View Full Version : Petrified waiting on blood tests
So this year I decided I was going to take decisive action to try and get my HA under control and not allow it to control my life.
I've been doing CBT and private hypnotherapy. I've also come off of my SSRI's as I didn't feel they were actually helping me but more masking the problem.
Once of my main fears for years has been blood cancer, myeloma/leukemia and lymphoma, along with a few of the other cancers thrown in for good measure such as liver, kidney etc.
I've been really struggling lately because I've always bruised easily but as I've started to go through the menopause this has got worse. It does tend to run in our family but it hasn't stopped me going into a tailspin, even with my CBT and Hypnotherapy.
So after another panic attack last night due to me finding a few dots of petechaie on my lower legs and noticing a bruise on the inside of my finger I spoke to the Dr this morning who said she doesn't feel I have any hope of getting my anxiety under control unless I have the blood tests I've been putting off having. I haven't had a FBC or any blood tests (apart from basic thyroid and cholesterol) since I was pregnant with my son and he's 16 today! So that gives an idea how long I've been avoiding this.
I had a call with 111 last night and she even offered me to go to A&E to get the tests done so I could wait for the results, she did say she thinks I'm probably ok but for reassurance I should have the blood tests.
Anyway, this morning I bit the bullet and had them done, FBC, Clotting, Liver, Kidney and Thyroid. To say I am in a complete turmoil is an understatement.
I have propananol to take to help the anxiety and the GP checked my petechiae which wasn't actually there today! She said the fact it comes and goes so easily is reassuring but I now have to wait on tests.
I'm worse because I know when my Dad's white cells were zero they rung him at 10.30pm at night so i know I won't be able to relax all evening and tomorrow will be worse. The GP said the FBC and clotting should be back tomorrow and to call in the afternoon but I am petrified.
I'm starting to wish I hadn't bothered even though I know I needed to do it.
Any coping techniques/suggestions?
Just wanted to say well done to you for taking such a brave step. You should be proud of yourself. I'm the same waiting for tests, in fact I had some done a couple of weeks ago and was too scared to call for the results. It took me over a week to pluck up the courage. There is no shortcut through the anxiety, other than to know that this time tomorrow you will know the result. I bet they will all be fine. Do update us and let us know.
BTW I bruise super easily and my bruises take forever to heal- I had one a couple of years back that was visible for well over 6 months and my bloods are fine.
Keep busy, Munchlet. Do anything other than ruminate and monitor your phone. Your GP asked you to have blood tests to help you cope with your anxiety re having a blood cancer. Look at these tests as a general MoT whic is long overdue. Your GP isn't worried about your physical health.
Menopause can cause anxiety to skyrocket x
Thank you Cattia and Pulisa.
I am trying to stay occupied, catching up on some programmes and reading. I will keep you posted.
That is reassuring about the bruising Cattia, I've always had it but my HA has just latched onto it and because I think menopause and lack or hormones is causing it to happen more easily, I'm fretting.
Pulisa you are not wrong, I haven't known anything like it, my HA has always been bad but its the panic attacks I can't cope with. The GP did say it's probably causing a lot of the problems and it might be worth considering HRT but I don't tend to get on with hormones so thinking it might make things worse!
Worrywart84
21-01-21, 00:30
Hoping you get amazing results and can breathe a huge sigh of relief! And then you can continue regular annual blood work with your GP and it won’t be so scary.
No not yet. GP said I could have rung yesterday but nurse doing blood said Mon/Tues.
I decided not to ring as I thought if some are back and others aren’t I’ll be fretting about the ones that they don’t have results for.
I’m a nervous wreck, not eating, shaking etc. I hate this feeling, it’s only been two days. ☹️
I really do think you would have heard by now if there were anything out of sync with your bloods, Munchlet. I was once rung at 5am re my daughter's bloods when there was a serious issue. No news is good news. I'd be feeling less anxious myself if I hadn't heard anything after 2 days as there is a rapid turnaround of FBCs at the moment.
Thanks Pulisa
I think I’m less anxious about the FBC so now I’m worrying about the LFT and U&E test. Honestly it’s typical HA jumping from one to the other. I’m my own worst enemy.
I will get this HA under control, it’s not a case of wanting to its a case of having to. It’s wasted so much of my life.
I am so anxious at the moment it's just awful.
I honestly thought the longer I went after having the blood tests done I'd feel better but my anxiety has got worse.
Now I'm worrying about the Kidney and liver tests because I'm thinking if one needs a repeat or some of the levels are off then I probably wouldn't have heard anything and I'll find out tomorrow or when I ring for results as it's not as urgent.
