Terrified of chest x-ray results

[Paul Gib]

I have been in a state of panic for a week. I am a 64 year-old smoker (desperate to give up) and visited my GP a week ago with slight chest problems. Had a chest x-ray that day and have been living in terror ever since awaiting results. I phone the surgery every day and am told the results are still not back.
I feel this is all self induced but find it difficult to keep functioning.

[Rick(amateur)]

Hi Paul,

It's never a good feeling waiting for results to come back. We are just so used to imagining the worst when it comes to our health. I hope the results will be better than what you imagined. Hang in there! :)

[MadWomanintheAttik]

Hi there ! I've been to the hospital three times in the past six months for anxiety induced symptoms that mimic heart attack and lung clot symptoms. Each and every time, the hospital ran chest x-rays and a load of blood work, all to come back absolutely normal. I am a smoker as well, 33 years old, and not in the best shape, although I've been exercising recently to help with my anxiety. As the above post says, we are always programmed to expect the worst with our anxiety, when in reality, it usually isn't all that bad. I would relax and try to remind myself that we always tend to make things out to be worse than they really are. What is the worse thing that could happen? If they find some sort of mass, at least they caught it and treatment can start! :)