QueenoftheSlipstream
21-12-21, 21:21
Hi all,
I hope you are all well. I'm really struggling at the minute and would appreciate some advice. For the past 2 weeks I have become really unwell. It started off with painful stomach cramps and eventually progressed to a full blown gastric illness with severe pain and I've also lost over half a stone in weight. I eventually went to the hospital because my pain was so bad and was admitted for a couple of nights. They ruled out any gynaecological conditions and I am now awaiting a CT scan and urgent colonoscopy to be performed. My consultant thinks I may have inflammatory bowel disease such as Chrons or colitis but he obviously won't make a diagnosis or confirm anything until I've had these tests done. I'm panicking about bowel cancer because I've also got some black stools and rectal bleeding.
Needless to say I have been absolutely frantic and so anxious during this whole episode. I suffer a lot with health anxiety so for me this is actually my worst fear come true that I have become ill, as this has actually happened to me now. I am crying pretty much all day long and I am having huge spikes in anxiety which I think makes my overall gastro symptoms worse. Just being in hospital is enough to make me so anxious as I have a horrendous fear of being in hospital as a patient. It is much worse at the minute as due to covid rules no visitors are allowed in hospital so whenever I've had to go I've been on my own and my husband has not been allowed to come in with me or visit.
At first when all this started I was spending around 8 hours a day doing compulsions such as googling, ruminating, asking for reassurance etc. I have now got to a stage where I have managed to stop most of these compulsions, and the main thing that remains is the physical anxiety/panic as well as low mood. I am back home now and I am awaiting my GP to call me today and I'm going to discuss what can be done about my mental health while I'm waiting for these tests as well as how best to manage my symptoms in the meantime. But I think I would appreciate any advice from others who have gone through something similar and how they have kept their anxiety and worry at bay.
I hope you are all well. I'm really struggling at the minute and would appreciate some advice. For the past 2 weeks I have become really unwell. It started off with painful stomach cramps and eventually progressed to a full blown gastric illness with severe pain and I've also lost over half a stone in weight. I eventually went to the hospital because my pain was so bad and was admitted for a couple of nights. They ruled out any gynaecological conditions and I am now awaiting a CT scan and urgent colonoscopy to be performed. My consultant thinks I may have inflammatory bowel disease such as Chrons or colitis but he obviously won't make a diagnosis or confirm anything until I've had these tests done. I'm panicking about bowel cancer because I've also got some black stools and rectal bleeding.
Needless to say I have been absolutely frantic and so anxious during this whole episode. I suffer a lot with health anxiety so for me this is actually my worst fear come true that I have become ill, as this has actually happened to me now. I am crying pretty much all day long and I am having huge spikes in anxiety which I think makes my overall gastro symptoms worse. Just being in hospital is enough to make me so anxious as I have a horrendous fear of being in hospital as a patient. It is much worse at the minute as due to covid rules no visitors are allowed in hospital so whenever I've had to go I've been on my own and my husband has not been allowed to come in with me or visit.
At first when all this started I was spending around 8 hours a day doing compulsions such as googling, ruminating, asking for reassurance etc. I have now got to a stage where I have managed to stop most of these compulsions, and the main thing that remains is the physical anxiety/panic as well as low mood. I am back home now and I am awaiting my GP to call me today and I'm going to discuss what can be done about my mental health while I'm waiting for these tests as well as how best to manage my symptoms in the meantime. But I think I would appreciate any advice from others who have gone through something similar and how they have kept their anxiety and worry at bay.