My Mum and Husband think I'm mad (to be fair they're probably not wrong). I just can't stop worrying abut the results. I know the GP said that I could ring on Thursday but I'm thinking the LFT and U&E tests would take longer and maybe they won't be back yet or they are back but Dr hasn't got round to checking them.
Sorry, I just needed to come on and vent, now I'm going to go and slap myself.
NessMonster
24-01-21, 13:39
Hi,
I'm sorry that you're having such an awful day with the anxiety. I would love to be able to offer some reassurance but I'm not sure how helpful that would be. I know for me, the moment I'm reassured from one perspective, my brain latches on to some alternative angle. That being said, I have to have the full blood works done regularly and usually within in a couple of days, I either get an email to see they're fine or one to say that I need to se the doctor. Either way, bloods are checked in the labs and then by the doctor. If somethings immediately wrong, they're flagged and you would have been told by now.
What's going to be helpful to get you through till tomorrow? Do you have strategies? Does distraction work? Does anything calm you?
You can get through this, even if you have to literally do it minute by minute.
Thank you Nessmonster,
I agree about the reassurance it doesn’t work in the long run. I think I just have to work through this period of anxiety.
I’ve started reading one of my many books on Health Anxiety again and I think it is helping to calm me down a bit.
Going to have a nice dinner, binge watch something and read. Hopefully that will take my mind off of it.
NessMonster
24-01-21, 16:54
I hope your afternoon is going according to plan and that you're managing to get some moments of respite.
I also hope that you know how capable and strong you are for being able to sit with this awful feeling. I think that's what people miss about some aspects of anxiety, that we have to purposefully at times put ourselves in the most terrifying situations in order to do what is best for us. Be proud of yourself for all that you've done this week and no matter how endless it feels, remind yourself that there will be an end point and you will be able to breathe again a little easier soon.
Thank you :)
I've had a lovely dinner and now just ordered a great big ice cream to be delivered!
I keep going over it in my mind but there's nothing I can do so will just have to wait.
NessMonster
24-01-21, 17:32
Notice the thought and you're feeling. Say it out loud if you need to. Then refocus your attention on whatever else you have going on... Movie, book etc... You got this and you're doing really well.
What flavour ice cream. Munchlet?
You've done really well to get through the day-Sunday is always a hard day, I find. I hope you are put out of your torment tomorrow and get some reassuring news...and I mean factual reassuring news not just us trying to persuade you that no news is good news at this stage.
Thank you NessMonster and Pulisa.
I actually had three scoops, White Chocolate, Caramel and Creme Brulee, honestly I'm so stuffed but it was lovely.
I made the mistake of reading the blood tests forum on here earlier and saw that some people had gone days after their tests and then found there were abnormalities on their LFT or Kidney test. Wish I hadn't done that! :weep: Back to binge watching I think!
There will always be unhelpful posts on here but concentrate on yourself and YOUR results? Stop catastrophising because it does no good at all other than wind you up no end.
I always thought that LFT and kidney bloods were standard and included in the FBC profile anyway? Mine have always come back very quickly. My daughter's came back in a day last week (no anomalies).
Glad you enjoyed your triple scooper! Good for you-you deserve a nice treat! x
Pulisa thank you so much for your replies, they are really helpful. You are right I need to stop catastrophising. I’m actually reading my HA book and it is really helping calm me down. Just seeing in black and white all the things I’m doing which are classic HA behaviours. It’s also making me realise the impact this has on my family. I really need to get a grip on my thoughts and reactions to things. Thank you 😊
Perhaps you can develop a "rule" in making a visual list of all the classic HA behaviours...and then monitor yourself when you feel yourself panicking and spiralling over an issue and compare your thoughts to those of the habitual HA-er?
I always say it's Fact over Fiction: Diagnosed Fact versus HA Fiction.
So I bit the bullet and rang this morning as I was in such a state.
Blood tests are back and receptionist said they say "Satisfactory - No Further Action".
I feel relieved but obviously my HA is saying why Satisfactory, why not normal??
I did question her and said would it say abnormal or follow up if there was a problem and she said yes.
I feel better but not convinced, why do they make things so difficult. Now I'm thinking something must be off with one of them!
:scared15:
Pamplemousse
25-01-21, 08:48
If something was off, your doctor would want a re-test in 28 days related to the result that was out of kilter. I say this as a veteran of many, many tests (and occasional retests) indeed.
The key phrase here is "No further action".
Trust me - you have no reason to worry whatsoever and it's foolish to quibble over semantics :) All is good.
