( to a point of extreme. I'm just so afraid to lose him I can barely function.

[Hypomean]

sorry to hear about your colleague going through this.

You are traumatized. You do CBT and meds. Have you tried writing in a journal about your fears writing them out help you organize your thoughts. My therapist had me do a journal. I was to write my fear. Example I fear cervical cancer what can I do to prevent it? ...... what if I do get?...... and so on it was just sort of like have your "backup" plans in case it did happen. So it sort of becomes your cushion to fall on and it helps you feel secure in that at least you have a plan. As you go on and continue therapy you realize that your "back up plan" is just a band aid that you'll take off once your done with it.
It helped me get through some fears.

---------- Post added at 07:55 ---------- Previous post was at 07:51 ----------

As for the extreme health nut. You just need communication with your spouse so that he understands that it's this thing that has you like this.

[swajj]

I had my first encounter with anxiety after the birth of my son. It was relatively short (around 6 months). Unfortunately your hormones are all over the place. Lack of sleep and the other demands that are part and parcel of having a newborn just compound the problem. It's hard to think rationally with all that going on. I would encourage you to see a counsellor. It helped me enormously.

[CHELLEB1017]

Same boat here! During my last pregnancy my grandmother and great aunt past away both of cancer. I had a health scare with a jaw cyst at the same time. The biopsy wait was the worst. I broke down didn't work cried laid in bed and constantly shook the whole time. Almost cancelled my shower as I didn't think I'd live til the birth of my son. It was so bad. I am on the generic of celexa and things have gotten better as I can have weeks where I am fine but I do get the days a few days a month where I feel something is wrong with me and I have cancer!! I hate it so much! My ob said I had perinatal anxiety and now post natal anxiety caused by the traumatic events during pregnancy. My son is 11 months and as I said it has gotten better but is still here!

[Leah88]

Thanks for the replies... sorry to hear you are going through the same thing Chelleb, It really sucks. I hope you have a supportive spouse like I do. It's just hard for him to understand why I'm so upset when none of us have actually been diagnosed with any illness. It's just the fear I can't seem to conquer. It's nice to know you are coming out the other side though.

[CHELLEB1017]

It's sucks but we will get through it mama!