PDA

View Full Version : Health Anxiety! A year in the life



LouiseAndy
08-05-18, 12:45
I've also had issues with my mental health but since last year, I've been having very bad episode- well on going health anxiety.

Here's a list of everything I've had going with:
I've had a lot of issues with my stomach and bowel movement, they done some tests and they don't think it's anything to bad. So some days I would be double over in pain about my stomach and since they said it's nothing serious like cancer and are looking into issues like ibs. I had ct scan done, ultrasound and waiting on the results of a stool sample. I haven't thought about my stomach or bowel movements at all.

I had worries about my heart, at times I still get worried but nothing over the top anymore. I've had blood tests and few tests done in that.

Lump around the collarbone area: My doctor had a good feel around and said it was nothing to worry about.

Blood/Bone/lymphoma: These are still kinda on going. Like I had my blood done in February and my doctor said all the results came back perfect. I also had a chest x-ray at the hospital while dealing with the heart stuff. Yet Since finding a lump like thing in the back of my neck. I've also now been having a lot of issues with neck pain and stiff neck. Which of course causes me to worry. These fears are still on going but hopefully I can move past them soon!

Now! Onto new issues,
I've been having a lot of headache/pressure/tension. Like it isn't really all bad all the time but I've had it everyday for the past week and abit. It just moments of deep intense pressure and of course the more I worry about the worse it is! I also have a lot of pressure at the temple/between the temples like someone is grabbing my head and squeezing as hard as possible. I also get that same feeling behind both of ear and just above them a lot. It gets worse whenever I lean my head over my laptop or phone. I also get a lot of pressure along my teeth, behind the eyes and nose. I've also been getting some funny pins and needles in my hands and feet as well as some weakness in my arms from time to time. Sometimes I find it hard to memory stuff. Like a read a post earlier about someone saying something about someone having been told they had like sinus issues but isntead it turned out to be a far along cancer and it's freaked me of course.

I was at the dentist back in like October and haven't been since so I had a x-ray. I noticed that when I open and close my mouth (so basically move my jaw the area of the jaw that up by the ear) my right side seems to have these like it hard to say just right what it is but like lump that move with it and kinda like "clicks" without making a click sound. My right ear been feeling kinda blocked and that whole area been a little swore and stiff since. I also try not looking into my mouth as to not start any fears with that whole place! I'm hoping it's just from my over-thinking it! Like you know when you become aware of something and you can't stop thinking about it or at it?

I'm trying to tell myself it's probably just sinus issue with that head stuff! It actually was a bad sinus infection that started all my health anxiety. I try to tell myself a lot of this comes from my anxiety and sometimes not the best sleeping stuff.

I'm trying to make a positive change, I'm going for a lot of walks and having out doors time. I'm going out and meeting friends more. I've been in therapy for awhile about other issues but I'm opening up to her about this. I'm going on a trip to Leeds as well as Amsterdam to meet my boyfriends family for the first time! I'm trying to stay away from googling things. I even have timer for how long I'll leave myself on this website because the more I read posts sometimes the new issues I have Like a read a post earlier about someone saying something about someone having been told they had like sinus issues but instead it turned out to be a far along cancer and it's freaked me of course.

This is such a long post but thank you so much to anyone who reads or gives the time to reply.

---------- Post added at 06:01 ---------- Previous post was at 02:07 ----------

I know it's alot but ever since writing that post I've been laying in bed till 6 am just panicking over everything. Making things feel worse of course and other things being added over that. I tried using some stuff my theapry told me about but sometimes I feel so hopeless.

---------- Post added at 07:54 ---------- Previous post was at 06:01 ----------

So in my desperation to find some answers and get some sleep at last. I ended up finding out apparently I do have lymphoma, as well as a brain tumor and sinus cancer. Also maybe a tumor on my jaw? As well as a number of deadly illness. I'm so disappointed in myself for falling like that.

---------- Post added at 08:43 ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 ----------

Sorry to spam my own thread but I'm trying to decide now if it would be good to try and get a few hours sleep or just get up and try about my day. I feel like my chest and heart is all strange now. It's amazing how one bad night can set you back so far.

---------- Post added at 09:45 ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 ----------

Although my eyes and limbs feel heavy and want sleep. My mind won't stop so I'm going to get out of bed and try to make these as good as possible for the day and not fall to deeply into bad habits again. Sorry I just need to vent this out so I don't have anyone I can really to talk about this anymore. People are long feed up with me

---------- Post added at 10:05 ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 ----------

Please. I know I'm being overwhelming and stuff but 150 people views this and not one reply

---------- Post added at 12:45 ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 ----------

At this stage I know this is just stuipd myself but I'm finding that my temples are both very tender to touch also.