Thank you so much Pamplemousse.
I have asked for a routine call back from the GP. I'm not going to ask for levels or specific results but I just wanted to double check there is no further action and have a quick chat around HRT. We discussed this as an option once we got the bloods as she feels menopause is causing a lot of the symptoms I'm experiencing and probably not helping with the anxiety and panic attacks. The joys of getting older!
So I bit the bullet and rang this morning as I was in such a state.
Blood tests are back and receptionist said they say "Satisfactory - No Further Action".
I feel relieved but obviously my HA is saying why Satisfactory, why not normal??
I did question her and said would it say abnormal or follow up if there was a problem and she said yes.
I feel better but not convinced, why do they make things so difficult. Now I'm thinking something must be off with one of them!
:scared15:
Hiya Munchlet, I've had a few blood tests done over the years due to HA - and like you, a HUGE worrier when waiting for results.
But anyway, 'satisfactory' is the term my surgery uses for normal blood tests as well, and i'm pretty sure it's the generic term across the health board for normal results.
I know it doesn't sound like the most positive of words, but it means all is fine!
Thank you.
I received a call from the GP (think they must have known I'd be worrying)
Apparently, Kidney, Liver all normal, the only thing slightly out was my Red Cell Count was 157 and the top of the range is 150. The GP said it could be normal for me but because they don't have blood tests to compare to, they have no way of knowing.
Anyway, she said some things can cause it like being overweight (which I am), she also said being anemic would be more concerning.
Basically, she is going to leave it with me and I can repeat if I want in two months but she said if she were me she wouldn't be worried as the first thing they do when they have this come up is look at Hemocrit levels?? and those are all within normal ranges.
So bit of a dilemma. I'm not overly concerned as they don't seem to be but there is that little niggle!
I'm not overly concerned as they don't seem to be but there is that little niggle!
No disrespect meant but if being over weight can cause this why not focus on getting your weight down to normal ? That is something totally in your control.
So bit of a dilemma. I'm not overly concerned as they don't seem to be but there is that little niggle!
How does one have a dilemma or even a little niggle about normal results? :huh:
Positive thoughts
No further action from the GP means just that, Munchlet. "Satisfactory" is standard GP talk.
You can let your HA take further action though which is what you appear to be doing...
You've now got these bloods as a baseline and you've had total reassurance re the LFTs and U&Es which you were convinced would be abnormal.
I think you should be relieved and reassured..but you won't be, sadly
Thank you everyone.
Nancy, I am actually trying to deal with the weight and I have been doing weight watchers and lost one and a half stone. Unfortunately, because I've been so anxious lately as I'm sure most people can relate healthy eating takes a bit of a back seat. The fact that the gyms aren't open also isn't helping as I was going 4-5 times a week!
Fishmanpa, I know and I absolutely agree, it's been eye-opening to see the classic HA behaviours that I've displayed whilst waiting for these tests. I initially went because I was worried about Blood Cancer, the minute I started thinking along the lines of "they would have contacted me by now" I moved onto Kidney/Liver issues. Today I get told Liver and Kidneys fine and slight out of the range on one test and I'm off down another path!
I really do need to forget about this, I've put off having blood tests for soooooo long, for all I know I could have always had that range. I did say to the GP when I was pregnant (last time I had proper tests) the Midwife used to say to me how amazing my iron levels were and how she couldn't believe they weren't dropping even late on in pregnancy. Which probably goes along with a good Haemoglobin level so if I had it back then, it probably is normal for me.
So what am I going to do about it..... Forget it. If I develop any worrying symptoms I will go to my GP, in the meantime I'm going to fire Dr Google who is nothing but a scaremongering unqualified Dr and listen to my own GP's advice.
I think the key thing I need to remember is no GP would say "If I were you I wouldn't worry about it" if for one minute they thought there was reason to worry.
Well done, Munchlet. Put this in the "finished" box. I would be celebrating overcoming your fear of blood tests and then getting very reassuring and normal results x
NessMonster
25-01-21, 17:56
You did a really difficult thing. Be proud of yourself for that.
You know what steps you need to take now in managing your HA.
Your bloods are OK. You are safe. I think it might be useful to incorporate some exercise back in to your life not with the intention to lose weight but because it might helpful with your anxiety. It'll remind you just how strong and capable your body really is.
In the least patronising way possible, well done x
Thank you guys,
Yes good idea NessMonster, I'm definitely missing the gym and I've noticed a huge increase in my anxiety since I've not been exercising.
Time to embark on a new fitness campaign!
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