Terrified I have ovarian cancer

[Amberlight61]

Hi all - I am new here, and looking for someone to talk to. I am a 56-year-old woman who is in a paralyzing state of anxiety over the fear that I may have ovarian cancer. I have all the symptoms. I saw my doctor a week ago, and he has sent me for an ultrasound. The first US appointment was supposed to be last Thursday, but I was too scared to go and ended up postponing it to this Thursday. I know...stupid to put it off as it's just made me feel worse. Each day that goes by, I get more and more anxious, worried, depressed and upset, which makes my symptoms more and more noticeable to the point where I don't know what to do with myself. I'm obsessed with how I feel, and am convinced I'm going to die. I've spent hours Googling my symptoms and scaring myself even more. I can't concentrate on anything else. I have crying and shaking spells. Anything I try to do to calm myself down, such as deep breathing, etc., doesn't work. All I want to do is curl up in bed because sleep is my only escape from the fear.

I have always suffered from anxiety and depression -- especially the fear of getting cancer -- and I was already in a fragile emotional state since my elderly father died four months ago and I'm miss him so much. I started developing my symptoms about two months after he died.

Anyone out there have any tips on how I can get a handle on my anxiety and fear before I go crazy or start thinking about ending it all?

[Blonde123]

Hi amber light
Try and relax and calm down. Read my posts in fact anyone's post and you'll find cancer is a common HA theme. I've been undergoing abit of a OC scare after having a few symptoms.
The death of someone close is bound to make you feel vulnerable and set your anxiety off. Don't google it's the worst thing you can do, and it will always tell you your worst fears are true! Big hugs x

[Amberlight61]

Thanks Blonde123. I pray that my fears will turn out to be unfounded. I was so upset earlier this morning that I was on the verge of admitting myself to hospital. You're right that Googling symptoms is the worst thing we can do as it just causes your fears and panic to escalate a hundredfold, and pretty soon you're convinced you're at death's door. And reading about symptoms can cause them to manifest in your body, so you're soon even more persuaded that you're seriously ill. As wonderful a tool as the Internet is, it can also be dangerous....but it's hard to resist going online in a desperate search for some reassurance.

[Blonde123]

How did your ultrasound go amber light.