Co worker diagnosed with oral cancer. I'm worried I have it too.

[crazygal]

A co worker who is the same age as me ( 29) has been diagnosed with oral cancer. He's a non smoker and eats healthily.

I'm worried I may have it because I noticed a few months ago that one side of my top gums looks different than the other. I didn't think much of it but now I'm worried that it might be something more sinister. My bottom gums are symmetrical but my top gums aren't.

I've been doing well with no healthy anxiety for 3 months. But now its back with a vengeance.

I want to go to the dentist but I won't be able to go until the end of the month. I'm freaking out now.

Any advice getting through these days until I can get to the dentist.

[Fishmanpa]

That's very, very rare for someone who is 29. I'm a survivor, I know.

Deep down you do recognize that his illness just triggered you and you don't have it. I know these words won't do a thing to help your anxiety but I'll alert the "Told ya so gang" to stand by ;)

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm sorry to hear about your co worker.

It's a big trigger for you and this means you get spiked and it takes time to calm down. Right now it's very raw because of mixed emotions about your co workers health and your HA flaring up. Sit it out.

If you had an aggressive form of cancer like this, months would mean symptoms arising.

And one question to ask yourself - if you did have oral cancer, didn't you already have it? So, thoughts of whether you now have it are either based on being triggered by your co workers announcement or some Magical Thinking. Not that I think you have cancer at all, but this is just to highlight an irrational thought pattern.

Symmetry in gums is something many will not have. Look at when dentists take impressions and find differences? I wore braces as a teenager to correct differences in mine.

[crazygal]

That's very, very rare for someone who is 29. I'm a survivor, I know.

Deep down you do recognize that his illness just triggered you and you don't have it. I know these words won't do a thing to help your anxiety but I'll alert the "Told ya so gang" to stand by ;)

Positive thoughts

I keep telling myself its rare. But if my Co worker got it, anyone can get it. He's healthier than me.

I keep telling myself its a trigger. But the healthy anxiety side of me always takes over. Hopefully this will pass.

[Beckybecks]

When a friend or acquaintance gets ill, it always triggers my HA. I take a morbid fascination in all their symptoms and my mind immediately tells me I must have the same and I start to get the symptoms. Even if I don't have them I continue to focus on them and fear them. I suppose that's what health anxiety is. But if you realistically look at all the diseases in the world you can't possibly suffer from them all just because someone else has them.

[Deltazv1]

It's cancer not the flu haha. You'll be fine.