Please help! Spiraling FAST due to liver cancer fears

[anxietygirl27]

Hi, all -

I am looking for some reassurance or a slap on the head honestly.

I haven't visited this forum in months because I have been doing SO well and have absolutely kept my HA at bay for over a year.

However, I just experienced a panic attack while looking up symptoms of liver cancer. I have been having right sided upper abdominal pain on and off for about a year now. At my physical last October, I mentioned it to my doctor but she didn't seem to worried about it and it always comes and goes so I have put it out of my mind as either muscular or digestive.

It's been hanging around the last few days and of course by innocently googling "upper right abdomen pain" I just got overloaded with liver cancer stats and now I am panicking. I look at my eyes and I'm convinced I see a yellow tint! Now I think the right side of my abdomen is more prominent than the other and I have completely fallen down a rabbit hole of being convinced that I am pretty much terminal at this point.

Please help, I know this sounds ridiculous but I am near tears and stuck at my second job for the next three hours so I can't go to urgent care and get it checked out.

[ErinKC]

Stop googling things!!

Upper abdominal pain is totally nonspecific. This is almost certainly muscular or digestive, as you said. Pain from cancer wouldn't come and go for a year with no other symptoms. You'd be very ill by now.

[anxietygirl27]

Thanks, Erin. I know that and I've been telling myself that but it somehow is more helpful to hear from a different person! I need to stop the googling :weep:

[AMomentofClarity]

Hi, all -

I am looking for some reassurance or a slap on the head honestly.

I haven't visited this forum in months because I have been doing SO well and have absolutely kept my HA at bay for over a year.

However, I just experienced a panic attack while looking up symptoms of liver cancer. I have been having right sided upper abdominal pain on and off for about a year now. At my physical last October, I mentioned it to my doctor but she didn't seem to worried about it and it always comes and goes so I have put it out of my mind as either muscular or digestive.

It's been hanging around the last few days and of course by innocently googling "upper right abdomen pain" I just got overloaded with liver cancer stats and now I am panicking. I look at my eyes and I'm convinced I see a yellow tint! Now I think the right side of my abdomen is more prominent than the other and I have completely fallen down a rabbit hole of being convinced that I am pretty much terminal at this point.

Please help, I know this sounds ridiculous but I am near tears and stuck at my second job for the next three hours so I can't go to urgent care and get it checked out.

How old are you?

[anxietygirl27]

I'm 28. I know, a super low risk age bracket but then my HA convinces me it's spread from my breast or something.

[AMomentofClarity]

I'm 28. I know, a super low risk age bracket but then my HA convinces me it's spread from my breast or something.

Unless you’ve been a raging alcoholic since you were 10, it’s literally impossible.
That’s how HA works, cleared for one thing, find something new to justify your fears.

[anxietygirl27]

Thanks, definitely drank a lot in my early twenties but nothing on that level. I just took an emergency Xanax to take the edge off and help me see more clearly here, and will schedule an appointment with my doctor for next week (due for a physical and bloodwork anyway).

[AMomentofClarity]

Thanks, definitely drank a lot in my early twenties but nothing on that level. I just took an emergency Xanax to take the edge off and help me see more clearly here, and will schedule an appointment with my doctor for next week (due for a physical and bloodwork anyway).

Everyone drinks a lot in their early 20s, and often into their 30s. As long as you’re not drinking daily for decades, you’re probably safe from liver cancer.

[escapeartist]

I would second the other posters, given your age and how non-specific and vague your symptoms are it is very very highly unlikely. Also, if you were jaundiced it would not simply be a yellow tint in your eyes, but they would be fully blown yellow, as would your skin (depending on your actual skin tone).

Take a few deep breaths, try and rationalise, right upper abdominal pain could be so many more things (from trapped wind to a very mild gastritis, or muscular) and be reassured. Take care of yourself, do something that may distarct you or that is pleasant and try and move away from the fear! (Easy for me to say, I know...)

[anxietygirl27]

Thank you!

Definitely trying to rationalize, but of course you hear those horror stories and then I fall down the hole of "well, I have had had this pain (on and off) for a year, it could be something awful by now". I know again that's unlikely but hey we wouldn't be here on NMP if we always listened to our rational side! :winks:

[escapeartist]

Indeed, I am with you! :winks:

However, the fact that you have had it for a year without anything awful happening (if it was something bad, surely it would have worsened considerably in a year) is probably a good thing.
BTW a quick blood test can give you pretty definitive answers on liver health.

Hugs!

[anxietygirl27]

Definitely! I need to make my yearly physical appt anyway so I will get it out of the way.

Also unrelated to your response but probably something to note in case anyone else searches and finds this thread. I have mild to moderate scoliosis and my ribs are lower on the right side, which could definitely be contributing to the pain although my doctor has said my curve is too mild to cause any issues. I know we should listen to doctors but in my experience scoliosis related pain is something they tend to brush off!

Anyway, here's hoping for an anxiety free day! Thanks everyone for your responses last night they really helped me :)

[anxietygirl27]

Update:

Went to the doctor today, she order a blood test (cbc and total metabolic) and she wants me to get an ultrasound, which of course - didn't make me very happy. It's almost funny, I feel like I am the opposite of most people on here. I know most of y'all hate when a doctor won't give you an ultrasound, etc. For me it sends me into a worse panic when they actually think something might be wrong.

I got the CBC back right away - all normal - but will be 4-5 days until I hear back about the liver levels.

I also got some serious discomfort when she was pressing around my ribs which I am panicking about :/. Will update when I know more!

[anxietygirl27]

Figured I would update in case anyone searches for similar fears.

They called me and told me that all liver levels were normal, but they're still waiting to hear back on lipase and amylase. That was Friday, still haven't heard anything back which my anxiety is trying to tell me is a bad sign that something is wrong with my pancreas, even though I never have any left sided pain and also they're probably just overloaded /haven't gotten the results back yet.

[Hypomania]

Figured I would update in case anyone searches for similar fears.

They called me and told me that all liver levels were normal, but they're still waiting to hear back on lipase and amylase. That was Friday, still haven't heard anything back which my anxiety is trying to tell me is a bad sign that something is wrong with my pancreas, even though I never have any left sided pain and also they're probably just overloaded /haven't gotten the results back yet.

How is everything going? Any updates? I'm going through a similar thing myself... the anxiety is awful.