Carys
08-05-18, 14:22
Hiyer,

You have done exactly what you shouldn't have done, but then you know that :winks: After being awake all night after taking the decongestant, you spent the night 'researching' serious health conditions. Seriously, what do you expect the outcome to be after that? ( I don't mean that rudely, just pointing out the obvious). Today isn't going to be great, as not only are you tired (and by the way it'll do you no harm being awake for a whole night) but you have fuelled every single fear throughout that night. If you couldn't sleep why not get up and do something pleasant, that will be so much better for you; reading, sewing, baking, craft, art, online word games, quiet painting and decorating - anything that is a distraction and doesn't add to your fears. Everything you have written here can be caused by health anxiety.

---------- Post added at 14:22 ---------- Previous post was at 14:20 ----------


At this stage I know this is just stuipd myself but I'm finding that my temples are both very tender to touch also.

Yeah, that'll more than likely be the muscles and tendons that you are clenching and stressing in your face. Put a finger on each temple, either side, then clench your teeth together really tighty, then relax totally, then clench again - can you feel that muscles tightly squeezing and working in that area?

LouiseAndy
08-05-18, 16:29
Hiyer,

You have done exactly what you shouldn't have done, but then you know that :winks: After being awake all night after taking the decongestant, you spent the night 'researching' serious health conditions. Seriously, what do you expect the outcome to be after that? ( I don't mean that rudely, just pointing out the obvious). Today isn't going to be great, as not only are you tired (and by the way it'll do you no harm being awake for a whole night) but you have fuelled every single fear throughout that night. If you couldn't sleep why not get up and do something pleasant, that will be so much better for you; reading, sewing, baking, craft, art, online word games, quiet painting and decorating - anything that is a distraction and doesn't add to your fears. Everything you have written here can be caused by health anxiety.

---------- Post added at 14:22 ---------- Previous post was at 14:20 ----------



Yeah, that'll more than likely be the muscles and tendons that you are clenching and stressing in your face. Put a finger on each temple, either side, then clench your teeth together really tighty, then relax totally, then clench again - can you feel that muscles tightly squeezing and working in that area?

Thank you taking the time to reply! I understand what you mean. Besides it's better sometimes to just speak the honest truth because I did lead myself down a rabbit hole. I manged to gather myself up somewhat, put my mind onto some college work and just trying to work. Trying to remain myself not everything is something so sinister! Besides, I've had so many tests done at this stage they must have picked up on something wrong! Last night was just a bad night- a foolish one as well but I'm going to do my best to get onto the good path once again. :D

LouiseAndy
08-05-18, 22:25
Hi! So after my major metal down yesterday and this morning. I've tried to turn a negative into a positive! I did a lot of college work and just finished watching eurovision! I've had little worries today with the thing's I've listed above already but I've tried to work through it and keep my hands away from poking at anything. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight :yesyes:

Carys
09-05-18, 22:30
How ya doing ?

LouiseAndy
10-05-18, 19:33
How ya doing ?

Thank you for asking Carys! I still have some of the issues but I'm trying not to dwell on it to much and turn it into something more sinister! Like I still get intensive feelings of those thing's I listed above around but I'm doing my best to stay calm! I went out all of yesterday and spent the night at my best friends house. I also went on a 3 hour walk today. Like I think that I've had issues going on for so long that hopefully they have noticed something at this stage! Like whenever I'm over one issue another seems to pop up! Like this all started last July and I thought I had like a brain tumor or sinus cancer but it turned out to be a mixture of small thing's (including anxiety of course). I moved away from all those worries and onto other ones! I seem to be back at those issues again! Trying to be positive :D

Carys
10-05-18, 20:32
I went out all of yesterday and spent the night at my best friends house. I also went on a 3 hour walk today.


Good for you ! Socialising and exercise, both very good for you and will increase those endorphins.I think all of those things you listed will be just fine, and nothing sounds worrying....as you say you'd know by now is something serious was wrong.

LouiseAndy
10-05-18, 20:44
Good for you ! Socialising and exercise, both very good for you and will increase those endorphins.I think all of those things you listed will be just fine, and nothing sounds worrying....as you say you'd know by now is something serious was wrong.

Again, thank you so much for reply! I'm doing my best to be my proactive! I've made plans for all this weekend. I'm keeping off websites I shouldn't be on or poking myself as little as possible! I think a big issue is that I never had any like "real" tests on my head like I did with the rest of my body. Like I got my eye's checked last year when I was getting my glasses updated and my doctor has checked my eye's/sinus a few times in the past. Yet the rest of me is very health bare a few small issues brought up from other tests! My boyfriend is teasing me at the moment because we're going to The Netherlands (his home country) in two weeks time and I'm meeting his family for the first time so his asking if I'm trying to find a way out of it :winks::D Thank you so much again for replying!