Does this sound like classic health anxiety?

[QuantumJonny]

Good evening all,

I've had a lump checked out by a doc and they are sure that it isn't anything serious and it is just an excess bit of tissue that I haven't noticed before. They then went on to tell me come back if anything changes or if it GETS BIGGER! Argh. So that re assured me for about a week, and all of a sudden a couple of days ago I felt said lump and said to myself 'has this got bigger? Oh crap I forget what it felt like before? Argh panic, surely it is??. So that thought was basically going round my head for a while, throughout the day and night I had spells of it's fine it's hasn't gotten any bigger as it would be obvious and it's completely my HA. Followed by spells of what if it HAS got bigger. So I basically feel like I'm completely torn inside.

Has anyone else been adamant that somthing physical has changed but found out it hasn't, as sometimes I feel like my anxiety basically pushes me down a hill and I'm spiral to rock bottom again. And I feel like I'm literally finding an excuse to prove the doc wrong!

Does this sound like classic HA? I understand that if in doubt you should ask your GP Again but I can't keep doing this week in week out?

Further more I've read tonnes of bits and bobs on HA and I always find it mildly reassuring that I basically tick every single symptom/box when it comes to HA however with serious health conditions I only ever tick one or two

Many thanks

Jonny

[gailveronica]

This EXACT thing just happened to me!!

I found a lump behind my knee on January 4. I decided to let it go for a week and see if it went away. When it didn't, I went to the doctor on January 15.

My doctor felt it and said "it's either a cyst or a lipoma." So to ease my mind (she knows I have HA!) she sent me for an ultrasound.

The ultrasound came back with a lipoma (a fatty deposit/tumor). It's only 14mm x 13mm x 9mm. Super tiny! She was shocked I even found it, as the ones in the thigh/popliteal area are usually much more deep-seated and only found when they're bigger.

This didn't ease my mind ANY because I read all over that sarcoma (soft tissue cancer) can be found 1) behind the knee and 2) only by biopsy and MRI (ultrasound does not see cancer vs non-cancer). So why on earth did my doc send me for an ultrasound??

So I went back to her and she explained:

An ultrasound will show if it's solid. This is solid. An ultrasound will show if it's homogeneous. This is homogeneous. An ultrasound will show if it's hyperechoic. This is hyperechoic. An ultrasound will show if it's vascular. This is not.

All of these conditions were met, so the radiologist said it is likely lipoma and very unlikely to be anything sinister.

I'm still struggling with having a lump in my leg (it's terrifying) but my doc said to come back if it grows (WHAT A THING TO SAY TO SOMEONE WITH HA!) or becomes painful (which it is now from me poking at it to see if it's growing for 3 straight weeks lol).

I came here and some people helped calm me down - we have to TRUST our doctors and the standard doctor send off is "come back if it changes." In our case (lumps) the change would be growth (or pain).

Lipomas are so common! Do NOT google anything about sinister lumps - you'll work yourself up! Lumps are just lumps are just lumps. Remember this! Should anything change - it could still just be a lump! It's fine!

If your doctor is not concerned, if there are no red flags, let yourself breathe and check it again in 2 weeks. Not daily. You'll drive yourself crazy (I know! I'm there now! I gotta take my own advice!).

Best of luck to you!! :)

[Double_Rainbow]

Sounds painfully famiar. I've had the same exact thing with moles many times. This is classic HA. Textbook HA, if that makes you feel any better. Think of what do you want to achieve, what would make you happy? Having that thing removed, and having a huge scar, for nothing? I would even say, go for it, but sadly, I know pretty darn well that this won't be your last. Having 13 unnecessary mole biopsies and 2 wide excisions for nothing have thought me a lesson. Now I have a 3 inch fugly scar on my belly. If that's what you want, go for it. But I think it would serve you better to try and get control of your anxiety.