lofwyr
04-09-19, 16:20
How do you guys decide when to go and when to stay home?
When I was younger, and in the throes of my serious episodes of HA, I would chew through doctors. I would go to one until I realized or felt he wasn't taking me seriously anymore, then go on to the next. I had 4 GPs in 10 years because of that from around age 25-35.
Fast forward to age 40 or so, and my anxiety was doing pretty well. Not perfect, but more or less managed. I decide unless I have real, and very obvious symptoms, I will just check the boxes on routine medical visits. I started to get an annual physical, and annual eye exam, skin check with the derm etc. That went pretty well while it lasted.
But another 8 years later, and I have heart valve issues, an aneurysm, and now, apparently, serious-ish skin issues in the form of what might be an aggressive form of Basal Cell. Not deadly, but it will require a pretty massive surgery and nose reconstruction etc. I am putting the cart before the horse there, but my derm is pretty suspicious of it, but biopsy won't be a for a couple weeks, so I will keep my fingers crossed until then. I went from an annual physical to having a "medical care team" according to MyChart. I feel like I am going to the doctor every other week for something. It is absolutely endless and exhausting and piled on with some non health issues I am dealing with (work, family etc).
Now, I have symptoms of other stuff, but some of them are known anxiety symptoms. I am resistant to go to the doctor yet again, but at the same time, I have had enough shots across my bow lately, I feel I cannot really ignore them either. But I don't want to fall into the trap of HA visits to the doctor all the time. I also refuse to Google, I don't have the peace I have managed to scrounge by googling. I have a set number of symptoms I was ordered by my cardiothoracic surgeon which are to send me immediately to the ER, no hesitation, due to potential aortic dissection. I am good with those. I have been to the ER once in two years because of them. Those clear cut symptoms are not at issue. But I have tons of other little things, which are very much starting to drag me towards the spiral.
I am trying so hard to stay positive and live for today, but life is just grinding me down lately, and I am feeling that depression more than the anxiety coming back. I am trying to stay ahead of it, but it is also becoming difficult, and fighting off looming depression ironically makes me a bit anxious. Add to that, my long time therapist retired last year.
For those with real medical issues, how do you balance the endless legitimate doctor visits with your HA? Do you have particular symptoms you watch for? Particular symptoms you are supposed to watch for? Do they send you spiraling, or do you recognize them as anxiety when they are anxiety?
When I was younger, and in the throes of my serious episodes of HA, I would chew through doctors. I would go to one until I realized or felt he wasn't taking me seriously anymore, then go on to the next. I had 4 GPs in 10 years because of that from around age 25-35.
Fast forward to age 40 or so, and my anxiety was doing pretty well. Not perfect, but more or less managed. I decide unless I have real, and very obvious symptoms, I will just check the boxes on routine medical visits. I started to get an annual physical, and annual eye exam, skin check with the derm etc. That went pretty well while it lasted.
But another 8 years later, and I have heart valve issues, an aneurysm, and now, apparently, serious-ish skin issues in the form of what might be an aggressive form of Basal Cell. Not deadly, but it will require a pretty massive surgery and nose reconstruction etc. I am putting the cart before the horse there, but my derm is pretty suspicious of it, but biopsy won't be a for a couple weeks, so I will keep my fingers crossed until then. I went from an annual physical to having a "medical care team" according to MyChart. I feel like I am going to the doctor every other week for something. It is absolutely endless and exhausting and piled on with some non health issues I am dealing with (work, family etc).
Now, I have symptoms of other stuff, but some of them are known anxiety symptoms. I am resistant to go to the doctor yet again, but at the same time, I have had enough shots across my bow lately, I feel I cannot really ignore them either. But I don't want to fall into the trap of HA visits to the doctor all the time. I also refuse to Google, I don't have the peace I have managed to scrounge by googling. I have a set number of symptoms I was ordered by my cardiothoracic surgeon which are to send me immediately to the ER, no hesitation, due to potential aortic dissection. I am good with those. I have been to the ER once in two years because of them. Those clear cut symptoms are not at issue. But I have tons of other little things, which are very much starting to drag me towards the spiral.
I am trying so hard to stay positive and live for today, but life is just grinding me down lately, and I am feeling that depression more than the anxiety coming back. I am trying to stay ahead of it, but it is also becoming difficult, and fighting off looming depression ironically makes me a bit anxious. Add to that, my long time therapist retired last year.
For those with real medical issues, how do you balance the endless legitimate doctor visits with your HA? Do you have particular symptoms you watch for? Particular symptoms you are supposed to watch for? Do they send you spiraling, or do you recognize them as anxiety when they are anxiety?